The Hallmark of a New Religion

            Today I went to the mall and it was overflowing with people. The religious qualities were obvious right away. There were tons of trees, all unbelievably green and full of leaves, surrounding seating areas and trickled throughout the mall. I also noticed that there were few windows; the light came from skylights and bright lights shining from the stores.

            Persuasive advertisements included the words “final” and “ending soon”. It put pressure on people to shop as if this would be their last chance to ever save money. I was not persuaded to buy anything (mostly because I had no money), but I was captivated by the various advertisements, each vying for my attention. It was as stated in The Persuaders, as soon as businesses stop trying to persuade, they are forgotten. This fear is the driving force behind their desire to create enticing advertisements.

The persuasive qualities similar to those used in religion were not quite as evident, but once I noticed them, I could not stop noticing them; it was overwhelming to see the similarities. Hallmark was a store that implored this tactic. A sign covered with cartoon characters proclaimed “Make hearts happy”, implying that buying someone a card would make them happy—more so than the free alternative of a handmade card. Another phrase that stuck out (also courtesy of Hallmark) was “All signs point to savings”, making it seem like savings is the ultimate goal of our lives it reflects how, in our time, the mall has become the new church.

            The mall acts like a church by providing a communal feel; as Pahl stated, the mall is stepping in to feel the void that church no longer feels for people. However, it is delusional to classify the mall as communal; it is more aggregative, many people together doing their own thing. Though it seems as if we are united on the quest to find happiness through buying things, we really are no closer than strangers passing on the street.