(no subject)
(this assigment was to write about a new mall opening and then to write about the mall as a symbol of symptom of our society)
The crowd stands impatiently outside, checking their watches every few seconds and pacing around fervently, while, at the same time, trying to seem completely disinterested. In just a few moments the anticipated event would occur. The herd, nearly 25,000 strong, was not waiting to see the President, a famous actor, or even Santa Clause. This event seemed much more important than all three combined. At last the doors of the new mall opened and the customers had their coveted fruit, almost one hundred new stores and restaurants to spend their money in, all in one majestic and centralized location.
At a newly-opened Nordstrom, women were greeted with waves and high-fives as they pranced down the center aisle of the store, the employees reverently surrounding the eager spenders on either side. The scene is reminiscent of a past era where the nobles were greeted by their lowly peons. Perhaps marketing found that customers are willing to pay more if the employees indulge the public’s illusions of grandeur.
New malls and mega-sized shopping centers are popping up around us so quickly that we cannot finish navigating through one before another is beckoning us with promises of “bigger,” “newer,” and “better”. Our culture has become so lazy that we insist on having everything we could possibly need in one place. The idea of running a few errands no longer entails a drive around town, but a drive around a gigantic parking lot, so big that it needs numbers or brand-names to help you remember where your car is parked.
Surprisingly enough, the market is not saturated yet. Somehow we manage to support more and more of these mammoth stores, despite our cries of a poor economy. Many stores are even open in a number of the malls, their directors obviously believing there are enough customers out there for all their branches. However, despite the similarity in store choice, we are still willing to pile into our cars and drive the extra half an hour to the mall on the other side of the city because the stores there are just a little bit better.
The competition is fierce between the malls for the title of unparalleled shopping experience. Owners try to outdo one another with carnival-like openings and chances to meet your favorite ‘80s TV stars. Some malls even offer the opportunity to have your child’s picture taken with their favorite cartoon character, an irritable man wearing a costume so poorly made that you can see his face through the over-sized mesh eyes. How lucky we are that we now have everything all in one place so we can buy a shotgun, a wedding dress, and a bottle of aspirin without having to get out of our cars more than once.
The crowd stands impatiently outside, checking their watches every few seconds and pacing around fervently, while, at the same time, trying to seem completely disinterested. In just a few moments the anticipated event would occur. The herd, nearly 25,000 strong, was not waiting to see the President, a famous actor, or even Santa Clause. This event seemed much more important than all three combined. At last the doors of the new mall opened and the customers had their coveted fruit, almost one hundred new stores and restaurants to spend their money in, all in one majestic and centralized location.
At a newly-opened Nordstrom, women were greeted with waves and high-fives as they pranced down the center aisle of the store, the employees reverently surrounding the eager spenders on either side. The scene is reminiscent of a past era where the nobles were greeted by their lowly peons. Perhaps marketing found that customers are willing to pay more if the employees indulge the public’s illusions of grandeur.
New malls and mega-sized shopping centers are popping up around us so quickly that we cannot finish navigating through one before another is beckoning us with promises of “bigger,” “newer,” and “better”. Our culture has become so lazy that we insist on having everything we could possibly need in one place. The idea of running a few errands no longer entails a drive around town, but a drive around a gigantic parking lot, so big that it needs numbers or brand-names to help you remember where your car is parked.
Surprisingly enough, the market is not saturated yet. Somehow we manage to support more and more of these mammoth stores, despite our cries of a poor economy. Many stores are even open in a number of the malls, their directors obviously believing there are enough customers out there for all their branches. However, despite the similarity in store choice, we are still willing to pile into our cars and drive the extra half an hour to the mall on the other side of the city because the stores there are just a little bit better.
The competition is fierce between the malls for the title of unparalleled shopping experience. Owners try to outdo one another with carnival-like openings and chances to meet your favorite ‘80s TV stars. Some malls even offer the opportunity to have your child’s picture taken with their favorite cartoon character, an irritable man wearing a costume so poorly made that you can see his face through the over-sized mesh eyes. How lucky we are that we now have everything all in one place so we can buy a shotgun, a wedding dress, and a bottle of aspirin without having to get out of our cars more than once.