The term recession commonly refers to two or more quarters of a declining Gross Domestic Product (GDP), though this definition fails to account for changes in other variables as unemployment rate. I call it ugly because the situation has evolved into a massive and global disorientation of blame, shame, and one hell of a challenging game. We’ve been in recession since December 2007, and economists predict this catastrophe could continue well into 2010! Presently, Americans are plagued with the continual crashing of the stock exchange, job losses highest since 1945, as well as problems carried over from previous years…we are still battling terrorism, right? I mean, where on earth is Osama Bin Laden?
Trapped in this rut, what do we do? Do you wish we could click our heels together, close are eyes, and magically reverse this chaos? Or are my good fellow Americans to be reduced to the blame game, scapegoating George W. Bush? True or not, the bills and empty fridge will still be waiting. So how are we coping with this ongoing tragedy? We should be picking up every last Abe Lincoln face we see in passing that we would have overlooked otherwise. But here you will find a list of comforts we fellow Americans have settled upon, when jumping into this recession, depression, whatever you like to call it.
1. Say hello to Ronald McDonald
McDonalds, or as I like to call it, corporate America’s finest franchise, now includes a dollar menu! So leave your plastic at home, my fellow comrades, grab a few dollars, and treat yourself to the notoriously juicy, yet heartburn provoking Big Mac. Fast food restaurants are a booming success in America, our nation being all about the cheap and fast. It is exactly what a suffering U.S. needs today. The ostentatiously tacky red and yellow logo is a worldwide symbol. It is a ubiquitous sign for fun, youth, equal opportunity, and the all American way. So why has Evanston failed in bringing one to a college campus, where students will most likely crowd? It would be a hot spot. Perhaps it’s a result of its competitor BK? Or did the 2004 documentary “Super Size Me” really have a detrimental effect on the corporation? Nevertheless, McDonalds is one of few businesses to profit during the recession. I suppose, despite raging health concerns, we Americans have decided upon money over potential health issues.
2. …and goodbye to Starbucks
Rivaling the predominance of the red and yellow sign, is the more sophisticated, circular, green, “is it a mermaid?” design shouting from every street corner. Starbucks, now almost synonymous with the word “coffee,” is an ever expanding trend we can’t live without, like oxygen for our lungs, and an absolute necessity for sleep deprived college students, workaholic businessmen, and the likes. My daily order switches from a vente house coffee to a frappe of my choosing. Thinking about it, I may have tried every single item on their menu. Most customers spend on average $3.50 to $4 on each trip. For loyal visitors, that adds up to a nice little fortune. Maybe we should resort to brewing our own coffee at home? Retracing steps back to the brand logo, I’ve never examined it closely enough, but recently discovered that it depicts a siren. Previously, the female icon exposed the bare chest, nipples and all, but the logo was eventually altered to be more “family friendly” or respectfully conservative. However, whatever sexy logo Starbucks chooses, it’s damn good coffee.
3. Nobody smokes anymore!
I rarely see smoking pedestrians anymore. A congratulatory pat on the back is owed to a health conscious U.S. The only locations on campus I ever find a cluster of smokers are at the exits of Kresge (the stereotype about artists and smoking might prove true) and on Church street where homeless men loiter. Honestly, I feel guilty smoking in the presence of others, in such an intense, anti-smoking society. To add, I despise all stereotypes attached to the act of smoking, though the negative stigma does assist in discouraging citizens from inhaling the harmful toxin. Another disappointment is the raise on cigarette taxes. A pack in Chicago amounts to $8.17, outrageous! As a habitual smoker, every week is a dip into my savings. Speaking in mathematical terms, I could purchase a meal for two at Mickey Dees for every pack of Camel Lights I buy. What a bummer…
4. The Blackberry
A couple weeks back, I saw a panhandler on his mobile, chatting away, and found the situation ironically distasteful. But then again, who can live without a cell these days, especially in a super technologically advanced society where Blackberries are almost as common as cars on the street? These gadgets (and I mean that in the best sense possible) are making our individualist America all the more homogenous. They’ve transcended what was typically considered a luxury to the norm…the reasoning? Do they help us fit in or improve our feeling of intellect? Personally, I don’t understand why I have one (too many buttons and options)…maybe it’s in a superficial attempt to toy with something complex as to not feel so bored during lecture or on my way to class.
5. Illegal downloading…Yes torrent!
UTorrent is the college student’s heaven for free movies and music. In the creation of this online computer program, dvd rentals and cds have become outdated, meaning trouble for companies and bliss for us. It’s just another way to salvage every penny and rock and roll through this recession.
