The other day someone expected me to have an iPhone. And three people expected me to live in East London. It irrationally irked me that people would think these things about me because a) they're not true and b) because it means that I'm getting my signals all wrong. Using the defence of the prejudiced I can say that I have 'East London-based, iPhone-using' friends (two), but increasingly I'm meeting increasingly uncool and sheep-like people who fit into the centre of that venn diagram.
If we go back to Hebdige and all that jazz, the brand choices we make are the markers we use to create our identity in Western capitalist societies (that experience economy bullshit is just a next generation way of doing the same thing). My days of non-branded goods only were over 7 years ago and now I'm a cold, hard consumer and I use my purchases to define me. It's sad but true.
When you think about it like that no wonder I'm upset that people associate me with something that I don't think is particularly cool. And when I get deeper into the pyschoanalysts couch I realise that it's not even that I don't think it's cool, it's just that I don't like to have the same things as everyone else. God, I'm really sad aren't I.
I'm a purchase contrarian. I'm pretty sure when the iPhone #1 came out I thought it was pretty cool, but now it is as ubiquitous as sin, so it bores me. When I was at school I used to hang out in Hoxton and think it was pretty cool, but now that look is the mainstream. My Chloe Paddington that I loved so much when I got it makes me sick now because it's so common (the reason I won't be buying the Alexa even though I LOVE it).
Which brings me to Moleskine. As a purchase contrarian I can no longer use one (although I'm tempted to buy the white one), would anyone like my last ruled one (it's Turner Media stamped - I've never actually paid for a Moleskine notebook)? Let me know, it's yours. I'm going to find a new notebook made from uber-sustainable bamboo.
I'm just rebelling against the increasing homogenity of our purchase decisions. It's hard when there's actually very little choice. I'm trying hard to be a little bit individual despite being a planner with statement glasses. AAAARGH.
I'll take your Moleskine if no one wants it! :)
Posted by: Anjali | 04 April 2010 at 06:01 PM
Haha, its yours. I will bring it in on Tues x
Posted by: pristyles | 04 April 2010 at 06:56 PM
I feel you P, but you consume Heinz beans right? Because something is consumed by the masses doesn't necessarily mean it's bad.
I used to feel a very similar way but then I realised I was wasting time thinking about things that mean nothing. And it annoyed me.
Reaching for the fringes in search of richness (I think) is to be admired but it needn't come at the cost of things that perform a valid base task, like a Moleskin.
I'm not saying you do this but fixating on these issues indicates you're concerned by them. They don't matter.
Posted by: charlie gower | 06 April 2010 at 01:48 AM
Haha, luckily I'm paid to overthink brands and what they mean ;)
I hear what you're saying, but what I think I was trying to say is that I'm bored of the homogenity. I just like being able to say 'shiiiit, where you cop that?'.
As for HUGE brands, I realise that being mass doesn't mean bad (as long as you don't poison children in the developing world to produce low cost products for Western markets). But the signals associated with Heinz beans are slightly different to your 'status symbols'...
Posted by: pristyles | 06 April 2010 at 09:25 AM
haha yeah, Heinz isn't Gucci... yet
Posted by: charlie gower | 06 April 2010 at 05:58 PM