Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Duplicating Originality in order to be more Original

Let's face it, most blogs are regurgitated regurgitation.  Editorialized editorials of news or semi-news.  We eat it up, crap it out and eat it again.  Mmmmm... yummy.

I'm no different.  Why by unique when you can conform?  That's what I always say.  Americans love being un-unique.  We have a name for it:  originality.  It's when, in order to be as different and unique as possible, we run out to buy clothes, jewelrey, tatoos and piercings in order to be different, just like everyone else.  We call that "original".  It's profitable for a lot of businesses too.

I just got home from freezing into a solid ice brick at the neighborhood skate park with my son.  I watch, and freeze.  He rides around on his bmx bike, jumping ramps and half-pipes and keeps warm.  I tell him it warms my heart (even though my face is blue).  He has a blast.  It's worth it.  But I can't help but notice that all the skateboard and bike kids wear the same neo-emo tight-fitting denims, girly tennis shoes and the same Pac-Sun, Volcum or Quicksilver t-shirts and hoodies.  It's like they were shot out of a vending machine.  Insert coins, push some buttons, "boom" out comes skateboarder kid model #101.  Oops.  One got stuck, better bump the machine to knock it loose.

My son dresses differently than the others, which makes him unique, but that gets a curious eye from the other "originals" who see that as not being original.  I have a question:  How did America get a reputation for originality?  I think the accomplishments of a handful of folks have been leveraged into an image of the entire country.  Great marketing.

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