Bud,
I don't disagree with most of what you say here, but there isn't
anything new about this. I learned the phrase "keeping up with the
Joneses" in the 1960s, from my parents, whose stock of phrases was at
least a decade or two out of date ("straighten up and fly right," my
father always told me. And "hubba hubba with the baseplate" if I was
dawdling).
Everything about automobiles is strange in this regard. I remember Ray
and Tom talking about this when they were being interviewed by Terry
Gross. Think about it. The place in our consumer world where we demand
the highest standard for paint (cars!) is the one place where paint is
least likely to remain looking good. Flawless paint on a piece of iron
designed to last ten years, but roller and latex on the interior walls
of a house? Sheetrock instead of plaster?
There is a set of architectural books written by Christopher Alexander
that, if you apply it to your entire material realm, can really change
your life. The first book is called "The Timeless Way of Building," and
the second is "A Pattern Language." The latter is an extensive set of
rules that can be applied to making a house or other building close to
perfect. I'd like to see someone do the same with automobiles.
As for malls, Ron, gotta disagree. Ever try to buy a couch? Fortunately
(for me), I know where to buy ash, how to tie springs, and how to sew
upholstery. What I consider a proper couch can't be bought for under
three grand, and cannot be found at the mall (or Ikea).
Mark
On Jan 6, 2006, at 7:01 AM, Bud Osbourne wrote:
> Great article! I sure hope Mr. Weir is proven right. But, I do see a
> flaw
> in the analogy which attempts to explain why BMW & Audi thrive, in the
> face
> of competition from Honda/Toyota/Nissan. Sadly, it is not quality that
> makes BMW & Audi more attractive to most of those who buy them; it's
> "image". In other words, todays automotive consumer is, IMHO,
> obsessed with
> projecting an image. To put it bluntly, they feel a great need to
> impress
> others. We live in a society that spends a tremendous amount of it's
> annual
> income on impressing others.
> It's a "bullshit world", isn't it?
> Basically, I've found that the general population really wants
> something for
> nothing. Most of today's consumers have no clue about what "quality"
> really
> is. So, they'll continue to buy the absolute CRAP sold by the
> mega-retailers, at bargain basement prices, and think they're "getting
> something for nothing".
> With Simplicity & Snapper now being owned by B&S, I see Snapper
> returning to
> Wal-Mart, with production being outsourced to the Pacific Rim,
> resulting in
> Snapper mowers in name, only.
> Like I said, it's a bullshit world.
> Bud Osbourne
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