Month: September 2012

5 Is Better Than 4: Is Newer Always Better?

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 3 Comments

As we wait to be helped at AT&T where my wife will be exchanging her recently upgraded IPhone 4S for the new "5" (since we made it under the 30 day limit for not getting hosed), I am forced to ponder this widely held consumer culture belief that newer is better. Is it? Really? Because … Continue reading 5 Is Better Than 4: Is Newer Always Better?

Y’all Know What White Folks Like?

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 2 Comments

If you live in the south and are Caucasian or If you came from a rural setting or blue collar background or just hang out with a healthy amount of salt-of-the-earth peeps, then there are probably a few things that automatically get on your list of stuff you like. You can't help it. It's part … Continue reading Y’all Know What White Folks Like?

Playing WIth Your Joystick While Drinking: An Adult-Adolescent Dream

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Last night I indulged in an overgrown adolescent fantasy with my "BFF".  There was no porn involved, nor did we tip cows or crash a kegger. No, we two 35 year old women made our first stop at the food truck park where I irresponsibly scarfed down Philly cheese steak nachos  from a vendor called … Continue reading Playing WIth Your Joystick While Drinking: An Adult-Adolescent Dream

The Sociology of Style: Are Women “Dressing For Success” Only To Encourage A Corporate Culture of Failure?

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 3 Comments

I have been spending a lot of time in the past year doing work in the apparel and retail space...studying the cultural context that influences how and why different types of consumers choose the clothing styles and brands that they use to cover themselves up everyday or to uncover their unique personal identities. Like when … Continue reading The Sociology of Style: Are Women “Dressing For Success” Only To Encourage A Corporate Culture of Failure?

Humans Are Weird

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 1 Comment

  Love this blog I found today on Freshly pressed. A cop-out due to jet-lag? maybe. A really interesting blog that imposes the anthropological imperative of practicing the urgent work of noticing? Absolutely. http://humansareweird.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/is-there-any-body-out-there/?like=1&_wpnonce=e7ce40bb87 Related articles More sleep makes you better at work (time4sleep.co.uk) Lack of sleep equals poor performance (storagebedsdirect.co.uk) In the Absence of … Continue reading Humans Are Weird

What Do our Comforts Say About Americans As Consumer Creatures?

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 2 Comments

I have just returned from a ten dray trip to Europe, spent on vacation with my wife.  Certainly not my first vacation trip abroad and definitely not the first time I have traveled to other parts of the world to study consumer culture (as it's my profession as well as my passion). However, every time … Continue reading What Do our Comforts Say About Americans As Consumer Creatures?

Barcelona: A Culinary Wonderland

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When people ask me what I will miss the most about Barcelona, I will tell them the food - don't even need to think twice about it. If there is one thing the Catalonians know how to do well, it's eat. The abundance of fresh, local meats, fish, cheeses and produce renders supermarkets full of … Continue reading Barcelona: A Culinary Wonderland

Barcelona’s Disenfranchised Street Art

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 2 Comments

Barcelona has an interesting and unique vibe when in comes to the. Street art scene. By way if what's out there you see way more tagging than actually artistic expression. Most surfaces are fair game, including churches and sides of buildings on main thoroughfares and the government has done a lot to crack down in … Continue reading Barcelona’s Disenfranchised Street Art

Barcelona Architecture: A Gaudi History

~ thenarcissisticanthropologist ~ 1 Comment

Barcelona is a city known for being lively and full with art, music, great cuisine and perhaps most of all for its architecture. A walk through Barcelona is like taking a stroll through a living and breathing museum filled with artworks that reflect the history of this very European Spanish city. Perhaps the most notable … Continue reading Barcelona Architecture: A Gaudi History