Dopp Juice Archive

As my friend Jeremiah recently pointed out, Abercrombie & Fitch has hit a new low in setting trends among high school students. Take a look at their new line of Men’s Sexual Appeal Tees. These $30 tight “muscle cut” tees sport such slogans as:SPITTERS ARE QUITTERSBAGHDAD ASS UPWILL SPOON FOR POONYOU BLOW, I’LL POPEATIN AIN’T CHEATINTHIRD BASE COACHJeremiah writes:

THINK about what these slogans, even taken as ironic or sarcastic, slowly instill into our acceptable social identity.

He makes a good point. We’re being systematically desensitized to offensive and stereotyping concepts and this is just another kick in that direction. But is it Abercrombie’s fault?I think this is a perfect example of the “who went here first — the teens or the corporations?” debate. The PBS documentary, Merchants of Cool presents it perfectly (you should check it out). Critics blame corporations for corrupting our youth. Corporations claim they’re just offering up what the youth want. The youth, in turn, claim the corporations “don’t get them,” and use their products as a jumping off point to make their “coolness” even more extreme. Corporations counter by jumping forward and marketing the next taboo subculture (to the point of killing its “coolness,” at which point the youth need to jump further ahead again).You can blame whomever you want, but we’re in a vicious cycle of each one trying to outdo the other. There is no end in sight.

Well, I’ve effectively pulled myself over the hump of this cold in two days. All without taking Nyquil (or Dayquil, or any other cold and sinus drug). Just ibuprofen, echinacea, GanMaoLing, soup, tea, and fruit juice. Not bad. Of course my forced rest put me behind on other things, which now adds anxiety and sets me into work mode, which decreases my immune system, which makes the last few remnants of this cold likely to stick around for another week… but hey, I think I made progress. I’d write more, but oh, I have so much work to do!

It happens at least once a year. I’m striving along with lots of work on my plate, a happy rhythm, a slight tendency to forget to sleep and eat, and WHAM! The common cold virus comes out of nowhere and wallops me upside the head with a force heretofore unexperienced by humankind. But instead a concussion, I end with a sore throat, blocked ears, and the most intense pressure somewhere around the inside of my forehead.In the past, I’ve battled colds head-on. With a sword in hand, I ran forward into it, charging toward my life-as-usual and refusing to accept my enemy as a valid presence. The cold, of course, won. It celebrated its success by lasting weeks — even months — on end. Time and time again I lamented my pain, blaming the cold for its fury. It usually takes several months before I realize this is my body’s way of saying, “Slow down. You do too much, girl. Give it a break.” But by then I’m too battle-wounded to stand. It happened today. I immediately paged my secretary in a hazy stupor and mumbled, “Cancel my next week of appointments, Janet. I have a date with Nyquil.” I lie, of course. Today, I prefer the guerilla warfare of holistic remedies to being taken prisoner by Nyquil… and also, well, Janet quit last week. She left me for a creative professional who remembers the importance of eating and sleeping. Can you believe that?I did cancel my appointments for the next day, but only to spend that time relaxing, undrugged by Western pharmaceuticals. I took echinacea and vitamin C for my immune system, as well as a Chinese herbal remedy for luck. I’ve had about 15 cups of tea today, mostly with honey and lemon. I relaxed, set my work aside, and curled up on the couch with a good movie. I must emphasize the significance of this move. I never drop my responsibilities at the first sign of a cold. Let’s consider this a test. I’ll be back with the results. If I’m missing for a few days, check my bed.* If this entry was a little incoherent or rambly (new word), I blame it on the hazy pressure writhing beneath my forehead. It wasn’t me.