In the past couple of days,I've been paying attention to a certain commercial for the lottery. A family of three lives inside what appears to be an apartment complex, the view of which is blocked by the huge building beside them -- which is bigger, grayer, and bleaker. Mom, Dad, and Junior stare out of square windows to face a wall of bricks. Their humdrum lives are mired in monotony until they win the lottery. With the large sum of money, they could feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, donate to the local youth center, staff the city's food kitches, etc. But they don't. They want a nice view. They want to see the open sea and smell the fresh air. How do they do it? They tear down the adjacent building. They don't buy into the modern-day consumerism by purchasing a house -- I'll give them that. But, they tear down the building. They destroyed what stood in their way. They took it down. Instead of doing something productive, instead of adopting a different lifestyle, instead of creating change, they just got rid of the building. It's not necessarily the easiest thing to do, but it's the most satisfying thing. The situation is about revenge, about taking vengeance in order to satisfy their urges. Seeing the ocean was especially thrilling because at the same time that they could see the ocean waters, they were able to crush something else someone has already made. Being able to do this made them feel good. The building was an eyesore. It aggravated them. Its presence denied them what they wanted. And they just destroyed it. It's not just about being able to get what they wanted -- a bigger house, a pretty view, a parking space. It's not just about having the money to purchase the American dream. It was about destroying something in order to get what they wanted. The satisfaction lies in the process of destruction as well as acquisition.
It is one of the sadder things that I've seen on the commercials recently. Almost similar to the commercial of screaming kids receiving their Xmas presents.
But, beyond this commercial, there are other things to consider regarding Walls. Taking down the wall blocking their view is akin to taking down a lot of other walls -- certain walls built of concrete, of brick, of plastic, and of many other materials. There's the Vietnam Memorial Wall. The Berlin Wall. The Great China Wall. Then there are other walls made of more intangible but equally destructive (if not more so) materials.
If you get a chance, check-out Walls by Jeannie Barroga.
1 comment:
Wow, that really is a horrifying premise for a commercial. I mean, yes, people don't necessarily play the lottery so they can donate their winnings, but they also don't play to make other people's lives more difficult at the expense of others. I kind of thought that was Paris Hilton's job.
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