Values, Priorities, Aspirations!
Wow, what could possibly be a symptom of an utterly vacuous mind other than a focus on fashion? Fashion? I love it. I'm a woman, after all. Everyone likes to look good, likes to think they look good, believes they do when they take particular care with their appearance. This is, though, one very small part of anyone's interests and preoccupation in life. Or it should be. As an all-consuming passion, I cannot imagine it.That there would be little else that a dedicated fashionista would concern themselves with, or believe they should, boggles the mind. Our appearance is indeed an expression of ourselves, and if we've been fortunate enough in our inherited physical genetic make-up to be attractive, to carry ourselves well and with grace, to recognize what is suitable for us, is a very nice bonus indeed. But the be-all and the end-all of existence? Hmmm. There's too much empty space up there where the cerebellum rests.
Have those pseudo-psychologists, professional behaviorists got us down pat? The ones working overtime, taxing their feverish brains as public relations and advertising specialists, to encourage, badger, bully, entice women to shop 'till they drop, and spend, spend as lavishly as possible? Is no one immune from their enticing blandishments to get out there, succumb to envy, greed and the passion of one-upsmanship in ownership? Are women supposed to be intelligent beings or are they not? Why, if we're so intelligent do we allow ourselves to be pushed into a perpetual state of agitation, dissatisfaction, disquietude, envy and rage over wardrobe fashions and their acquisition?
How haute can you get to surpass shopping at Canada's premiere fashion emporium, Holt Renfrew. Yet this august establishment has outdone, in my opinion, the excesses I've seen in advertising from other sources who service women's desires and needs in fashion. A half-page advertisement for Holt Renfrew introducing their new line by Burberry. The ad shows a euphorically triumphant young woman in the throes of possession, holding close to her bosom a nasty-looking, briefcase-sized, shopping-bag design of a handbag. She is surrouned by a throng of other young women demonstrating deep distress at her good fortune. clasping their heads in angst, mouths open in pain, brows creased on the verge of tears, excitement thrills through the print on the newspaper page. In short, it's downright sickening.
Why would a public relations firm stoop so low? Why would a respectable retailer consider such an advertisement, demeaning to the target group it hopes to impress? Why would any self-respecting, half-intelligent woman find this advertisement and its frankly disgusting message even half amusing? Why would the former two believe this to be an excellent medium for product enticement? Why would the latter indulge this fantasy and deign to shop at an establishment which holds them to be so palpably stupid?
Stupid, actually on a number of counts. Let's set aside the insulting advertisement at this point and focus on the undeniable fact that the product in question is ugly beyond belief. Add to that the fact that the ego of its manufacturers and its retailers is such that they believe (and likely with good reason) that if the logo is right then the product can never be wrong, And women accept this? Moreover, the logos, both of the manufacturer and the retailer, are such to ensure a grossly inflated price tag. Isn't this a classic case of adding injury to insult?
So here we have a rather incredible situation where a retailer goes out of its way to pay big bucks to an advertising firm to brainstorm an advertisement that could be amusing, but is instead insulting in the extreme. They obviously feel confident that women will take this in their stride, own up to the established fact that they are greedy, jealous, grasping fashionistas who will pay anything to own an item that completely lacks aesthetic appeal, but for which they will go to any ends to prove their fashion-flamboyant good taste.
I need a good stiff drink. Make it tomato juice?
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, September 09, 2006
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