Denim/Sweden: The Brandeis Avenger

Abishai100

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Sep 22, 2013
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This is a TrumpUSA consumerism-vignette inspired by the film Brewster's Millions.

I wrote it as a critique of Trump's economic policies (since it's really a tale about 'capitalism crusaders'), which is why I didn't feel comfortable posting it in the Writing section of USMB (given its political slant).

However, I think it's finally my final post on USMB, so thanks everyone and Happy Halloween!



:11_2_1043:

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Consumers cared about toy-like gadgets and devices such as Boom-Boxes and iPhones. Capitalism had spread around the world since the days of the Industrial Revolution. Now, a fashion-student studying at Brandeis named Andy wanted to use 'aesthetics' to evaluate the spiritual 'value' of capitalism. Andy collected consumerism items such as Boom-Boxes and Swatch wrist-watches for his personal 'museum.'

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Andy's mentor at Brandeis was impressed with his studies and advised him to travel to Europe, specifically Sweden, to analyze trends there and compare them with consumer trends in America and in 'TrumpUSA.' Andy took one year abroad to perform this study, and he'd miss is dear campus at Brandeis, where fashion-studies had become quite 'comfortable.' Andy headed to Sweden, determined to formulate a substantial thesis.

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When Andy got to Stockholm, the first thing he wanted to understand was how IKEA trends differed there from IKEA marketing in America. Andy went to a giant IKEA store in Sweden and perused the items and even took photos with his iPhone for his study. Andy noted that the furniture in the Swedish IKEA branch was somewhat more...'formal.'

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Andy wasn't surprised, since IKEA originated in Sweden. However, he was somewhat surprised to discover that the IKEA market-trends in Sweden were comparably different from the salesmanship/marketing in IKEA-USA. Andy realized that while consumerism was a 'convenience-phenomenon,' cultural variations made for an intriguing 'creativity lens.'

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When Andy returned to Brandeis, he showed his findings to his mentor, and his mentor was very impressed. Andy began work on his thesis about how the quality and marketing of denim clothing/fashions in the West reflected a modern civilization perspective on the valuation of labor and durability. Denim, after all, was a fabric representative of great endurance and strength, and at first, denim was used mostly for prison-gear and labor (e.g., railroad-worker) gear. Andy surmised that the valuation of denim in modern capitalism symbolized new age perspectives on 'consumerism hype.'

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Andy's thesis was published and landed him a job at a prestigious new toy company being formed by Archangel Comics, a satellite project of Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy initiative. Archangel Comics was invested in consumer-goods devoted to the new age celebration of comics-art and comics-gear and books/movies. Archangel Comics' new toy company Hero Gems [HG] offered iconic and nifty Batman sculpture watches, Wonder Woman waterproof mittens, Mad Hatter glow-in-the-dark cufflinks, and Richie Rich invisible ink pens and notepads. Andy was excited to be a part of HG and wanted to assess why comics-art items/trophies symbolized 'modern propaganda.'

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When Andy learned that Archangel Comics was producing a new movie about the eccentric Mad Hatter, with Tom Cruise cast to play the odd-man, he became very excited and decided to start reading Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Batman (DC Comics) books. Andy concluded that the Mad Hatter's brand of 'logic-profundity' nicely-captured a modern-day capitalism-consciousness regarding the marketing of 'creature-comforts.' Andy wondered if the Mad Hatter was like the new Mother Goose.

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Andy developed many new toys and designs for HG over the next several years and enjoyed watching comics-art films such as Marvel's Avengers and Spielberg's Tintin. He realized that the denim-thesis he was inspired to complete after his fashion-studies in Sweden informed his current curiosity about 'consumerism aesthetics.' Andy also became obsessed with the character of the eccentric Mad Hatter and continued to wonder how the odd-man would serve as a 'voodoo-doll' of TrumpUSA (e.g., consumerism-caginess).


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:2cents:

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