[get ready for another link-inspired post]
So i was reading this article and frankly, I’m confused. Go ahead, give it a quick read, then come back.
OK, now that we’re on the same page, let me express how I’m just confused. I mean, the premise of this article touches me, because I am sensitive to the global branding phenomenon. I do buy clothes based on their lack of visible logos (unless they’re my own) and refuse to give business to corporations that have a stranglehold on culture in some way or another. But this invididual’s point is perplexing to me.
I mean, I’m not a “hate-Ikea” type of guy (in fact cheap furniture is cool at this point in my life…my couch is a third-gen hand-me-down ikea) but I certainly don’t side with this person. Their main argument is that mass-franchising (Starbucks) and brand loyalty are good things. They claim, with a certain fervor, that those of us that have any disdain for corporate boheamouth’s like Starbucks or Ikea are idiotic and downright antiquated. I have a few issues left unresolved:
What about the ma-and-pa stores that go out of business because they can’t compete with the giants? What happened to the American dream of being able to open up a shop in a competitive market? It’s hard to be competitive with a multi-billion dollar company.
And what about the pasteurization of American culture? Sure, the idea of mass-produced goods has always lent itself to the possibility of extreme brand loyalty. That’s the point—get the most number of people to buy your product. But there is something to say for individuality, for choice. I’m not saying that Gap and Nike take away my ability to choose, explicitly. But in a sense, they do. If startup (i still shudder from the past overuse of that word) companies can’t enter the market to compete, to get their clothes on your back, you *will* be wearing the same thing as a million other people in the world.
Again, this isn’t a life-or-death issue, but it certainly changes the American landscape. And in my humble opinion, I’m wary of it. I don’t like the idea of a bunch of rich select dictating what millions of people wear and eat. The Master Pupeteer theory scares me, but I have to accept it. We have no choice, really.
So passively I guess I say that I disagree with this article. While convenience and my wallet may argue *for* global branding and corporate conglomerates, i’d like the average joe to be able to open up a deli and succeed, all while wearing a sweatshirt that doesn’t cost $40.
I dunno if I rambled here…my writing has been less than stellar as of late. Mea culpa.
