Wojtek
On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 2:52 PM, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am not sure if they make that distinction. It is quite possible that
> they see only a brave new world of high technology and want to identify
> with it. You have the same principle operating here as well - people buy
> brands with which they identify, e.g. apple. I had a conversation with
> someone who barely makes ends meet but owns an expensive iphone and
> service. Argument that you can get the same level of service for less than
> half the price if you go with android fall on deaf ears because android
> products do not prominently display apple logo.
>
> 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."
>
-- Wojtek
"An anarchist is a neoliberal without money."