Gucci, Gucci, Prada ya ya?
Today, I have chosen to write on the phenomenon that is the superficiality of the Arab. Those who may or may not have the means to practice what I call art of "showing off". Why does the average gulf Arab feel the need to prove him/herself via materialism? I don't think I will ever be able to understand this. This feature is one thing Arabs have in common with rich African Americans; the need to flaunt your wealth for all to see, using yourself and any form of everyday item as a billboard or testament to your wealth.
If you can't afford to buy something straight off the rack, out of the showroom etc, it doesn't mean buy it on loan, it doesn't mean buy it in installments...it means you CANT afford it, so DON'T buy it. I understand you may like something or feel the need to have it, but this must be a genuine love for whatever it is, not the fact that buying clothes from Dolce and Gabanna will make others envious and help to show others how perfect and wonderful you are because you can afford them. The people up there in their offices, the designers, merchandisers etc are laughing uncontrollably at this phenomenon, for without it, their industry would not exist. People are weak, superficial and downright silly, and because they tell you that wearing sunglasses the size of your toilet bowl is "in" you do it, they charge you shitloads for it...and you end up looking..."hip"..."trendy"...fucking stupid is more like it. The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine.
She said, "I just have to have this bag!"...
and I said, "but that costs $3000"
"Yeah, I don't care, it was in vogue, and there's a picture of Lindsay Lohan carrying it in Hello"
At this point, all I could think was "How very sad you are darling, very sad indeed"....But if it weren't for people like her, designers would starve just like any other artist....
Now back to my main point; apart from the fact that people in general are sad and superficial, Arabs take it to a whole new level. For example, dressing themselves in clothes that are probably worth their entire salary, shipping their ferraris and bentleys abroad so that they can attarct attention and "flaunt it" and judging others on the basis of what they can and can't afford. Let me tell you this; most of my clothes are, in fact, designer. However, unlike my counterparts, I go for very subtle items, I do not want to be a walking advertising campaign..nor do I want to attract thieves...If I love it, it does what it needs to do and it happens to be designer, I'll buy it. Like most women, I do enjoy shopping, but that does not mean that I will limit myself to tacky billboards that some designers call clothes. A pair of my designer jeans literally fell apart in three months! I did not even wear it that often. I had to have the zipper replaced, and the back pocket reattached. How much did I pay for them? Almost $1000. I bought them because they looked good, not because they are designer, and like most people, I assume that designer means better quality. This is COMPLETELY UNTRUE...I have a pair of jeans from Gap that have lasted me three years and counting! SO basically, all the "designer" does is take the same pair of jeans made in manila, sew their label onto it, and raise the price by 100%....and being the stupid fucks that we are,....we go ahead and buy them...
Having a Fendi bag does not make you any better than the girl whose outfit happens to be from H&M and she happens to look better than you. Renting a car when you get to wherever your going would be the logical thing to do, so keep your ferraris at home...rent a volks wagen...I DARE YOU....But of course, the sad fact is that these people have more money than they know what to do with and have most probably not worked hard for it...so let the tragic "show" continue...
