In Search of Authenticity

Just an observation. We live in a time of virtual reality, unknown identities and disposable everything. This sense of transience has created an urge for things of authentic or vintage quality. We pay extra dollars for a set of furniture from Pottery Barn because it claims to be of the same quality of the furniture our grandparents had. We drop an extra dime on a pair of levis that has that worn and individual look. I spend $2 on a rootbeer in a bottle that looks like it came from 1955. It doesn't take an astute marketer to see that there are so many items that are sold under the "authentic" or "geniune" label. It almost seems like we are aching for authenticity in our lives. The kind of authenticity that can't come from a blackberry, myspace page, or on demand television.

Our lives are so frantic that we want to feel like we are rooted in something. The whole "authentic" or "vintage" movement that we see seems to be the response. These products or activities allow us to maybe recreate bygone memories or instill some sort of values. It's almost like we are jumping all over these nostalgic items because we want to go back to those times. This is our superficial way of kind trying to recreate a more authentic experience.


Am I the only one who sees this? Just an observation....