What could be
more capitalistic than to create a holiday in order to sell your product? Think it doesn’t exist? Google the term “Hallmark holiday.” Many call Valentines’ Day one of these
days.
“No, not true,”
say the romantic naysayers. “Valentine’s
Day is for lovers and only losers with no romantic liaisons rain on Valentine’s
Day. Those people are Valentine
Scrooges, Grinches with no heart. “
Now, I’m the
first to admit I love the sappy, sweet cards accompanying ten caret diamonds,
but no matter what your personal reason for celebrating Valentine’s Day, the
broader picture is that it’s a testament to American Capitalism. Ask any man who’s serious about keeping his
relationship. The more you buy the
better lover you are.
Let’s think
about it for a second using a popular Valentine present: the bracelet. First, there has to be freedom
to own the materials for the jewelry; then business is done with the jewelers.
The jewelers work with packaging companies to create boxes and bags unique to
their store—i.e. Tiffany Blue. Then the
ad agency has to market the jewels. And, most important, there has to be freedom
of speech and free enterprise to produce and distribute the advertisements and
the products. Last but not least, the public has to be
convinced they can’t live without the product.
Each February
14 we see the effectiveness of the marketing campaigns.
I tried to
find the origins of Valentine’s Day, but all I found were disagreements. We may not know if Valentine’s Day is to
celebrate a martyred saint, a sex lottery commemorating a Roman goddess, or
just the results of hack writers trying to sell a few poems, but we know one
thing for sure: Americans will make money off it.
Normally I’m
not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. This
year though, when many of my freedoms are being threatened, I find comfort in
the myriads of commercials telling me not only how to buy the key to finding
that special someone, but what I should buy him when I find him. It reminds me
I still live in a free country.
This year
instead of making fun of Valentine’s Day, I’m going to embrace it. I’m going to buy myself the biggest,
prettiest roses I can find, and maybe a bracelet or at least a box of
chocolates. I won’t push the mute button
when Jane Seymore talks about her Open Heart collection.
What’s the
story behind my open heart? It’s a story
of chocolates that increase my weight and cholesterol; of jewelry that puts me
into debt; of sappy cards that go into the recycle bin a week later. It’s goofy
plush animals and expensive lingerie that only looks good on 0.1% of the
population. It’s lowered self-esteem if you don’t get the fanciest
flowers. It’s a story of companies
creating holidays to sell products.
Most important,
it’s the stories of capitalism and freedom that make it all possible.
