Monday, July 12, 2010

The Myth of the Rational Consumer

Mission Paradox's quote to start the week:
If there's a new and lasting credo from the Big Shakeout (the economic crisis) it's this: People will continue to pay for quality. They will be less and less inclined, however, to pay for bullshit.

- Anthony Bourdain: "Medium Raw"
Really? It seems to me that Mr. Bourdain is placing faith in the rational consumer, that beast whose existence is getting increasingly disproved in this decade. Will people continue to pay for quality? Or does it put more pressure on them to favor the McDonald's dollar menu over cooking at home?

It's true that people will be less and less inclined to pay for what they consider to be bullshit, but is what they think bullshit actually bullshit? My fear is that to the average American, the arts are bullshit. It appears that for state governments, for instance, the arts are bullshit.