VD

I written this on MySpace blog www.myspace.com/sishman but I figured why waste such fine writing on teenagers so pardon me for ripping myself off and reposting this here.

I sent the woman I was dating an email this day a year ago with that heading and she wasn't amused. Of course we ended up breaking up not too long after but I don't believe that the "V"alentine's "D"ay email I sent her had anything to do with that, although I did up getting this really bad rash over most of my torso the last time I visited her.

Its Valentine's Day again a day that many anti-romantics like me and other assorted lonely hearts look upon with about as much fondness as radical Muslims at Danish cartoons. It seems like the mass market has determined to make those of us without a honey feel like we're invisible while guilting those with one into spending on more and more elaborate gifts. I've been listening to some of the commercials focussed on the feast day of St. Valentine and its almost shameless the amount of guilt and manipulation being heaped on hapless lovers, such things as "Don't dissapoint that someone special with candy, buy our beautiful diamond and gold heart shaped pendant on sale for $200 to show her you care." much of this with the not so subtle subtext that if you don't she'll dump your fat ass and you'll be a loser spending your weekend nights watching Spike TV. (Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that.)

I guess in a capitalistic consumer society its inevitable that the expression of love would become inextricably bound with unnecessary spending since the celebration of pretty much everything is. Further this need not be a bad thing considering how much revenue hard working florists, jewelers, chocalatiers and people giving horse and carriage rides are making off of the consumerist celebration of an intangible emotion. Much as toy retailers stand to make almost all of their income during that greatest of all consumerist holidays "X-Mas" I wonder how often does the hard up chocalatier, patiently dipping bits of nougat and strawberries into chocalate look forward to Valentines Day to rescue him from a down year. I can imagine him saying to himself as he meticulously arranges his wares into red heart shaped boxes, "My margins are way down since the costs of cocoa butter is up 30% and I'm getting killed by all that cheap foreign candy. There better be alot of people in love on Valentines Day or else my kids aren't going to be able to get braces this year."

That's an image that should thaw even the coldest heart.

So for all of you out there fortunate enough to have someone to love and be loved hold them tight and don't forget to spend spend spend. For all of you who don't well get going and find yourself a love. Remember the love based sector of our economy is depending on you to pump your hard earned dollars into sweets, flowers, baubles and all the rest that comes with quantifying your love by racking up a huge credit card bill.

Dare I say it. If you don't show your love through conspicuous consumption then the terrorists win..
I doubt that Osama Bin Ladin is buying his lady love a box of Godiva chocalates, a heart shaped three diamond pendant or a dozen long stem roses with no thorns.

As for this loveless soul I will be celebrating the Feast Day of St. Valentines with power tools and my laptop.

(Before you jump to conclusions, I'll be working on my house and getting caught up with work.)

 

That's true the Korean economic is very heavy in the love sector.

 

Thanks. That's what happens when you are over-educated.

I figured there would be an anti-valentine day thread on the hangout but I must've missed that one so I went ahead and started a new one.

Anyway mine is less an anti-Valentines Day thread and more a chance to stoke my fragile ego and stake my claim for being the Asian American Mark Twain.