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Oh the Glamor!

1/23/2012

4 Comments

 
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I am the first to admit that I'm not what you might call a philosopher. Usually pragmatic, occasionally whimsical, always sassy, but deep? Not so much.
This week, however, in the interest of de-cluttering my life and my mind, I'm going to share some things that have been weighing on my mind of late.
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As a child of the '80s, I have been marinated in advertising my whole entire life. Even my granola-eating, PBS-watching parents couldn't protect me from the insidious mind-skewing effects of marketing.
An example: I recently read a blog post recommending unitards as excellent postpartum wardrobe staples. This does not apply to me at all- 1) my baby is over a year old, I'm not really "postpartum" anymore 2) I already own a unitard, and 3) unitards are not very breastfeeding-friendly, at least not how 5 does it. And yet I found myself on the American Apparel website (which I don't even like) shopping for unitards!!
No, I didn't buy one, I snapped out of it in time, but still.
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So, today, I want to ramble on a bit about what I like to refer to as the difference between a friendly-word-of-mouth-type-gentle-endorsement and marketing. Especially in the age of the internet, with places like the blogosphere (I know, I try not to say such words...) sometimes the line is a little blurry.
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Most of the blogs I read are full of gorgeous photography. Beautiful images portraying lives that we should all be so lucky to lead and people that we should all be so lucky to be. Clean, attractive, well-dressed children parented by handsome, fit, well-groomed mothers and fathers who never yell at each other and grow their own organic produce. You know what I mean.
Each blog post is like a little advertisement for how much better our lives would be if we could just manage to be a little more awesome.
What I really appreciate about most of these bloggers though, is that occasionally (and really, that's all we need) we get to see a little crack in the facade, a tiny window into the crying and the dirty dishes and unwashed hair that lets us see enough to know that we are not so different after all. They admit that the internet version of their lives is a glossier, more glamorous version of their lives. Not meant to deceive, merely to inspire - both us and them to be these people who are living creative, fully-engaged, mindful lives.
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Advertising is full of people who are not even people anymore after all the airbrushing and Photoshopping. We could never be the "people" who use these products because nobody actually looks like that. These marketers are selling us images that inspire us not to be better versions of ourselves, but to be constantly disappointed by our inability to attain such impossible perfection (and therefore awesome consumers).
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I could go on and on about advertising, media, blah blah blah, but my point is really that I enjoy gentle endorsements from real people to be and do real things that just happen to look really good in photographs and I do not like "advertising".
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The connection between the photos and the words is  probably super obvious, but, just in case-
I was taking these pictures the other day while we were out skiing and I was thinking to myself that these photos were representative of the best possible skiing experience. Just looking at these photos, you can't tell that there are snot drips and wedgies whining about steep hills (yeah, that's me), it just looks like a serene winter wonderland populated by hardy winterized folk who chop their own wood and wax their own skis (I don't). But even if you are looking at them and thinking these things, you probably still know in the back of your mind that cold wind makes noses run and playing outside in winter will keep your more insulated parts feeling cold to the touch for hours. So you would probably not be disappointed if you then went for a ski and were not ready to join the Swedish Bikini Team.
4 Comments
Tammy Gajewski link
1/23/2012 08:53:58 am

Yes...there it is - the discrepancy between the reality of our own little matrix worlds and the representation of that reality in audio,visual, and electronic stimulation to make us consume and generate wastefulness. WE the humanity know we want the crisp fresh dripping noses of a ski but do not want the chilled bones to actually do it....we cherish our cake but do not want to bake if from hand harvested eggs or milk...TIME is expanded for us when we do not have to hunt and gather to survive thus leading to ponderings of the deeper meaning of advertising. Go unitards....go...go far away.

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Mutti
1/23/2012 10:22:09 am

I was sweating just looking at the cross hatching on the hill in the first photo. Your comments are insightful and lovingly true for so many of us. I love that you know what glamor means to you. I love you.
PS Does that mean that the 'When Hope Is Not Enough' line of skin care products is hype or true............

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Azure
1/26/2012 12:26:31 am

This is well-written and puts to words my thoughts/feelings exactly about blogs, facebook and all the access to others lives(the part of their lives they feel most like bragging about). I have often found myself drawn to comparing my own life w/all these other fantastic families....which has lead to guilt and a general feeling of inadequacy instead of inspiration. It is so refreshing to hear some honest feelings about the reality of this representation of our humanity. Thanks....and for the record this blog has (mostly) inspired me.

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Ansley link
1/28/2012 05:53:58 am

Thank you for your kind words Azure!
I find I walk a very fine line trying to create an online community that is both inspiring AND affirming.

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    My name is Ansley Knoch. I am the creator of Rispok, a line of accessories for big and little people made from repurposed materials. I live in Madison, Wisconsin with my husband, Fred, and our son, also Fred, better known as 5.

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