http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Business/Story?id=2617781&page=1
This article, Is Halloween the Next Christmas?, was written in October of 2006 and posted on abcnews.go.com. In honor of Halloween I thought it would appropriate to address how the ghoulish products speak for themselves. In class we focused on the sentence written by Richard Wilk: "When we treat goods as language we make the touristic error of seeing every place becoming more like our own; we don't see that Kentucky Fried Chicken means nothing very different in Belize than it does in New York". In this quote Wilk is trying to say that goods, i.e. merchandise, gives a message to every consumer as a collective or a community.
Although Halloween is not a perfectly international celebration, within this homogenious world Halloween has made its way around the world in one way or another. With such fun happening internationally what merchandise speaks the most to every child? Candy and Costumes! I personally know, understand, and have witnessed the exciting language of Halloween Merchandise. I work at the Mall, and actually just came home from there, were there were thousands of children dressed up and with every piece of candy was excited and every costume was an endorsed smile or shriek. This article approaches how Halloween has spoken to children especially in the United States and how it has changed the patterns of retail holiday schedule and the affects on the market.
Every child speaks the language of candy and costumes which translates into the markets increase via supply and demand of retail stores. Nothing communicates more than a smile and increased sales!
Happy Halloween!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Place vs. Non-Place Culture
http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/25/magazines/fortune/charity1.fortune/index.htm
“Warren gives away his fortune”: By Carol J. Loomis, FORTUNE editor-at-large
June 25 2006: 3:08 PM EDT
Auge’s idea of “non-places” is a concept not easily grasped. Honestly, I am not sure that I have even come close to what he is addressing. From what I can understand Auge has addressed the detachment of humanity in accordance with his surroundings to the point that we, as a community, have created a physical place that is dedicated to nonconnectedness. To some extent it would be naïve to say that we are far from this point. However, I disagree that collectively and internationally we have come together as if in a conference and decided where these places are and will be located.
Most importantly, if this theory is analyzed from a purely economic stand point Auge would say, for example, something along the lines that a city such as Tokyo is a city dedicated to commerce. By commerce I mean that Tokyo is a center in which people go there not to gape at the culture surrounding them, but rather a city that is focused on the economic business transactions of the world via stock exchange, importing, exporting, e-commerce, and other such examples. Although to some extent this may be true I do not believe that it is entirely a “non-place” because the very interaction of peoples within the constantly moving business metropolis of Tokyo, the people have created a place within a place by creating a new form of culture and physical awareness. Not the physical awareness of geography or demographics but a culture of numbers and statistics. There are men such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates who have dedicated their lives to this culture and have become respected for it.
The article that I have linked may not directly correlate with Auge’s ideals, but it does highlight the great impact of a successful culture of numbers and connection to the community, i.e. creating the connectedness that we do sustain. Warren Buffet is one of the most if not the richest man in the world. Over many years Mr. Buffet learned the culture, traditions, and habits of the realms of numbers and statistics. In doing so he has become outstandingly successful and in so doing with the coming of his old age he has decided to bequeath his financial greatness to the very society that founded the culture in which he thrived. This is not merely an act of humanity and compassion, but a response and what he feels is an obligation that connects his fast paced world of money to all of his neighbors. With this connection immediately a place has been created not just with one man, but with an entire community.
“Warren gives away his fortune”: By Carol J. Loomis, FORTUNE editor-at-large
June 25 2006: 3:08 PM EDT
Auge’s idea of “non-places” is a concept not easily grasped. Honestly, I am not sure that I have even come close to what he is addressing. From what I can understand Auge has addressed the detachment of humanity in accordance with his surroundings to the point that we, as a community, have created a physical place that is dedicated to nonconnectedness. To some extent it would be naïve to say that we are far from this point. However, I disagree that collectively and internationally we have come together as if in a conference and decided where these places are and will be located.
Most importantly, if this theory is analyzed from a purely economic stand point Auge would say, for example, something along the lines that a city such as Tokyo is a city dedicated to commerce. By commerce I mean that Tokyo is a center in which people go there not to gape at the culture surrounding them, but rather a city that is focused on the economic business transactions of the world via stock exchange, importing, exporting, e-commerce, and other such examples. Although to some extent this may be true I do not believe that it is entirely a “non-place” because the very interaction of peoples within the constantly moving business metropolis of Tokyo, the people have created a place within a place by creating a new form of culture and physical awareness. Not the physical awareness of geography or demographics but a culture of numbers and statistics. There are men such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates who have dedicated their lives to this culture and have become respected for it.
The article that I have linked may not directly correlate with Auge’s ideals, but it does highlight the great impact of a successful culture of numbers and connection to the community, i.e. creating the connectedness that we do sustain. Warren Buffet is one of the most if not the richest man in the world. Over many years Mr. Buffet learned the culture, traditions, and habits of the realms of numbers and statistics. In doing so he has become outstandingly successful and in so doing with the coming of his old age he has decided to bequeath his financial greatness to the very society that founded the culture in which he thrived. This is not merely an act of humanity and compassion, but a response and what he feels is an obligation that connects his fast paced world of money to all of his neighbors. With this connection immediately a place has been created not just with one man, but with an entire community.
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