ConsumeAmerica '97

ConsumeAmerica '97

Our mission to explore the wilds of America continues. First, a few of us spent the mid 90's in the belly of the beast: Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. There we learned a lot about our country, but at a price. One by one we drifted back to this group of islands off the American coast known as New York City.

In recent issues, Culture Freak has reported that much of what we thought we had left behind on the mainland was finding its way to our home. Now it is 1998. The branded corporate plague of Pepsi/Disney culture has arrived and is turning the Big Apple into...a Big Candied Apple or something. At any rate, Ironically, I myself spent much of 1997 working for the some of the very corporations responsible for this scourge.

In my short career as a market researcher of retail environments (see CF #5, I had to travel all over the US. The excursions were short and sweet. Unfortunately, though I flew to several cities I had never seen before, usually I was stuck in the horrific new land of commerce — the suburban sprawls located miles out from the urban centers. This was of course quite frustrating, but it was perfect for research purposes. My travels to the Midwest, the South, and Southwest confirmed my belief that most of this country looks basically the same. Since I had never been to the Southwest before, that region left a big impression in my notebook. What follows is my blanket judgment of civilization in the American Southwest based on my stay that lasted only about ten days.

Part I - Hallmark, Arizona: The Zone

On this trip three teams were sent to spy on customers while they shopped for Hallmark cards. A rather typical operation, we left the Manhattan office with our cameras and equipment and headed to Newark airport.

The Flight

This was my first trip on America West, an airline that, with a little creative marketing savvy, made sure I won't forget about them for a long time. The flight attendants did a cabaret show just before take-off! Okay, not quite. As anyone who's ever flown anywhere knows, before the plane starts to move, the flight attendants explain all emergency procedures, such as exiting the plane, proper crash positions, etc. Well, America West understands that no one ever really pays attention to that mundane, often obvious information. So, they came up with a way to keep the passengers listening. The routine began as per usual:

'Welcome passengers to America West flight 703 to Dallas, continuing on to Phoenix, Arizona. Because each aircraft is different, please act like you're paying attention to the flight attendants as they...' Did she say 'act like we're paying attention?' I thought, as my ears pricked up. 'For those of you who haven't been in an automobile since 1957, this is a seat belt...In the event of a change in cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop above your head ...the charge is fifty cents for the first minute and twenty-five for each additional. Credit cards are accepted but are not returned...If we should land in a small body of water such as a pool or Jacuzzi, your seat is cleverly designed to double as a flotation device. That is why it is so uncomfortable. To remove it simply wipe the peanuts off...For those of you with cellular phones on board we are impressed, but these items may not be used on the aircraft at any time...Lost items may be claimed at the terminal upon arrival or, sold at my garage sale next week depending on value. We appreciate your at least acting like you paid attention, and thank you for choosing America West. Enjoy your flight.'

The passengers, including myself, awarded the crew with a well-deserved round of applause. The above is only the abridged version of selected highlights, because my pen simply couldn't keep up.

The Accommodations

We stayed at the Wyndham Hotel at Metro Center. A strange complex, the Metro Center is 21st century village — total Edge City. While clearly designed for auto traffic, one can easily walk from any of the hotels to cinema complexes, bookstores, a public library, and numerous retail outlets and restaurants of the Bennigan's/Olive Garden variety. There is also, of course, the Metro Center Mall and even a small amusement park across the street.

After a quick meeting and check-in, it was definitely time to eat (we'd all been in airports or planes for about nine hours). 'There's a line at the Olive Garden? Fuck that!' I went to Tsang's Chinese Restaurant, as it was the only decent looking place that wasn't packed to the gills with feeders. Tsang's kinda looked like a Denny's but turned out to be surprisingly good. (In typical New Yorker fashion, I kind of assumed any Chinese place in suburban Arizona would suck). After dinner I took a stroll around the Metro Mall zone.

Unlike typical sprawl, the Metro Center remains true to its namesake. It actually is logically centered to a degree. It sure ain't heaven, but it's a hell of a lot better than our typical setting — wedged between a gas station and a highway near an airport. Under those circumstances, I have to borrow one of the rental cars to do anything, and usually I just end up at the hotel bar or watching movies in my room.

On night two I ordered room service (with cocktail!) and walked to the movie theater to see Star Wars (for $2.75 less than the price of a ticket in New York). The sale of nachos with cheez in addition to popcorn at the theater caught me by surprise. That was new to me. All I got was a Diet Coke.

Night three, I went to the Olive Garden. As soon as I'd seen it two days before I knew I'd have to go one night, because I've always wanted to go to one but never was willing to pay for it with my own money. So since my meal was on my expense account, I figured this was my chance. It was good for chain food, though I'm still pretty sure I'll never go to one if I actually have to pay for it. In addition, my waitress was pretty hip.

    "How was everything?"
    "Well I gotta say, it was pretty good — I've never made it to the Olive Garden before."
    "Actually I've only eaten at one once myself, and I work here!"
    "Yeah well you know...when it's across the street from your hotel..."
    "Yeah totally."

The Site

For two days I followed patrons at the 'Hallmark Showcase' gift store in The North Valley Power Center (some developer's curious choice of a name for a strip mall with a Target store as its anchor). There was nothing particularly special about the gig, except that there was much larger than usual area to cover. Timing people moving from one section to another was difficult, especially if they were in a hurry and didn't know what or if they were gonna buy. Traffic was pretty heavy, as it was a few days before Valentine's day. The most predominant demo [demographic profile] was of women thirty-five to sixty, and lily white at that.

The Zone (Suburban Phoenix presents a good argument for carpet-bombing)

FM Radio: "Phoenix, Arizona things are different than they used to be! 101.5 The Zone'' Yeah, that about says it: Phoenix, AriZONEa. Granted, I never got to see downtown Phoenix (as usual, we drove past it on our way to our hotel) but suburban Phoenix is sprawl like I'd never seen before. (Of course, I've never been to Southern California.) Phoenix is just a big ol' grid that goes on for miles — and they grid out daily. Much of it—in fact most of the area I saw — was desert until two years ago, according to one of my coworkers who knew the area. And I hope I never again see a giant banner ("Budweiser cases on sale!") strapped to Palm Trees. At least Albuquerque has some serious mountains, and Las Vegas has...Las Vegas

On this trip I met my coworker, Paul. Paul is lucky enough to have been born and raised outside this country (Austria to be exact). While stuck in bumper-to-bumper Sunday shopping traffic, we discussed, at length, the notion of the American Manscape. In the two days we'd spent working together, it'd become clear that we saw eye to eye on a lot. Here was one more thing for the pile.

    "It doesn't make any sense to me, It's using the most land..."
    "In the worst possible way?" I offered.
    "In the worst possible way, exactly."

I asked if the urban centers of Austria were spreading out in any way like they have here in the post-industrial Age. He said that an edge city of Vienna had exploded with growth in the last ten years — at least tripling its population — but that, unlike American edge cities like Tyson's Corner, VA (near Washington D.C.), it remained reasonably concentrated (since there isn't as much car culture). Austrians probably won't soon bulldoze their hills to build K-marts and Pizza Huts like they do in, say Newport, Kentucky.
Our being stuck in traffic reminded him of another major distinction.

    "In Austria there wouldn't even be any traffic on Sunday, because the stores are all closed. You can't keep a store open. That's church day."
    "Yeah well, we worship a little differently in this country!"
    "Definitely."

Part II -The United States Post Office Gig Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque: Like Phoenix, here a sprawl, there a sprawl, everywhere a sprawl sprawl. Ah, but then there are the monsters of redemption — the mountains that tower over the town like gargoyles, humbling the manscape below. The omnipresent subdivisions and shopping malls are minimized by peaks that breathe down the necks of their inhabitants bellowing, "You fools! We are much more important than your crap!"

Not surprisingly, suburban New Mexico isn't that much different from suburban Indiana — a Target Store here, a Taco Bell there. Still, there's definitely something more sophisticated about the southwest than in the heartland. I think this is due to its large populations of Native American and Mexicans. Not that these groups of people are necessarily more sophisticated than their white-bred counterparts, but that leftist adage, "diversity is necessity" proves to be more than just sexy, wheat-pasted rhetoric in the East Village of New York City. The interaction of different populations definitely enriches a region.

For this reason, in the United States, I've always found it aesthetically and psychologically safest to stay near the coasts. Inland America is like one big baloney sandwich on white bread. However, my introduction to the Southwest taught me that there are places where inland isn't relegated to the TV dinner, cheeseburger pot pie land. The fact that there are probably as many Mexican nationals and expatriates. Joe Indiana and Joe New Mexico may watch the same TV and buy the same beer, but at least the latter knows a little more Spanish than 'Amigo' and understands that real chili uses cumin, not bacon, as its main flavor driver. Nuff sed? Maybe.

The Sites

The first of the two USPS sites was one of those 'Post Office Express' annexes inside a supermarket. Philately merchandise was abound. I was told that since our client was the United States Post Office, that I should have 'bank attire' rather than our typical casual wear. So there I am on the first morning, suit & tie guy, while my supervisor Greg shows up looking as schleppy as always — not sloppy mind you, just...very casual. The other member of our team, Courtney, wasn't all that much better so I felt a little overdressed. 'So be it,' I thought. 'I'll look like the most important person when the big-wigs from DC show up.

Well, the bigwigs showed up and schlepped around, but I didn't really talk to any of them. Instead I just tried to appear really busy and professional. It is probable that nobody noticed or cared and I was just living in my own little fantasy world, as I tend to do sometimes.

At one point during the day two women in their 30's entered the store. I picked one as my primary and began to track her. They stayed longer than most customers and seemed to be very engaged in some hardcore shopping — checking out postal t-shirts, collectible stamps, mugs, everything. At one point I was trying to figure out what items on a rack they were shopping so I could record it on my tracking sheet. I then realized that they were checking out the rack itself! As I started to mark this down in my notes, a third, Donna Mills-like woman joined the duo. Now the three of them were fondling and discussing these racks that contained gifts and other crap. It was becoming a very complicated 'track' and though I was getting pretty frustrated, I stuck with my chosen primary as best I could. One of the postal clerks noticed my predicament and approached me. 'Um, those three are marketing people for the USPS.'

The other Albuquerque site was, oddly enough, located inside Kirtland Air Force Base. I had a whole piece written on the experience there but it has disappeared twice, so I give up. Suffice it to say that it is surprisingly easy to get on a US Airforce Base. (At least it was then.) I did get pulled over by the MP's once before I had obtained the proper gate pass (a pathetic photocopied sheet that I could have made when I was twelve), but since I'm a white male and was wearing a suit, it didn't take much to convince them that I was there for legitimate reasons.