July 8, 2007

The good side of multiculturalism: silent shopping?

The only thing that makes the experience of shopping at the vast, crowded Costco warehouse stores tolerable is the merciful quiet. Unlike most stores, Costco doesn't play music over the PA. You would think this would become a trend as shoppers get more multiethnic and have fewer musical tastes in common, but, for some reason, I fear it won't be.


My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can testify to different ethnicities having different musical tastes in public and semi-public settings. I once worked for a financial services company that put on a quarter-end party, finger food and soft drink sort of thing. One of pros was a bright middle-aged black woman - and she angrily and loudly complained that if COUNTRY MUSIC (I know, I don't like it either) was to be played at any more of these shin-digs, she would sue the company for racial harrassment. "Why don't we just play some SOUL MUSIC?" she argued very heatedly for days (and the threat to sue was apparently serious). Finally, the solution: silence. The best part of the silence was her shutting up. The next best was not having to listen to steel guitars. Mixed blessings...

Anonymous said...

TARGET also plays no music,for this very reason. But interestingly, a local McDonalds,which is managed and staffed completely by Mexicans,plays non-stop classical music. I thought it was a cheap effort to "class up" the place,as it democratically serves Mexican immigrants as well as North Shore achievers,but one day I realized that maybe its there so the scummy gangbanging teenagers wont use it as a hangout.They detest classical music,ya know!

Dennis Dale said...

Someone needs to write something on the difference between the Costco and Wal*Mart experiences. Two bastions of modern American plenty that exist at opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum. Does it have anything to do with their different models?

I found it odd that for Idiocracy Mike Judd made Costco the wretched center of mindless consumerism (and poor old Carl's Jr.--but the slogan "Carl's Jr., F-- you!" is hilarious, and less implausible by the day). How does this work? Does he need permission to use the names? Is there any possibility that this is considered product placement?

Perhaps he was trying to avoid the obvious reference; or the forces of Wal*Mart are just that much more formidable.

Anonymous said...

"...BRIGHT middle-aged black woman" Way to be racially condescending! Or is her preceived "brightness" germane to the anecdote,as if a dumb black woman could be expected to scream about bad music,but its surprising for a "bright" one?

**

In reply: yes, that's what I meant.

Do you live in the real world? What is your experience with this topic? Do you have anything to share about it?

Anonymous said...

"I found it odd that for Idiocracy Mike Judd made Costco the wretched center of mindless consumerism (and poor old Carl's Jr.--but the slogan "Carl's Jr., F-- you!" is hilarious, and less implausible by the day).

By Dennis Dale, at 7/09/2007 9:44 PM"

I believe that Carl's Jr. is the west-coast version of Hardees (they are owned by the same company), and that they share product-line and advertising campaigns. Out east, we have been "treated" to Hardee's adds featuring disgusting slobs loudly consuming hamburgers while the announcer intones "Leave me alone. I'm eating". I think this is the origin of Judges' hilarious parody: "Carls Jr. F**k You! I'm Eating.", which is essentially what Hardees/Carls Jr. is saying those adds.

That whole Carls Jr. scene made me laugh so hard, I almost had an aneurysm.