Woodland Mall

     This weekend, a couple of my friends and I decided to go to the mall to look around. None of us really planned to make any purchases or came with much money, but it was a slow day, and we had little else to do. Not to mention that I had this assignment to complete. We decided to go to the Woodland mall, because it was the closest to campus. When we were inside, I decided to browse the Apple store, because who doesn’t like to do that. The inside of Apple stores features several tables of devices for people to test-drive. This seemed to be a major draw for the potential buyers among whom I browsed. The ability to use one—actually hold one in their hands—makes it much more difficult to leave the store without one. It occurred to me that the chains that fastened Apple’s devices to the table were actually quite symbolic. I don’t think it would be too extreme to say that as soon as a Browser touches one of the devices on display, he immediately connects at least a small part of his identity to the product. This intellectual bondage is symbolized by the chain.

     In this way, Apple has figured out what Clotaire Rapaille would refer to as the necessary marketing “code” for triggering a Browser’s interest in the prospect of pleasure. Smart phones and laptops are luxurious and fun to use, so Apple has said “why not let them!” But all those sleek smart phones and laptops and geniuses have a slightly different agenda; they’re all saying one specific thing. And that is “iWorship.” Apple is a systematic religion, and, as the John Pahl reading explained, exalting consumerism as the meaning of one’s life is a mutation of a good thing: religion (p. 69).