An online learning space for "Culture Making in the Empire," a 2013 interim course at Calvin College taught by Rob and Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma. Content from previous versions of the course are also archived here.
17 January 2009
Mall Pilgrimage
After reading a chapter from Jon Pahl's Shopping Malls & Other Sacred Spaces and viewing The Persuaders, Rob and I encouraged all of our students to "make a pilgrimage" to a local mall and see what they noticed. So, folks...what did you see?
Today I went to the mall with my sister. At first I wasn't certain what to do and what to look for, so we just wandered around the mall. Wandering around the mall was a good idea because I began to notice things that related to the article Shopping Malls & Other Sacred Spaces such as the feeling that the mall was replacing the church. In the mall it felt like a community; it gave me a false sense of security and belonging, but this made me uneasy because I knew the feeling of security and belonging was not real and that I was being drawn into the mall to buy things. I also began to notice things that I never noticed before or did notice but never really thought about it such as when I entered the mall I began to feel disoriented and dizzy. Once I was in the building I forgot why I came and what my purpose was. I forgot that my goal of coming to the mall was to observe the mall and relate it to what I learned in class. The moment I entered the mall my identity as Nina was no more, and I became the consumer and all I wanted to do was shop and buy things and sadly I did buy something. I bought some books because they were on sale. The idea of a sale got my sister and I excited that we bought the books. I feel like the empire has a strong hold on me and that I can't escape it. All around me there are ads to buy, buy, buy and I usually fall into their traps because I buy into their idea that it will bring me happiness and it does for a little bit, but then I want to buy something else because I can't hold on to that happiness. Even though I know this, I still fall into their traps. Other things I noticed were mostly just ads or words on pieces of clothing that I found strange such as in this one store called Little Bohemia there was a sign that read "free people" which seemed funny because I thought to myself we are not free because we are consumers enslaved to the empire to keep on consuming things we don't really need. I also noticed a gigantic ad that took up part of this wall it read "Exceptional Shopping" and I thought how could shopping be exceptional; it feels like the empire just wants us to think our shopping is "exceptional," so we will feel good that we're spending money on thin papery clothing, plastic jewelry, and shoes that won't last long, so we will not think we're wasting money on consuming goods instead of using our money for something more valuable like donating money or saving money for college.
I went to the mall today with one of my friends. I noticed that many of the stores had huge red sale signs and each store tried to make theirs bigger and better. There were advertisements everywhere especially in the middle of the hallway. They all had a play on words and tried to draw in each person on more of a personal level. Each company has to work harder to get a consumer's attention, so now they have to play with our emotions. The mall itself also tries to play with emotions. It tries to make the mall a "homey" place to be. They put in trees and play with the lighting to try to get consumers to recognize certain things. they want all of your attention to be on buying anything and everything. When I observed the people around me, it seemed like everyone went with their own group but no one was interested in meeting new people. Every group was doing their own thing and the mall is definitely not a place to meet someone new. Overall the mall is a deceiving place but i don't think it will ever stop being a popular place no matter how bad the economy gets.
Before going to Woodland Mall, I went to Plato’s Closet with some friends that wanted to check it out. I thought it would be good to look at the persuasion taking place in this store that is not in the mall environment. The things that really jumped out at me were the multiple signs placed right beside the shoe section that said “if the shoe fits…buy it.” It tricks the buyer into thinking that the only deciding factor for buying shoes is the good fit—it directs attention away from the price and how practical the shoes actually are. After Plato’s Closet, we went to the mall and I noticed a large Skechers shoe poster in one of the open areas of the mall that said “nothing compares to family.” It showed a happy couple with a young daughter wearing Skechers tennis shoes to emphasize the family factor when buying shoes. In many ways, the mall is a family place especially with the playground located near the center. In addition to this sign I observed aspects of malls that were pointed out in the shopping mall article by Jon Pahl—the use of light, plants, and music. The music played softly in the background—a smooth jazz instrumental. Plants including small bushes and trees lined an area of benches that were placed near the food court. Also, although the skylights were covered with snow, they still let light in and helped to create the comfortable, attractive shopping atmosphere that we are all so familiar with.
I went to Woodland Mall today with Adam and Darcee from our class. Going to the mall solely for the purpose of viewing advertisements really causes a person to notice things that he might have missed otherwise. I have found that I have almost become "immune" to so many different types of advertising techniques that I would have missed quite a few if I had not been looking.
Every advertisement that I saw was large in scale and often used bright colors or huge letters. Each store tried to one-up the stores around it with bigger, brighter, and catchier things. In addition, I noticed that some words were used to make consumers feel various emotions about products. A credit card sign read "Give Gift - Freedom," using the concept of freedom to catch the attention of shoppers. I also saw a shoe poster that pictured an entire family and explained how that particular shoe was good for a whole family. Many companies seemed to be attempting to take some of the American "feel-good" values and used them to market their products.
In addition to the advertisements, I noticed a few things that made the mall feel like more of a community and destination of a pilgrimage than merely a shopping center. The playground for children was located right in the middle of the mall, and numerous parents were crowded around it watching their children play. The food court was located right next to the main entrance, almost impossible to miss when entering the mall. I could also see the area where Santa would sit during the Christmas season. All of these things make the mall out to be more of a place to spend an entire day than just a quick in-and-out destination.
Over the weekend I went to woodland mall and I was surprised at how much stuff I noticed from the article. I saw big skylights, plants and the mall gave a community feel. For the first time I noticed the perfecting shiny gold railings and fairly spotless floors. The mall was amazingly clean. That got me to thinking how important it is for people to have an attractive area in which to purchase. For consumers I think it is a high priority for them to consume in a place that gives the outward appearance of perfection, neatness and order. However, the thing that surprised me the most was the amount of advertisements. I never paid close attention to them before, but I defiantly noticed them this time. Store fronts and even the middle of the hallways were bombarded with catching, flashy signs and slogans to attract the wandering eye. The ads were urging us to consume more and promising us things that objects could never give. I left the mall disoriented, but with plans to return next week to snatch up a good bargin I saw.
Several days ago I made a run to Woodland Mall with two buddies on my floor to pick up some things. Usually like many people, my visits to the mall consist of having several stores in mind and stopping at maybe a couple others. But going solely to observe how malls resemble a "sacred place" and how they try and give shoppers a sense of home and security was definitely a different experience. Several things I noticed in my journey were first off that stores attempted to bring shoppers in through putting signs 5 feet outside the store that say things like "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" or "Weekend Sale, 40% Off." I also thought about the use of mannequins in store windows to give shoppers the idea of what a certain outfit or piece of clothing would look like on you. I think this is effective because if they just put a shirt or sweater in the window, it doesn't show how it works on the human body. For example, it may get slimmer towards the waist and this may be difficult to tell just by looking at the shirt itself. Along with the sense of comfort in the mall, Woodland Malls Food Court is very up to date and has curved wood and metal structures throughout the sitting area. The restaurants themselves are not too much like a typical malls in that they don't have your usual McDonald's and Taco Bell, but rather healthier options like Asian cuisine. This may drag in mothers who dont want to buy a grease bucket for their kids for lunch. Aside from eating aspects at Woodland Mall, throughout the mall you will find skylights that give the mall a sense of purity and cast away all dark scenes that may otherwise be present. Through all these aspects,I noticed the reality of how malls work to empty our wallets and make us feel at home while doing so.
My group visited Woodland Mall on Sunday afternoon. I always knew there were tons of ads at the mall, but when I actually looked and saw how many there were I was flabbergasted. All the store fronts not only have the store name, but tons of promotions for the stuff in their store. For instance: STORE CLOSING EVERYTHING ON CLEARANCE, SALE SHIRTS: 9.99 AND UP, and BY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF. These are, of course, ploys to get consumers in to buy stuff. But after you have bought stuff from a store you are still advertising for them. I noticed many of the bags have the store name plastered all over them. Some even advertised a sale on the bag. I had never realized the stores are even trying to get more advertisement in by putting their names all over the bag. Like the movie on advertisements said: advertisers are always trying to think up new ways to cut through the static.
I visited Woodland mall on Saturday night with my girlfriend. I went solely to observe and I noticed lots of things from the John Pahl article. The mall does seek to provide a sense of community by having a common play place for children in the middle of the mall and a common food court. I noticed the mall does seem to disorient you with it warm open spaces and multiple corridors running in various directions. I also noticed a large sculpture in the center of the mall aisle. I also noticed the mall makes you want things with all the huge advertisements and promises of sales. I could see this clearly in my girlfriend who becomes frustrated with herself for wanting things because of sales, and we discussed how that even on sale the merchandise still earns the seller a considerable profit. The cool gadgets in the Apple store always attract me with their attractive store and you can play with them all. Just walking around there are advertisements everywhere competing for your attention asking for your money. We decided we did not need anything and left not giving into any of our desires to buy.
I went to the lakes mall in Muskegon. Like most people have said, going there to observe and actually look for these things allows you to see things that you normally wouldn't. The first thing you see when you walk into the main entrance of the mall is the childrens area with giant plants and bugs that they can play on. It gives you a sense of community. There is also a Chuck-E-Cheese right next to that area which catches the eye of many kids with a giant statue of Chuck-E outside of the place. This simple statue, used as an advertisment just puts kids in a trance. The signs for the stores of the mall are very bright and shiny and appealling to the eye. They use neon lights, or different texts and styles. There are also many set ups outside of the stores themselves, like in Finish Line, they have a shoe rack sitting outside of the store so you don't even have to step foot into the store to see the products. The mall is very clean and when walking out of a store to the main "mall" part, it's really weird, like walking into a shiny, pretty, better place. As a guy, I don't really shop but I don't mind being in the mall because it's just a cool environment to hang out.
I'm surprised no one mentioned the (very) strange playground at Woodland Mall. You know, the one where all of the things for kids to play on are shaped like enormous breakfast food? "Here honey ... play on this strip of bacon while I go into the store."
This weekend I went to Woodland Mall, which is not unusual, but this time I went there with a different mindset than usual. I was not there to purchase something, which I did refrain from doing, or hang out with friends this time I was there to observe and this different approach led to a surprisingly different experience. If I had not been specifically looking for different advertising techniques I definitely would not have noticed them as I realized that how much the consumerist attitude of the empire had caused me accept it as the norm. Consumerism was extremely evident throughout the mall every store attempted to catch the shoppers' attention and draw people into the stores in different ways some were quite creative, used big bright signs and there was one word in particular that was extremely common throughout the entire mall. The word sale in large capital letters prevailed in over half of the store windows and it seemed to be effective too as even I, who wasn't there to by anything, found myself entering the stores not wanting to miss out on any good deals on some "cool stuff" and I must not have been the only one who was attracted by these advertisements as the mall was full of people carrying bags full of brand new clothes and other items. Another popular advertising technique was the use of mannequins in the store windows to advertise what could be found inside the store. I thought this was fairly effective technique as not only did it give the consumer an idea of how the article would look when it is worn but also it gave the store an opportunity to show off their best product to passers by. There were, however, aspects of the mall that didn’t involve advertising. One example of this is the sense of community it provided as it seemed to be a great place for not only people trying to singlehandedly stimulate the American economy, but also for people who simply had nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon than hang out in the mall with friends. The children’s play area was also a good example of the mall providing a community for the shoppers as it was packed with children and their parents gathered around watching, even if the play area was made up of various giant breakfast foods.
Last weekend i have the opportunity to visit the woodland mall. And as a procrastinator to the finest I left my response to the last day. Regardless, there were interesting things that i saw as i traversed through the building. One advantage that I had in taking in and absorbing the types of advertisements inter-webbed into the stores and hallways was the fact that i live 30 hours away from it, and have only experienced the joys of prancing through this vast jungle of materialistic (much of it useless) objects. So entering through the Macy's doors, this adventure of intaking advertisements began. Without surprise when entering the isles in the mall the first billboard was sexual. This visual contained a half naked couple intermingled, and with discerning there facial expressions, they seemed to be having a good time doing it. so by this we know that Sex sells. I also noticed as i paced in and out of stores that every picture of people expressed came with it a sexy look or a smile. so i gather that after shopping, pretty much regardless of which store, if you make a purchase your frown will turn upside down, and your insecure figure will will become a ripped, tanned, sexy, eye candy. So from the ideas influenced from the empire it was easy to see what the goals were to enhance the amount of consumerism that was present. As for the Kingdom side of things, community was the huge word that came to mind while engaging in the presence of many unique individuals at a setting such as the mall. The food court, wide open walkways and store entrances, and playground were some of the underlying features that support this observation. the fact that you can sit and eat, with a variety of stores to choose from, in accompany of many others who are vacating the mall is a way that builds community. Also the kids, food shaped playground was also a interesting way of community being demonstrated. There was a lot of pleasure in the kids as the slipped on the bacon, bounced around on the eggs, and squirmed about the french toast. They seemed to be having a blast interacting with all of the other kids regardless of who they were. It was most definitely interesting to explore the mall with a different discerning eye that is not common for me, and i did take delight in what i saw discovered, and found it interesting to see how it was carried out.
Today I went to the mall with my sister. At first I wasn't certain what to do and what to look for, so we just wandered around the mall. Wandering around the mall was a good idea because I began to notice things that related to the article Shopping Malls & Other Sacred Spaces such as the feeling that the mall was replacing the church. In the mall it felt like a community; it gave me a false sense of security and belonging, but this made me uneasy because I knew the feeling of security and belonging was not real and that I was being drawn into the mall to buy things. I also began to notice things that I never noticed before or did notice but never really thought about it such as when I entered the mall I began to feel disoriented and dizzy. Once I was in the building I forgot why I came and what my purpose was. I forgot that my goal of coming to the mall was to observe the mall and relate it to what I learned in class. The moment I entered the mall my identity as Nina was no more, and I became the consumer and all I wanted to do was shop and buy things and sadly I did buy something. I bought some books because they were on sale. The idea of a sale got my sister and I excited that we bought the books. I feel like the empire has a strong hold on me and that I can't escape it. All around me there are ads to buy, buy, buy and I usually fall into their traps because I buy into their idea that it will bring me happiness and it does for a little bit, but then I want to buy something else because I can't hold on to that happiness. Even though I know this, I still fall into their traps. Other things I noticed were mostly just ads or words on pieces of clothing that I found strange such as in this one store called Little Bohemia there was a sign that read "free people" which seemed funny because I thought to myself we are not free because we are consumers enslaved to the empire to keep on consuming things we don't really need. I also noticed a gigantic ad that took up part of this wall it read "Exceptional Shopping" and I thought how could shopping be exceptional; it feels like the empire just wants us to think our shopping is "exceptional," so we will feel good that we're spending money on thin papery clothing, plastic jewelry, and shoes that won't last long, so we will not think we're wasting money on consuming goods instead of using our money for something more valuable like donating money or saving money for college.
ReplyDeleteI went to the mall today with one of my friends. I noticed that many of the stores had huge red sale signs and each store tried to make theirs bigger and better. There were advertisements everywhere especially in the middle of the hallway. They all had a play on words and tried to draw in each person on more of a personal level. Each company has to work harder to get a consumer's attention, so now they have to play with our emotions. The mall itself also tries to play with emotions. It tries to make the mall a "homey" place to be. They put in trees and play with the lighting to try to get consumers to recognize certain things. they want all of your attention to be on buying anything and everything. When I observed the people around me, it seemed like everyone went with their own group but no one was interested in meeting new people. Every group was doing their own thing and the mall is definitely not a place to meet someone new. Overall the mall is a deceiving place but i don't think it will ever stop being a popular place no matter how bad the economy gets.
ReplyDeleteBefore going to Woodland Mall, I went to Plato’s Closet with some friends that wanted to check it out. I thought it would be good to look at the persuasion taking place in this store that is not in the mall environment. The things that really jumped out at me were the multiple signs placed right beside the shoe section that said “if the shoe fits…buy it.” It tricks the buyer into thinking that the only deciding factor for buying shoes is the good fit—it directs attention away from the price and how practical the shoes actually are.
ReplyDeleteAfter Plato’s Closet, we went to the mall and I noticed a large Skechers shoe poster in one of the open areas of the mall that said “nothing compares to family.” It showed a happy couple with a young daughter wearing Skechers tennis shoes to emphasize the family factor when buying shoes. In many ways, the mall is a family place especially with the playground located near the center. In addition to this sign I observed aspects of malls that were pointed out in the shopping mall article by Jon Pahl—the use of light, plants, and music. The music played softly in the background—a smooth jazz instrumental. Plants including small bushes and trees lined an area of benches that were placed near the food court. Also, although the skylights were covered with snow, they still let light in and helped to create the comfortable, attractive shopping atmosphere that we are all so familiar with.
I went to Woodland Mall today with Adam and Darcee from our class. Going to the mall solely for the purpose of viewing advertisements really causes a person to notice things that he might have missed otherwise. I have found that I have almost become "immune" to so many different types of advertising techniques that I would have missed quite a few if I had not been looking.
ReplyDeleteEvery advertisement that I saw was large in scale and often used bright colors or huge letters. Each store tried to one-up the stores around it with bigger, brighter, and catchier things. In addition, I noticed that some words were used to make consumers feel various emotions about products. A credit card sign read "Give Gift - Freedom," using the concept of freedom to catch the attention of shoppers. I also saw a shoe poster that pictured an entire family and explained how that particular shoe was good for a whole family. Many companies seemed to be attempting to take some of the American "feel-good" values and used them to market their products.
In addition to the advertisements, I noticed a few things that made the mall feel like more of a community and destination of a pilgrimage than merely a shopping center. The playground for children was located right in the middle of the mall, and numerous parents were crowded around it watching their children play. The food court was located right next to the main entrance, almost impossible to miss when entering the mall. I could also see the area where Santa would sit during the Christmas season. All of these things make the mall out to be more of a place to spend an entire day than just a quick in-and-out destination.
Over the weekend I went to woodland mall and I was surprised at how much stuff I noticed from the article. I saw big skylights, plants and the mall gave a community feel. For the first time I noticed the perfecting shiny gold railings and fairly spotless floors. The mall was amazingly clean. That got me to thinking how important it is for people to have an attractive area in which to purchase. For consumers I think it is a high priority for them to consume in a place that gives the outward appearance of perfection, neatness and order. However, the thing that surprised me the most was the amount of advertisements. I never paid close attention to them before, but I defiantly noticed them this time. Store fronts and even the middle of the hallways were bombarded with catching, flashy signs and slogans to attract the wandering eye. The ads were urging us to consume more and promising us things that objects could never give. I left the mall disoriented, but with plans to return next week to snatch up a good bargin I saw.
ReplyDeleteSeveral days ago I made a run to Woodland Mall with two buddies on my floor to pick up some things. Usually like many people, my visits to the mall consist of having several stores in mind and stopping at maybe a couple others. But going solely to observe how malls resemble a "sacred place" and how they try and give shoppers a sense of home and security was definitely a different experience. Several things I noticed in my journey were first off that stores attempted to bring shoppers in through putting signs 5 feet outside the store that say things like "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" or "Weekend Sale, 40% Off." I also thought about the use of mannequins in store windows to give shoppers the idea of what a certain outfit or piece of clothing would look like on you. I think this is effective because if they just put a shirt or sweater in the window, it doesn't show how it works on the human body. For example, it may get slimmer towards the waist and this may be difficult to tell just by looking at the shirt itself. Along with the sense of comfort in the mall, Woodland Malls Food Court is very up to date and has curved wood and metal structures throughout the sitting area. The restaurants themselves are not too much like a typical malls in that they don't have your usual McDonald's and Taco Bell, but rather healthier options like Asian cuisine. This may drag in mothers who dont want to buy a grease bucket for their kids for lunch. Aside from eating aspects at Woodland Mall, throughout the mall you will find skylights that give the mall a sense of purity and cast away all dark scenes that may otherwise be present. Through all these aspects,I noticed the reality of how malls work to empty our wallets and make us feel at home while doing so.
ReplyDeleteMy group visited Woodland Mall on Sunday afternoon. I always knew there were tons of ads at the mall, but when I actually looked and saw how many there were I was flabbergasted. All the store fronts not only have the store name, but tons of promotions for the stuff in their store. For instance: STORE CLOSING EVERYTHING ON CLEARANCE, SALE SHIRTS: 9.99 AND UP, and BY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF. These are, of course, ploys to get consumers in to buy stuff. But after you have bought stuff from a store you are still advertising for them. I noticed many of the bags have the store name plastered all over them. Some even advertised a sale on the bag. I had never realized the stores are even trying to get more advertisement in by putting their names all over the bag. Like the movie on advertisements said: advertisers are always trying to think up new ways to cut through the static.
ReplyDeleteI visited Woodland mall on Saturday night with my girlfriend. I went solely to observe and I noticed lots of things from the John Pahl article. The mall does seek to provide a sense of community by having a common play place for children in the middle of the mall and a common food court. I noticed the mall does seem to disorient you with it warm open spaces and multiple corridors running in various directions. I also noticed a large sculpture in the center of the mall aisle. I also noticed the mall makes you want things with all the huge advertisements and promises of sales. I could see this clearly in my girlfriend who becomes frustrated with herself for wanting things because of sales, and we discussed how that even on sale the merchandise still earns the seller a considerable profit. The cool gadgets in the Apple store always attract me with their attractive store and you can play with them all. Just walking around there are advertisements everywhere competing for your attention asking for your money. We decided we did not need anything and left not giving into any of our desires to buy.
ReplyDeleteI went to the lakes mall in Muskegon. Like most people have said, going there to observe and actually look for these things allows you to see things that you normally wouldn't. The first thing you see when you walk into the main entrance of the mall is the childrens area with giant plants and bugs that they can play on. It gives you a sense of community. There is also a Chuck-E-Cheese right next to that area which catches the eye of many kids with a giant statue of Chuck-E outside of the place. This simple statue, used as an advertisment just puts kids in a trance. The signs for the stores of the mall are very bright and shiny and appealling to the eye. They use neon lights, or different texts and styles. There are also many set ups outside of the stores themselves, like in Finish Line, they have a shoe rack sitting outside of the store so you don't even have to step foot into the store to see the products. The mall is very clean and when walking out of a store to the main "mall" part, it's really weird, like walking into a shiny, pretty, better place. As a guy, I don't really shop but I don't mind being in the mall because it's just a cool environment to hang out.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised no one mentioned the (very) strange playground at Woodland Mall. You know, the one where all of the things for kids to play on are shaped like enormous breakfast food? "Here honey ... play on this strip of bacon while I go into the store."
ReplyDeleteThis weekend I went to Woodland Mall, which is not unusual, but this time I went there with a different mindset than usual. I was not there to purchase something, which I did refrain from doing, or hang out with friends this time I was there to observe and this different approach led to a surprisingly different experience. If I had not been specifically looking for different advertising techniques I definitely would not have noticed them as I realized that how much the consumerist attitude of the empire had caused me accept it as the norm. Consumerism was extremely evident throughout the mall every store attempted to catch the shoppers' attention and draw people into the stores in different ways some were quite creative, used big bright signs and there was one word in particular that was extremely common throughout the entire mall. The word sale in large capital letters prevailed in over half of the store windows and it seemed to be effective too as even I, who wasn't there to by anything, found myself entering the stores not wanting to miss out on any good deals on some "cool stuff" and I must not have been the only one who was attracted by these advertisements as the mall was full of people carrying bags full of brand new clothes and other items. Another popular advertising technique was the use of mannequins in the store windows to advertise what could be found inside the store. I thought this was fairly effective technique as not only did it give the consumer an idea of how the article would look when it is worn but also it gave the store an opportunity to show off their best product to passers by.
ReplyDeleteThere were, however, aspects of the mall that didn’t involve advertising. One example of this is the sense of community it provided as it seemed to be a great place for not only people trying to singlehandedly stimulate the American economy, but also for people who simply had nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon than hang out in the mall with friends. The children’s play area was also a good example of the mall providing a community for the shoppers as it was packed with children and their parents gathered around watching, even if the play area was made up of various giant breakfast foods.
Last weekend i have the opportunity to visit the woodland mall. And as a procrastinator to the finest I left my response to the last day. Regardless, there were interesting things that i saw as i traversed through the building. One advantage that I had in taking in and absorbing the types of advertisements inter-webbed into the stores and hallways was the fact that i live 30 hours away from it, and have only experienced the joys of prancing through this vast jungle of materialistic (much of it useless) objects. So entering through the Macy's doors, this adventure of intaking advertisements began. Without surprise when entering the isles in the mall the first billboard was sexual. This visual contained a half naked couple intermingled, and with discerning there facial expressions, they seemed to be having a good time doing it. so by this we know that Sex sells. I also noticed as i paced in and out of stores that every picture of people expressed came with it a sexy look or a smile. so i gather that after shopping, pretty much regardless of which store, if you make a purchase your frown will turn upside down, and your insecure figure will will become a ripped, tanned, sexy, eye candy. So from the ideas influenced from the empire it was easy to see what the goals were to enhance the amount of consumerism that was present.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Kingdom side of things, community was the huge word that came to mind while engaging in the presence of many unique individuals at a setting such as the mall. The food court, wide open walkways and store entrances, and playground were some of the underlying features that support this observation. the fact that you can sit and eat, with a variety of stores to choose from, in accompany of many others who are vacating the mall is a way that builds community. Also the kids, food shaped playground was also a interesting way of community being demonstrated. There was a lot of pleasure in the kids as the slipped on the bacon, bounced around on the eggs, and squirmed about the french toast. They seemed to be having a blast interacting with all of the other kids regardless of who they were. It was most definitely interesting to explore the mall with a different discerning eye that is not common for me, and i did take delight in what i saw discovered, and found it interesting to see how it was carried out.