A Junktastic Response ~ By Bradley, (Friend/Curler)

Commercials, advertisements, and society in general are all aimed at glorifying "things" and selling them as "Things". That is the need to propel a product or an idea into such prominence in one's life, that being without, would be like being without a soul, or a sense of being. This tactic can be applied to anything from a Saturn minivan to an Egg McMuffin. Western culture's obsession with "things", limits the value held in contentious or pivotal issues (and dare I say, traditional values as well). Instead of wanting a healthy family, or a stable home life, we want an I-Pod. Instead of reading the newspaper, or even watching the news; we turn to magazines, gossip websites, and reality TV.

Is it that one is so scared of reality we try and escape into fantasy worlds? Or is a portion of the population simply oblivious to the changing dynamics and the impending horror of what the world is becoming?

The question of image is a tough "nut to crack". When it boils down to it, EVERYONE has an image. You have to choose something, or a smattering of somethings. People that try so hard to be "imageless" are the most obvious of all. The typical Commercial Drive hipster, who only wears hemp, composts in their bedroom, and hates anyone who wears a leather jacket or owns a TV, are the easiest to spot. I sometimes wonder if they think, "Who am I, and how did I assimilate into this culture of "poor aristocracy". Pointing your nose up at every person unlike you who walks the street is just as bad as rich people not bothering to communicate with the "commoners".

Don't get me wrong, I think it is completely okay to hate Wal-Mart, America, and Television, but is it NOT okay for people to actually like these things? One can try and hold up the ideals important to them, but why bash others for expressing what they like?

I have thought in the past that a certain group of people are just simply more aware of the plight of the universe, whereas others are completely oblivious. I sometimes envy the oblivious, however, WE ALL BUY INTO SOMETHING.

It is essentially about, us, as humans, in a rich country; trying to find the right (or maybe righteous) path, and being so fucking confused along the way.

The Western/First World "culture" disgusts me, but I would never want to experience third world hardships.

Why do we complain?

Sincerly,

A Consumer.