http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/tube-tops-and-teddy-bears/?ref=fashion
http://www.youtube.com/user/allthatglitters21?blend=1&ob=4I'm having a hard time understanding what this is. Basically, a new phenomenon has begun where girls post videos of them showing everything they just bought from a shopping trip. Or they show random objects in their room or they show you how to put on makeup. This particular one, by Elle Fowler, has over 11 million views. Over 11 million people have watched her put on makeup, show her princess piggy bank, and give her opinions about the value of sororities. I can't think of something that more represents our obsession with consumption. We are consuming this girl consuming. By watching her video we are consuming through her. I for one cannot watch more than 10 seconds of one of these videos. I'm struggling to understand why people are so fascinated by this. I'm guessing her viewers are either young girls who wish to emulate her, young boys who think she is attractive, or older viewers wishing to reclaim their youth. Whoever they are she has turned into a way for many companies to advertise their products for free and she mentions that she now receives many free samples. When it comes down to it, this is just another form of advertising, yet here young girls are being taken advantage of by companies because of their love of consumption. These videos are still weird though...
I asked my 12 year old female cousin about this because I had never heard of haul videos. Apparently it is very popular among the middle school crowd because she was very familiar with Elle Fowler and asked which particualr video I was referring to.
ReplyDeleteWe have reached in era of people consumed in want and consuming things. My ten year old cousin has an ipad already. He said he would be behind the times and laughed at if he didn't have it opening day. This example is distubing because the companies are breeding the love towards objects by giving free samples and enabling them to continue with their consumption. So surprised that it has that many views..