one evening back in a january or february i started to feel sick to my stomach as i watched a music video on mtv. i thought of how many thousands of dollars must have been spent to make that video...so that maybe some young kids would salivate at how hot mariah carey is...so that maybe some of those kids' interest would be peaked enough to listen to the rest of the tracks on the album...and so that maybe a few of them would like what they heard enough to buy an album for $12.99.
i called a friend and complained. i wondered why execs thought such an investment would have enough of a return to make it worth the expense. and further, i wondered why society doesn't think its a worthwhile investment to invest in PEOPLE. even when considered within the framework of a consumerist society - wouldn't giving an underprivelidged person a better life and education make that person employable, make them a tax payer, consumer and contributing member of society. Isn't that a more important return on investment??
and then, this week while i was back home in DC, during a conversation expressing my frustration with selfish motivations of wealth-accumulation with one of my favorite unconventional souls, i brought up this point again. and the response i received from him was one which i am so grateful for. it seems i'm not the only person who thinks this way:
2 comments:
How far away is a person if they're always in your head
nice video.
DC misses you already
Weird... I was just discussing with my roommate a "news" article about Paris Hilton's $1050 steak for lunch and it drifted the same way. Then, I google my own name (for a long, unimportant reason) and I get your blog and this.
The drive for unnecessary opulence makes it difficult to be an American sometimes.
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