- WeedlordGoku69
- Feb 12, 2015
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by Cyrano4747
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A commodity appears, at first sight, a very trivial thing, and easily understood. Its analysis shows that it is, in reality, a very queer thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties. So far as it is a value in use, there is nothing mysterious about it, whether we consider it from the point of view that by its properties it is capable of satisfying human wants, or from the point that those properties are the product of human labour. It is as clear as noonday, that man, by his industry, changes the forms of the materials furnished by Nature, in such a way as to make them useful to him. The form of wood, for instance, is altered, by making a table out of it. Yet, for all that, the table continues to be that common, everyday thing, wood. But, so soon as it steps forth as a commodity, it is changed into something transcendent. It not only stands with its feet on the ground, but, in relation to all other commodities, it stands on its head, and evolves out of its wooden brain grotesque ideas, far more wonderful than “tableturning” ever was.
I am sure that everybody has encountered this at some point, especially with the advent of online shopping, though the phenomenon did exist earlier, in the backs of magazines, in catalogues, the old front page series on the skymall catalogue was a great example of it. The world is full of mysterious, wonderful, terrible things, things that you can buy, things that you can have delivered to you by a human being who spends precious minutes of their finite life on this earth, just to transport an item to you.
What is the item? Is it something you need? Is it vital medication? Is it food? Is it toilet paper? Is it something necessary to maintain the basic fundamentals that allow you to continue living in a modicum of comfort and civilization? Is it just something nice, for yourself, to add a little colour and beauty to your existence? Life is not, after all, just bread and water.
But no, the item is not either of those, the item is something else. The item defies such categorizations. The item poses a philosophical question, it makes you wonder, was a human involved at any point in the production of the item? Did somebody sit down and design this thing, was somebody, somewhere, crying out for want of this item, is their life enhanced by having that need, that desire, finally fulfilled? We are often told that demand creates supply, but you are left to wonder, shaken by the question posed by the existence of this item, is that true? Or was this made first, and the desire followed after?
In this instance, the item is thus:
And who among us can say, having seen it, that we do not now know the need for a wireframe illuminated holographic image of a shrek head in a choice of colours?
What terrible things have you seen for sale? We have threads for things you bought, for terrible bootlegs, but seemingly not for just... things you saw and thought "why the gently caress does this exist to be bought?" I think it gets extra points if it's taking up precious space in an actual, physical store. Like this thing doesn't exist just in a warehouse somewhere in China, it was actually made, submitted to a buying manager at a store somewhere, and they saw it and said "yes, this is the thing our store needs" and they paid money for this item and now want to sell it to you for more money.
SHREK LAMP
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Jul 29, 2020 01:39
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May 17, 2024 09:29
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- WeedlordGoku69
- Feb 12, 2015
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by Cyrano4747
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this post made me grow a fedora
that last one is loving amazing
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Sep 12, 2020 03:05
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Jul 29, 2020 01:39
