Then and Now

My interviews with people from preceding generations yielded two principle themes when we discussed what was popular then vs. what is popular now; principally, volume and homogeneity.  The volume observation sprang from a discussion of food (stemming from class last week).  A lot of what was popular then is still popular now (brands like Coke and Pepsi were mentioned), but it was enjoyed less frequently and in less volume.  Someone in the upper age category describe coca-cola as a periodic treat that came in an 8oz bottle, sometimes a 12oz if you were being really decadent.  Today, people down 40+ozer's on a daily basis (the 5o year old I talked to talked about how this was changing when they were my age, describing larger portions as an evolving norm).

Another thing that came up (without prompting) was jeans.  My older respondent described jeans as the major fashion item of his generation.  I asked him how many brands were available, and he was able to list three (Levi's, Lee and Wrangler), which leads to the second major difference between now and then that I observed, diversity of options.  As our discussion in class last week revealed, there are loads of different jeans out there today, and the brand you pick, to a lot of people, says a lot about you.  Back in the day, jeans was jeans.  

The other big thing I found was that trends (even specific products) are cyclical.  My older respondent mentioned "Star Trek" and "Get Smart" as popular TV shows back in the day, both of which are being remade today in recast versions.  My interviewee attributed this to the fact that the boomers are a major segment of the entertainment market.  I agree, but also attribute this trend to a slight lack of originality in the entertainment industry.

Paradoxically, while I agree that what's popular now often echoes what was popular then, another major break from the past is greater choice.  This doesn't just mean variety of products and brands, it also includes our ability to essentially be our own programmers.  It used to be that there were three broadcast networks (and a handful of local independent stations) and the only place you could see a movie was at the theatre, and you had to choose from the few that were playing and see them at the times the theatre provided.  Now, we have entertainment choices on demand.  We don't have a menu of options, we have a supermarket.

Wants vs. Needs

My purchases this past week fell into several categories, the broadest of which were personal vs. business expenses (I own a small video production company).  My company spending was principally needs (payed the rent for my office space, payed the phone and internet bills, etc).  Of course, one could make the argument that I could just work from home and that my office is a 'want'.  You could take that even farther and describe all of my work expenses as wants, since I'm choosing to run my own business instead of working for someone else.  

My personal expenditures were pretty boring this week, the overwhelming bulk of which went to rent, health insurance / prescriptions and textbooks.  I'm going to classify rent and medical expenses as needs, since I need them to stay healthy and sleep without being rained on.  Textbooks are also needs, but with a bit of want thrown in because I could just read them at the library, but the convenience of owning them is so great that I think it jumps the line between want and need.

I bought a few groceries this week, which fall into the broad category of needs, but I sought out brands that I wanted (though I settled on my frozen pizza brand of choice because it was the cheapest).  

I drink a tremendous amount of coffee, which I typically get at Starbucks or the Beanery, but owing to lack of available funds this week I mostly brewed it myself.

I bought gas for my car, which walks the hazy line between want and need.  I would contend that gas is a need, but I drive more often that I actually have to, and I would describe my excess consumption as a want.  I could bike to work and school more than I do (or take the bus, or, as mentioned above, just work from home).  On Sunday, however, I needed to drive  to Eugene to pick my girlfriend up at the airport, so we're going to call this tank a need.

I downloaded a few songs from iTunes, no question a want.  I have also accrued some late fees from DVD World this week, an additional payment on an earlier want.  I've also collected a couple parking tickets this week, which we'll call a consequence of my categorizing plugging my parking meter as a discretionary want instead of a need.  I went to a movie (a want) and bought some popcorn (a decadent and expensive want).

I had a good balance of needs and wants this week, satisfying many of my needs in the ways that my wants dictated (frozen pizza instead of raman, for example).  Popular culture influences my choices, probably most notably in my entertainment spending (downloaded music that friends introduced me to, saw movies and rented DVDs that friends recommended).  I would also argue that popular culture is partly to blame for my belief that in order to be legitimate, my business must have office space outside my home.  

I would caution that this wasn't an entirely typical week, since most of my money was tied up in major needs (rent, health, education).  Most other weeks I would spend more on things that I wanted as opposed to things that without which I would be evicted, expelled or hospitalized.