For my siblings and me, the summers of the 70s went something like this...
We'd fly to places we'd never heard of like Taxco, Mexico. Mom, my sister and I would buy tiny souvenir silver charms, mined and made only in Taxco. Dad would buy a red sombrero from a street vendor, later regretting his purchase. My 16-year old brother would skip the silver and sombreros, get sloshed on locally made tequila and concentrate his efforts on a locally grown, um, local. But, that's another story entirely.
Soon after returning home, we'd get bored and start driving our parents nuts. So, Dad would pile us into the custom Buick sedan and drop us off at Grandma and Grandpas house for a weeklong, summertime break from us, er, visit. We'd spend our days at Grandpa's watch shop where he'd make one-of-a-kind timepieces, Grandma would teach us to make "kiddie" coffee - one part coffee, 3 parts milk - and curse in Polish (purely accidental on her part). We'd have two choices for lunch: the original Pancake House, before the word "original" needed to be in the name; or 31 Flavors, where we'd learn to "accidentally" push the ice-cream off the cone with our tongues so Grandma would buy us a scoop of the next flavor on the list. And, yes, ice cream for lunch.
After work, Grandma would make her secret recipe Kapusta and Kielbasa (sauerkraut and sausage) while we listened to The Faygo Song on the record player . It seemed that was the only record they owned, but we loved it.
Life was good.
Now, in the 00s, life for me is something like this...
I travel again to Mexico, this time with my husband, hoping to mark the occasion with a locally made piece of jewelry. I search high and low for something unmistakably Mexican only to find the exact same jewelry on my travels that I saw a month earlier at a jewelry show in Novi, Michigan. But familiarity doesn't stop me from buying a lovely blue topaz ring. After all, it IS jewelry and I AM a girl.
Back at home, I hop into my crossover vehicle - which is neither a sedan nor a minivan nor a wagon, but something in between - to go to Costco. While I'm there, I pick up a watch from a stack of identical watches (made in China), a giant box of generic ice cream bars, some bulk sausage and sauerkraut and some other stuff I didn't know I needed. All the other shoppers have similarly loaded carts. I catch the eye of a fellow consumer as we realize we're wearing the same blue sweater. We both quickly look away as I vow never to buy clothing from Costco again. On my way home, I play any song ever created from anywhere on the planet on my iPod and still have nothing to listen to.
Later, I and everyone else six degrees from Kevin Bacon, find Grandma's "secret" recipe for Kapusta and Kielbasa on the Internet. I make it and it's incredibly tasty, but it's not the same. I break open the massive box of ice cream bars, one of many to come, and switch on the TV to find the American remake of a Japanese game show.
I'm full, but hardly satisfied.
I'm not the first to write about world homogenization. And with any luck, as long as the world is still shrinking and has not completely shrunken, I won't be the last.
At first glance, the shrinking world appears to be a wonderful thing. Everyone and everything is accessible - 24/7 and in bulk. The possibilities seem infinite. But, at what point do we all become like that last chunk of tofu at the bottom of the bowl that's soaked up so much flavor from the surrounding ingredients that it's lost it's own identity? Not that I'm implying any of us is tofu or suggesting that tofu couldn't use some flavor, but you get my point.
It makes me want to sew my own clothes and burn the patterns. Create my own desserts and wash them down with a glass of milk and the recipes. Develop my own language and only share the decoder ring with my closest friends and family. Start traditions and keep secrets.
Let's be clear, I love modern conveniences, including Costco and bulk ice cream. But, how do we create the exceptional in a homogenized world? How will we maintain and evolve our cultural identity when we're all chasing after the same next big online trend, clamoring for the same prized accounts and jockeying for the same top position, just inches from our competitors, on the same "who's-who" list of digital agencies?
It's definitely not enough to stay tight on the heels of the leaders. And with copycats at OUR heels, it certainly can't be enough to stay just one step ahead.
The challenge...
I dare us to separate ourselves from the pack and stop playing tag with the competition, to create our own patterns, recipes and languages and keep all the secrets to ourselves.
Sandy Marsh
BTW: I do appreciate the irony of this article being posted on the www for everyone and Kevin Bacon to read.
Strategists & Planners
Comments (4)
I stopped watching TV years ago and I think its a huge help. I dont even own one now. Of course it helps to live in a place like new york city, but anyone can do it. Don't shop at costco and make up your own version of chicken sorrentino like I did last night. In fact, try to emulate the behavior of any average, almost-broke ex-alchoholic (like me) in recovery: Dont buy anything you don't need, meditate, spend time with the ones you love, and realize the important things in Life dont come at 30 frames per second or in ones and zeroes. When you have lost everything, you can find that the smallest things can be really satisfying. In the end you can't change people, places, or things, but you can change your attitude!
Posted on August 13, 2008 09:02
I think you hit it on the head. The way to distinguish ourselves are traditions. They identify nations, cultures, families, and individuals. Ultimately, traditions are about selfish ritual that provides a deeper connection to "homogenized" events. In a corporate culture, that means looking inside, and doing things for our own benefit. Not just taking care of employees, but creative pursuits – since we're in the idea business. What we do to appeal to the masses often shuts us off from the fringe, forcing us to follow instead of lead. It's that fringe that, ultimately, determines where the masses will go.
It's about investing in ideas, which are what set us apart.
Posted on September 15, 2008 06:44
I also stopped watching TV about a year ago. I get all the news I need from the newspaper, and of course, the internet. I suggest for people to support local small businesses. Do shopping in local mini markets and local boutiques to buy something that may seem original rather than the usual mass manufactured products.
But in today's world we cannot escape the homogenization of markets, everywhere we go we find things that are as common and non-exclusive as Costco products. It is hard to change the ways of how manufacturers and large companies work, but we can reinvent ourselves each day, be open minded to new things and/or experiences, and break the habits that make us one more of the herd.
Posted on December 9, 2008 15:35
I also stopped watching TV about a year ago. I get all the news I need from the newspaper, and of course, the internet. I suggest for people to support local small businesses. Do shopping in local mini markets and local boutiques to buy something that may seem original rather than the usual mass manufactured products.
But in today's world we cannot escape the homogenization of markets, everywhere we go we find things that are as common and non-exclusive as Costco products. It is hard to change the ways of how manufacturers and large companies work, but we can reinvent ourselves each day, be open minded to new things and/or experiences, and break the habits that make us one more of the herd.
Posted on December 9, 2008 15:37