It's Just an iPoditude

rob_said_that picks a few interesting bones with Michael Agger vis-a-vis his iPod article. Of course, I'll indulge in a little metapicking of my own.

Can't a person just like something without ownership being construed as making a statement of fashion?

Well, rob... um... no. That's marketing's primary purpose. Summed up: it's not a product, it's a lifestyle choice... or at least that's the sort of idea it is marketing's job to convince us. Don't be mad at Agger, rob. Some of us are immune to marketing, some aren't. You can usually tell who is and who isn't, usually by looking at the balance on their credit cards. Mike's probably got a sizable chunk of "funny munny" stowed on his plastic. Of course, the idea of what is or isn't cool is also something most people of adult age generally have lost or are in the process of losing interest in, and I say most because I'm acquainted with quite a few who are just as interested in "cool" as they were when they were sixteen. Being cool (or at least "dressing" the part) is defined by the young by necessity, and usually requires a lot of time, energy, keeping your ear to the ground, and liquid assets to keep up with it. Exhausting, that is.

Apple is an interesting company, with regards to its advertising and marketing, at least. Back in the dusty old days they're tag line for the Mac was "A computer for the rest of us" or some such nonsense. Evocative of access to the electronic peasantry? How... egalitarian... how... populist.

iPod, now, is being marketed as the "in" thing. Clique-ish... exclusionist. How... aristocratic... how... Heathers. So maybe Aggers is on to something, rob. Maybe iPod marketing does try to tap into the childish urge some humans feel to avoid looking dated. Maybe the iPod is just about being cool.

Apple is the company the "cool" kids spend their money on. They're hip. They're now. Apple is marketing. Marketing is Apple.

Seems such a fuss for a media player with a hard drive.