American Character in the Mall
... through a magazine. All lined up for hundreds of feet were windows of different stores filled with merchandise and color like a page in a magazine, with the sole intention of attracting visitors inside. The most common type of store in a mall was a clothing store. Along with clothing stores were stores that sold only shoes or accessories, such a belts and jewelry. Added to this were individual jewelry stores, which held more expensive jewelry for purchase. Americans during the twenty-first century were indulged in the idea of being trendy and fashionable. There is an anonymous quote that humorously describes the ever-changing trends in America at this time: “Fashion is something that goes in one year and out the other”. In the minds of Americans they equated dressing fashionable with becoming socially accepted, so they have become entrapped in the endless race of being fashionable. During this time period people were puppeted by the major clothing companies through the media. Companies with the biggest advertising budgets would generally sell the most products in malls. Many Americans sought to give the allusion that they lived a luxurious life through their appearances. Another way to be fashionable was based off physical appearances, and for this reason malls have also put inside their facilities hair salons, and make-up counters. They modeled their appearances off of movie stars and run way models. Americans became so consumed with having “the look” that they would pay hundreds of dollars a month to maintain their image. However, with the installment of “the food court” it is safe to say that many Americans liked to indulge in the consumption of fast food, and as a result, obesity had become a major issue. This being so, inside the mall you could have almost always found a health food store with big signs in the window that exclaimed the miracle of weight loss products. Conclusively, unnatural physical appearances proved important to individuals at this time. Along with the ideal of living a luxurious lifestyle was the American want for purchasing other name brand products such as sunglasses, watches, and other specialty items. Therefore, malls made it accessible for individuals to come to the mall and buy these items. At this time it was common to see department stores and specialty stores. Department stores, as the name implies, carried wide variety of products from various departments, such as, men’s apparel, women’s apparel, children’s apparel, cosmetics, outdoor products, and some even carried hardware. Specialty stores, on the other hand, were much smaller but offered the more demanding shopper a wider selection of a specific type of product. As an example, there was a store called “Sharper Images” which sold useless electronic gadgets. Things such as a personal cooling system, which was a machine, warn around the neck that performed as an air conditioner, or a massage chair that was formed to put each limb of your body in a slot to be massaged. Stores like this show the American characteristic of laziness. Instead of having to shop at different stores around town, Americans were given the convenience of going to the mall to shop for almost anything. Since America at this time, unlike other eastern countries, was not plagued with famine, disease, lack of education, or lack of a strong economic environment, they became more concerned with superficial needs. Through technological advancements and places like the mall people were thrust into a culture that was somewhat spoiled. This spoiled characteristic is fueled by the countless numbers of products available for purchase at the mall. Throughout the years the numbers of stores and various kinds of products multiplied to fulfill the American desire for more than the mall could alr...