Gee, guess I hit a nerve with Josh and FOA. I'm sorry to point out that you sound like typical consumers.
There's a great article in yesterday's Times about class and status symbols in the US, and it's still viewable for free today. Two paragraphs stand out, the first, because it makes me think of this thread, the second, because it shows what unthinking buttheads people are:
"Marketers also know that today's shoppers have unpredictable priorities. Robert Gross, who was wandering the Beachwood mall with his son David, said he couldn't live without his annual cruise. Mr. Gross, 65, also prizes his two diamond pinkie rings, his racks of cashmere sweaters and his Mercedes CLK 430. 'My license plate reads BENZ4BOB,' he said. "Does that tell you what kind of person I am?'"
Um, yeah, Bob, it does. It tells me exactly the kind of person you are. But, Joshua would point out, oh no, nope not at all, you can't know ANYBODY, even your good friends!
And this one:
"People want to participate in our brand because we are an affordable luxury," said Gene Dunkin, president of Godiva [Chocolates] North America, a unit of the Campbell Soup Company. "For under $1 to $350, with an incredible luxury package, we give the perception of a very expensive product."
I mean, come ON! "People want to participate in our brand?"
"The
perception of a very expensive product."
This nails EXACTLY what I was criticizing about this thread.
"Preppy" is a brand. A brand that comes with all sorts of "perceptions" about what it means to those who buy into it, but most importantly to those who DESIRE the people who possess the brand.
It's sad really. But Josh and FOA, you're living in America, at the dawn of the millennium. And boys, are you ever what you own.
"Class Matters"
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