Re: More like STFU
 

Speaking of, I took my daughter to a birthday thing in a Chuck E. Cheese-type knock-off in a mall about 40 minutes north of the city this weekend. Leaving discussions of the venue for the party to another time, I was floored by the level of activity at this mall.

We are in a serious recession, millions of jobs have been lost, people are having trouble making ends meet. And yet, parking was a fight to obtain at this fucking mall. For acres upon acres there was nothing but fat, stupid people walking around, shoving fast food into their faces, sucking down jamba juice and starbucks with their 50 kids (all in name brand crap clothing), shuffling from one store to the next to buy shit they didn't need. Cattle, being bled out slowly, building new debt. Brainless automatons doing what was expected of them. New generations of kids being weaned on consuming for the sake of consuming. Bored? Go to the mall and eat and sit before spending whatever your parents have given you at Abercrombie, while ignoring the fact that the layer of flab hanging over your gut (and accentuated by the fact that your clothes are 3 sizes too small) doesn't quite look the same as the models in the photos who most likely exercise.

I have plenty of complaints about the city and our brand of idiocy and sloth, but I swear to god, if I had to deal with the reality of the suburbs and the mall culture, I would sooner blow my fucking brains out. Holy shit.

TM

Re: More like STFU
 

serious question- isn't the crazed shopping in the city as bad? maybe not concentrated but stores there seemed pretty crazed last time I was there (albeit the week before Xmas). and the level of gross people compared to attractive people is lower in the city than in most suburban malls.

Re: You (all) lie!
 

I was. I admit it. He's clearly a huge scumbag. But I'd still rather have him in office than Bush.

TM

Re: More like STFU
 

I'm getting sick of this shit, penske.

TM

Re: More like STFU
 

If that's how you understood AG's statement, then I'm sorry. Does your head still hurt where the piano hit you?

Re: More like STFU
 

what is wrong with you? I was surprised by the vote. did you know the vote broke down like that?

Re: More like STFU
 

You cannot compare the week before christmas here with a random Sunday in a mall elsewhere. Firstly, you're right. People come from all over the world to blow their money on stupid crap they have in their own cities. Secondly, maybe 1 in 10 of the people you're fighting to get around on the street live in New York City.

Anyway, my point is about mall culture. These people's goal in life is seemingly to gather in a mall and consume. I'm not going to argue that city folk don't consume. I just don't think it's as focused or as weaved into the culture. Anyway, it was pretty disgusting, but maybe it was just this mall. I've been to an open air mall in LA that wasn't so bad. But I've also been to Mall of America, so there's that.

TM

Re: More like STFU
 

Just now? Who would have picked you to be so patient?

Re: More like STFU
 

Yes, but TM doesn't need to deal with parking so it doesn't stress him out so much.

Re: More like STFU
 

open air seems better than closed. upscale better than cheaper (and a CeCheese knock off probably puts you in a cheaper mall). but I agree.

I was in a cab with an insane driver, who did say one great thing- he referred to people lining up for a fast food place "like they're waiting for the electric chair." there is a despairation that seems to surround mall shoppers- like thet are just about to find something that will make their lives better.

Re: More like STFU
 

Have you ever seen the line outside the Krispy Kreme in the Excalibur Hotel in Vegas? It's like fattened cattle waiting for the sugar-coated slaughter.

Re: More like STFU
 

Seems to me that if you go to a mall, a good percentage of the people there are going to appear highly focused on consuming, because why else would yoy be there. The ones who aren't probably aren't there. Or are the guys camped in the Best Buy home theater show room watching whatever MVC or MAC game happens to be on.

And if you go to Times Square or FAO Schwarz or American Girl or wherever else the shopping hotspots are in NYC, you're going to see a bunch of people focused on consuming. It's just that they're diluted by the people who happen to need to pass by to get from one non-consuming activity to another.

Re: More like STFU
 

No. I'm just letting him know that, after we discussed it just recently, the fact that he keeps returning to it like it means something is fucking stupid. But, it doesn't really matter. He will keep posting it and we'll go back to ignoring it because it's stupid.

TM

why to stake out your own name on Twitter
 

Re: You (all) lie!
 

This makes me especially happy today. Thank you.