Branding is probably the most important aspect of modern life. You have an army, nay, hundreds of armies of grunts and schmucks who were told by advertisers that they are special and world revolves around them. I was on a shuttle today and the driver had the radio on, so I had to listen to some commercial station for about 30 minutes. Th tone of commercials - both the choice of words and intonation - was like mother talking to a child - you are special, our only goal to care about you blah blah. I hear from my wife that a lot of her student believe they are special - they the next star - pop culture, sports, you name it. Now, the reality is that these schmucks cannot graduate from high school, let alone achieve any noticeable success anywhere. So how else are they going show that they are not schmucks if not not by brandishing brands and symbolize status.
The commercial culture instilled high expectations into large segments of the population but these expectations cannot be met for most - not even close. The only way they can meet them is vicariously - by branding themselves with popular brands. It is pathetic but that is neoliberalism for you, and it trumped communism by this brand fetishism. Don't you remember people in Eastern Europe paying month's wages for a pair of blue jeans with an American brand sticker on it. Domestic jeans would not do the trick, it had to have the American brand sticker, even if the product was made locally to the order of an American firm.
You and I may find it pathetic and contemptible, but millions of schmucks around the world fall for it, because it helps them believe that they are not schmucks. Self-delusion is a very powerful motivator indeed.
Wojtek
On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 2:23 PM, <123hop at comcast.net> wrote:
> There's a difference between consumers and workers doing it.
>
> I mean, mind-forged manacles both ways, but still.
>
> Joanna
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> It could be just aping the West
>
> http://www.billhartzer.com/pages/why-do-customers-tattoo-themselves-with-the-brands-they-love/
>
> Wojtek
>
>
>
> On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 2:14 PM, <123hop at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > I dunno. I just dunno.
> >
> >
> >
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10062046/Bangalores-IT-workers-start-tech-tattoo-craze.html
> >
> > Joanna
> > ___________________________________
> > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Wojtek
>
> "An anarchist is a neoliberal without money."
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>
-- Wojtek
"An anarchist is a neoliberal without money."