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Scenes from a mall
Dec. 23rd, 2008 04:18 pmI subjected myself to the holiday shopping masses last night for a couple hours, braving the sea of human traffic at North Riverside Mall, and there were two things I observed that I wanted to gripe about.
1. The military. Yeah, you heard me right! There is now a military recruiting facility (can't remember which branch, I was so stunned to see the cardboard stand-up of a uniformed soldier in the display window that my brain exploded) taking up space that used to belong to a clothing store. It really weirded me out, and not just because of my lefty beliefs about war. More, I think, because I associate malls, really any shopping that is not necessity-based, with escapism. On the rare occasions when I go shopping, I'm seeking some kind of treat: new music, a pretty bra, maybe a couple pieces of clothing. The last thing I need is a reminder of our conflicts with the rest of the world. There's so much more I want to say about this, but the day is getting on, and I have yet to address gripe number 2.
2. L.L. Cool J. I'm love, love, LOVE the man and his music (at least, the stuff I listened to in the late eighties, early nineties), but his Sears fashion collection, not so much. At least, not the portion of the collection designated for young girls. There was one piece in particular that gave me pause, a fitted pink t-shirt with his name emblazoned across the chest, along with a line from his song, "Around the Way Girl." WTF? This might make sense if it were targeted to someone older, maybe someone with a sense of fondness for pre-gangsta rap hip hop, but this shirt was designed for someone between the ages of 7 and 10, someone who wasn't even born when this tune was making its way up the charts. Is there some logic behind this that I'm missing? If anyone can please explain, I'm all ears.
That's pretty much all I've got to say for now, and you probably won't hear from me again until after the holiday. Tonight marks the beginning of yet another Holiday Madness World Tour, complete with lots of visiting, eating, and gift exchanges. I hope that those of you who observe Christmas have a great one, and those who don't enjoy a few days of peace and quiet.
Cheers!
1. The military. Yeah, you heard me right! There is now a military recruiting facility (can't remember which branch, I was so stunned to see the cardboard stand-up of a uniformed soldier in the display window that my brain exploded) taking up space that used to belong to a clothing store. It really weirded me out, and not just because of my lefty beliefs about war. More, I think, because I associate malls, really any shopping that is not necessity-based, with escapism. On the rare occasions when I go shopping, I'm seeking some kind of treat: new music, a pretty bra, maybe a couple pieces of clothing. The last thing I need is a reminder of our conflicts with the rest of the world. There's so much more I want to say about this, but the day is getting on, and I have yet to address gripe number 2.
2. L.L. Cool J. I'm love, love, LOVE the man and his music (at least, the stuff I listened to in the late eighties, early nineties), but his Sears fashion collection, not so much. At least, not the portion of the collection designated for young girls. There was one piece in particular that gave me pause, a fitted pink t-shirt with his name emblazoned across the chest, along with a line from his song, "Around the Way Girl." WTF? This might make sense if it were targeted to someone older, maybe someone with a sense of fondness for pre-gangsta rap hip hop, but this shirt was designed for someone between the ages of 7 and 10, someone who wasn't even born when this tune was making its way up the charts. Is there some logic behind this that I'm missing? If anyone can please explain, I'm all ears.
That's pretty much all I've got to say for now, and you probably won't hear from me again until after the holiday. Tonight marks the beginning of yet another Holiday Madness World Tour, complete with lots of visiting, eating, and gift exchanges. I hope that those of you who observe Christmas have a great one, and those who don't enjoy a few days of peace and quiet.
Cheers!
