Branded bags never cease to amaze me. Girls who love them cease me even more. The globalising force of advertising and brand image whiz through world's emerging economies and creating new markets rapidly. Many of life's little treats like coffee, books, and fashion works under the collective power of consumerism. Brands such as Starbucks, Borders, Kinokuniya, Amazon, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vitton, Armani, Bally, are the new emperors of society. People wants to be associated with the royals and therefore would do almost anything to be members of the club. Even if it means, carrying a fake Gucci bag whilst sipping cofee at Starbucks.
This has also resulted in the rise of material girls. As a concept, it is older than the brands mentioned above, but in practise it is taking the world like a storm. Especially in a country like Indonesia, where the gap between the rich and the poor is so wide that it is almost impossible to cross. Girls are turning into predators. In the quest of finding ways to live happily ever after, sufficient material goods becomes priority number one. It is a ticket which will open new doors: to plastic surgery to fix one's lack of beauty, to branded boutiques for more Gucci and LVs, to top therapist if one has relationship problems.
Maybe the old saying is true. If you can't beat them, join them...
Excuse me, "I beg your Prada?"
15 years ago
3 comments:
I am sure you are not one of those girls, C. You don't need original or fake LV bags to get through life. No one does. In Indonesia, like any other poor country, materialism is a bigger problem than richer countries because you can't survive on being average or being a nobody. It is truly a hard life to live. If you want to live comfortably you have to really rise to be amongst the cream of society. Otherwise you will be trampled upon and your standard of living will be really crap. In richer countries, you can afford to be a nobody and an average human being and still live comfortably, albeit simply.
... Sorry. Had to take a phone call. So to continue: People in Indonesia and poorer countries where there is no social safety net are more inclined to be more aggressive in accumulating wealth (thus becoming more materialistic) than people in richer countries. There is no way to change that, except for the government and their officials to start becoming "one" with the majority of society and setting and example to live more simply and not extravagently. Hopefully then people will learn to become more humane and look at other things in life than the pursuit of material goods.
Here hear, girl. If you were closer to me I'd ask you to join me at Starbucks people watching one afternoon like today --Arlene
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