The Mall

On Friday we went to Woodland Mall. After Watching the movie The Persuaders, the efforts of the mall to make us buy "stuff", to associate their products with an image, and to make us feel comfortable and safe have become even more apparent to me. While woodland mall isn't quite up to the stairway-to-heaven status of mall of America, it still contains some of the temple qualities mentioned in the article we read. Woodland is shaped in a cross, with wide halls and hige ceilings. It centers around a wide open space containing a Starbucks and a variety of foliage, with light coming down from windows in the ceiling high above. The whole time you are in the mall you are confronted by a variety of different music, all of it positive and uplifting in a sort of way, designed i think to try and make you happy about your shopping experience. Different stores also have music that is tailored specifically to that store's brand image or what they want people to feel while in their store.
The picture above comes from a GAP window ad. If you can't see, it reads "the world's greatest hoodie". I just found it quite ironic that they claim to have the "world's" greatest hoodie which was made in a sweatshop by a young woman for mere cents. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it "America's best hoodie" since we are the ones who are consuming it for the lowest possible price and cost.