birch

birch
Trees are poems that Earth writes upon the sky. We fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness. ---Kahlil Gibran

Monday, July 15, 2013

Deja-Vu Recycling

I've noticed that everything is beginning to look the same.  The whole world seems to be growing increasingly generic.  Is there no originality left?  Or is it that items which are at first unique, are copied over and and over until they become commonplace?
 
Or....is it me?

I'm all for recycling items to prevent waste, but some things can only be repeated so many times before they become insipid.  I work at a library, so of course one of the first things I noticed was book covers.  Pick a theme - any theme- and I'll show you a jillion copies of the same thing.

Take the original book cover for Twilight by Stephenie Meyers for instance:

 
The popularity of this series has spawned endless copy-cats. This theme is used to sell new books as well as revamping (pun intended) the look of older classics.

 
It's even used to sell products and services.
 
 
But, wait a minute...did this theme really originate with Twilight?
 
 
Pick another book cover theme...
 
BUTTERFLIES
 Girls in Beautiful Dresses

 EYES!!!
Doesn't matter what book cover you choose, there are a thousand others that look virtually the same.
 
 
Everything is similar.  Look at these new cars. 
Can you tell the BMW from the Honda from the Mercedes from the Subaru?
 
Hard to do, isn't it?  Now look at the cars from the 50's below.
 
You may not know which is which, but you can tell a Ford from a Maserati from a Chevy from a Lincoln from a Cadillac.
We weren't so bland back then.

We eat the same things too - and at the same places.
 
The Five Major Food Groups seem to be Burgers, Chicken, Sandwiches, Donuts and Pizza.
 
Where do we go to eat them?
Burgers:  Burger King, McDonalds, Hardees, Wendys
Chicken:  KFC, Chick-Fil-A, Bojangles, Popeyes, Churchs
Sandwiches:  Arbys, Subway, Blimpie, Quiznos, Jersey Mikes, 5 Guy   
Donuts:  Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme
Pizza:  Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns
 
Someone comes up with a sucessful business model and it is copied endlessly.
 Our neighborhoods all look the same.
Notice how much the site map looks like a computer circuit board?
 
We work in the same places, doing the same things.


We wear the same clothes.
 
 
 
 
 
 I want to be around individuals
who are not afraid to be themselves.

Who live an independent life.

Who can provide for themselves.

Who take pride in their abilities.
Who can express themselves creatively.

Whatever else you are, you are unique.
Don't blend in.
 
    
 
 
 
 
                      

 

 
 
 
 



No comments:

Post a Comment