Mall Trippin'

At the mall I was able to find many sources of how Americans are pretty ridiculous when trying to get a message out, or convey products and services in the media. Only in America, would you see Abercrombie, a clothing store, putting up advertisements that show people wearing barely any clothes. I'd like to know who thought of the idea to market clothing via nakedness. I usually do not find myself walking around a mall; it is not my favorite place to be, at all. Malls are usually crowded and stuffy, and after 10 minutes, everything starts to look the same. I noticed that there were a lot of different smells coming from all the snack shops and such; coincidence that the food smells follow you and make you more hungry by the second? I think not. It is funny how we give into our senses so easily. I watched a dozen people line up at the Surf City Squeeze stand for a smoothie, even two security guards stopped to pick up one. Who is keeping the mall safe while the officers get their snack?
I was able to bring one of my good friends, Justin VanGend along with me to the mall. Justin, who just happens to be an avid surfer pointed out some interesting things to me. He told me how it made him angry that Hollister, a brand that claims to be surf minded, is based out of Illinois and its main target buyers are people who have never surfed in their lives. He also pointed out that over half of the people walking into Eddie Bauer look as if they have never been camping in their lives. Or that the hundreds of men and women wearing North Face jackets at the mall will ever go on a long outdoor trek in which they need it.
It is pretty disappointing when we really stop to see what malls are really like; people giving into the consumer culture that is running America. I will be the first to admit that I am a large partaker in this consumerism. I have my wants and temptations that I often satisfy by buying something. It is just a very evident problem that somehow goes unoticed by the rest of society.