Two Different Worlds No More

A little over ten years ago, when I first traveled to the United States, it was plainly clear to me that I was entering a very different world from the one I have known. Even though I moved from one small village to another (sorry Athens, WV, but by most standards, you are a small village:), the atmosphere and people’s attitude convinced me I was not in Kansas (or Krasnovo) any more. Aside from the obvious surface-level differences, however, what truly made an impression on me was the obsession with material items, credit cards, and any kind of products for any kind of occasions and moods and even more, the preoccupation with “beauty” or what advertisers and the media tried to sell as beauty. The one thought on my mind was, I am so thankful I did not have to grow up surrounded by such messages! Don’t get me wrong, I did get my fair share of brainwashing messages about the specific roles of girls and such on an everyday basis, but at least no one was urging me to buy stuff to be happy. 

Forward ten years later, and Bulgaria has not only reached America in its obsession with the ideal of beauty, but in my modest opinion, my fellow country-men (and women) have totally surpassed the attitudes of those in my adopted place of residence.

Multitude of media outlets now focus on the newest diets and the fastest ways to a sexy and toned body. The girls in high schools are more concerned about what’s the latest in fashion they need to buy and wear and less worried about tests and other school assignments. Often, when I go back and walk the streets of the city where I went to high school, all I see are girls in high heels and handbags (!) and no backpack with textbooks and notebooks in sight. And the saga does not end once they leave high school. There are plenty of websites with the newest fads when it comes to motherhood and what’s trendy in the stroller world. No matter at what stage in her life a woman is, she is bombarded with the best of the best of whatever products she is thought to need, desire, or without which she absolutely cannot live. 

The number of products one “needs” has increased exponentially and there is no hope for the end of this obsession with the material world and outrageous notions of beauty. Meanwhile, greedy businesses try to take over what I consider true beauty in nature and focus on building new resorts so people have somewhere to go and show off their new possessions.  

I am not sure if it is my recent attempt to read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld or my desire to view Bulgarian news online, but I am just fed up with this fixation on the idea of something perfect: the perfect look, the perfect job, the perfect life. I don’t know about you, but I have now developed the tendency to run in the opposite direction the moment someone mentions or offers a perfect something. Keep it to yourself, please!

-          Krasi

Drive-in Theatres

A friend of mine once posted on Facebook a picture of speakers at the drive-in movies from the 1970s. The purpose of the picture was to show that if a person knows what’s on the picture, she must have lived during that time. I had no idea what was on the picture and promptly asked, “So what is it?” 

The truth is I had the rare opportunity to go to a traditional drive-in theater as a college student in the Appalachian Mountains in the state of West Virginia. And I went more than once. I have always proclaimed myself to be a movie addict and while in high school, I even dreamed about working at a movie theater so that I could get to see all the movies. Following my first visit to the traditional drive-in theatre, however, I was whole-heartedly hooked on this unique activity and being in a regular theatre was no longer the wondrous experience I once thought it to be. 

Paying $10 per carload to see two movies and having the opportunity to relax under a clear and starry sky, breathing the crisp mountain air, seemed like the perfect night out for the money-deprived college students who love the outdoors and movies:). I naturally wondered, why aren’t there more drive-in theatres around the U.S. and why isn’t everyone demanding their existence? Upon further research (yes, I researched the issue of drive-in movies!), I found out that even though they were once very popular (with over 4,000 spread around the U.S.), in the 80s and 90s, there was a sharp decline in interest. According to the latest estimates, the number of theatres is now down to a little over 350. Of those, it is not clear how many are traditional drive-ins.  

Even before I encountered outdoor theatres, I had difficulty understanding people who adamantly believe that watching a DVD at home could even remotely compare to watching a movie in the cinema. After the experience in a traditional drive-in theatre, I am now truly baffled as to who would prefer to watch a movie inside. With the emphasis on surround sound, and Blu-Ray, and 3D, and other such effects I am not familiar with, it appears that similar to everything else in our fast-paced, material, and complex lives, we demand more and more when it comes to the simple experience of watching and enjoying a movie. And while waiting to see the latest blockbuster, we complain about the outrageous ticket prices and the cost of concessions in the theatres. Then we wonder why no one seems to be content with their lives. Simple sometimes is better. 

To find where there’s a drive-in in your state, please visit DriveInMovie. 

-          Krasi

The Power of an Image

With materialism and consumerism becoming major determinants of human character in many modern nations, it is inevitable that the business of advertising will flourish to become a colossal empire. In every sphere of everyday live, people are bombarded with advertisements about anything they need and everything they do not need. This is particularly true in the case of popular magazines which target the larger part of the general consumers. The advertisers fill the glossy pages of many magazines with a range of bold advertisements. The products advertised vary in nature and include many matching the theme of the magazine, such as beauty products, as well as many that do not quite fit, such as appliances and cleaning products. In order for the advertisers to attract the general population to their product they use a variety of techniques. A great success is usually the addition of a man or a woman identifying the ideal image of beauty. Even though in some cases beauty has nothing to do with the product itself, the advertisers believe that it will grab the potential buyers’ attention, build a strong interest in the product, and eventually result in increased sales.

Many agree that ideal images of beauty are a necessity in the process of selling a certain product. Thin bodies, long shiny hair, and a beautiful white smile are the rules rather than the exceptions in various advertisements. Turning the pages of popular magazines such as the Cosmopolitan and People, it is easy to become aware of a common theme or the similar images between different advertisements. Using gorgeous models is not specifically limited to advertisements about beauty products. Actually, the product itself and its purpose are not that essential. What matters most is who is promoting it. It is not even important if the product works as well as presented in the advertisement. The people buying it believe it does, because a good-looking celebrity convinced them this is the case. The idea behind the use of images of beautiful people in advertisements is that they can easily convince the general public that if they use the same shampoo, perfume and so on, they will look as great as the person in the image. In the case of products, such as a big screen TV or an oven cleaner, which do not have anything to do with beauty, the ideal image serves the purpose of attracting the potential consumers’ attention.

Advertising is a very important and necessary aspect of contemporary business. Without it the success of a certain product is quite uncertain. Even if the product advertised is great and serves its purpose, many will not even be aware of its existence if it were not for the advertisements in popular magazines. Advertising is a way of connecting the product to its potential buyers. In addition, advertising provides a creative outlet for an array of people with the desire to work in the business. Competition between different advertisers pushes them to think beyond, above, and outside the box to come up with better, unique and successful advertisements.

Despite the benefits associated with advertising, many argue that it egoistically exploits the image of ideal beauty with the goal of manipulating people’s opinions and desires. Additionally, advertisements not only promote a certain product, but they also serve to endorse a certain image as ideal. Many people will buy the advertised product not because they really like it or need it, but because they would feel closer to the ideal image presented in the advertisement. They believe that if they eat the same snack, use the same perfume, or have the same vacuum cleaner in their house that the glowing people in the advertisements have, they will eventually become those people, be just like them: perfect and happy.

Consumerism is a defining characteristic of many people, cultures, and nations of the world today. The 21^st century greets the human species with an abundance of products that will potentially make their lives easier and more convenient. There are, however, too many products that are not necessarily important to one’s survival or better standard of life; they actually have no better purpose than the purpose of being in somebody’s possession. Therefore, to ensure sales of their products advertisers resort to whatever works best. As a result, in many popular magazines advertising and images of ideal beauty often go hand in hand. The ideal images not only help sell the product; they are ultimately the product.

 - Krasi

Food for Thought

Via: Online Schools

The true meaning of Christmas

It is that time of year again and the holiday spirit is in the air! Or to be more exact, the lavish Christmas decorations, the Christmas songs and most importantly, the over the top Christmas specials in store after store are not only in the air, but in our faces. 

As far as I am concerned, the Gringe did not steal Christmas and will probably have a hard time achieving that if he tried. What stole Christmas (or any other holiday for that matter) is the overwhelming materialism and greed prevailing in the contemporary world of modern conveniences and constant desire for owning more, and more, and more. 

Personally, I will be spending the holidays around and with my family, with a few friends, and with a lot of delicious and homemade food! 

Merry Christmas all! 

 - Krasi