Shunned, But Not Forgotten

It’s over. For more than twenty years, I boycotted a designer. I passed on purchasing coats, pants, shoes, and all kinds of cool apparel. Here’s the back story:

For years, I’ve enjoyed art and advertisements. I worked at an ad agency, and usually pay close attention to magazine ad campaigns. One day, while browsing through a fashion magazine, I noticed one designer’s ad for apparel or perfume. Over time, I forgot the particular product, but the use of nude models stuck with me.

Nudity in magazine ads, in films, and on TV feels like an artistic cop-out. If a product or project is fantastical and compelling, does nudity need to be part of the picture? It feels like a cop-out for a lack of creativity. And so, without circulating a petition or making a scene, I started my personal boycott of a fashion designer.

The designer has suffered long enough. It’s time to end the boycott. Let bygones be bygones. These days established designers manufacture apparel for all price levels, and so I finally bought a dress by the designer whose products I had avoided for so many years.

Boycotts have a place whether public or personal, short or long-term, silly or serious. You never know what people will want to boycott:

                                          https://youtu.be/kasj3IXuAT4

Every morning people flock there for a morning fix. When we’re on vacation, we’ll visit that establishment about five times a week for breakfasts, beverages, snacks, or restroom breaks. I’m against genetically-modified products, too. I sympathize with Mr. Young’s position, but another boycott? It’s too soon! I’m not ready to make that sacrifice. 

That’s the problem with protests. Despite your best intentions, there will be non-supporters. Regardless of how other people feel, what position would you defend for twenty years or more?             

Silicon Valley? Not on My Bucket List

I’m not an early adopter. Those are the folks who line up at store doors clamoring for the newest version of the latest technology. They spread the word on the pros and cons of a gadget, and morph into community experts who share advice about what technology to purchase or avoid.

I am a late adopter. I buy the oldest versions of the newest technology. While much of the world wants version XXX, I settle for version X, two versions back. I’m the one carrying the actual camera because my cell phone camera functions best when the photographic background isn’t too dark, too bright, or too…anything. I’m a late adopter and that’s okay. I don’t own the fancy version of any type of technology—yet. These folks understand what that’s like:

                                          http://youtu.be/EKEeHREK2nQ         

The one guy couldn’t make sense of the scene, and he even thought up several potential reasons for why someone would carry those loads. Despite what others think, we usually have good reasons for what we do. What types of things do you do that separate you from the crowd?        

The Tea and Coffee Debates

Regardless of which side you choose, I feel both parties deserve equal representation. Why does one side receive major media attention while the other is a blip on the scene.  Businesses play a major role in advancing this brand of favoritism because of where they spend their money. This isn’t about politics, it’s about beverages and society’s obvious preference for coffee over tea.

Companies actually redesign their product lines and buildings to offer a latte this and latte that rather than focusing on the green, white, chamomile, black, fruity, mint and the other delicious herbal teas. How often do you see commercials advertising tea? Not very often. Although I drink both, I tend to believe that tea is healthier than coffee since many teas contain antioxidants and assist the body in fighting everything from high blood pressure to cancer. So, given that we’re such a health conscious society, why does tea seem to play second fiddle to coffee?

Let’s consider a theory that points back to us. Don’t we reach for coffee to rev us up and put pep in our step? Coffee reflects our fast-paced lifestyle and our need for immediate gratification. We smell coffee long before we see it, its flavor is bold and robust and it gives us the quick energy jolt we seek. On the other hand, we associate tea with illness and it’s the drink of choice when we’re feeling reflective and slowing-down to savor a moment. Listen to how these people feel about tea and coffee:

Aha, see there? I imagine they went a little deeper than you expected. I think the coffee vs. tea debate is a comment on our lifestyles. We live in a don’t-make-me-wait-‘cause- I-gotta-go-out-and-get culture. Settle down, enjoy a cup of tea. They say good things come to those who wait, I say anticipation is part of the journey. Tell us, who or what are you waiting for?