Post 8

In this week's class session we read a little bit about the "Bling Ring," a group of affluent teenagers who, motivated by their obsession of celebrity life and desire for fame, performed some of the most scandalous thefts in Hollywood history--their targets: A-list celebrities, including Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Orlando Bloom, to name a few.  Initially consisting of solely Nick Prugo and Rachel Lee, the group consistently expanded to include four other core members:  Diana Tamayo, Ray Lopez, Courtney Ames, and Alexis Neiers.  The rallying cry of the Bling Ring was a hollowing "Let's go shopping!" while the whole scene began adopting a party atmosphere.  Writer Nancy Jo Sales states: "I think they idolised these people, but at the same time there seemed to be a weird resentment - a feeling of, 'You've got way more than you need so I'll take from you'.  It was a great thrill.  There was a feeling of power.  They would go out wearing these clothes and joyriding around LA."  Journalist Lena Corner's assessment of the Bling Ring is quite insightful:  "what [the obsession with celebrity and the obsession with fame] demonstrates is the level of confusion we have now reached between celebrity and non-celebrity - and in turn, reality and non-reality." 

What is so profound is the constant struggle and tension between reality and fantasy, between celebrity and normalcy.  I think the Bling Ring definitely demonstrates more of the negative affects of a society based on consumerism and idealism, a society where money calls the shots.  Even the motives for making a movie off of the bling ring seem to be entirely money based, founded upon people's obsession with celebrity life.  It is a bit shaking to consider the possibility that designers, and those who are pursuing a career in design, may be propagating these thoughts and feelings.  It is undeniable that these sentiments are the driving forces behind magazines industries, tabloids, celebrity dramas, what they feed off of.  As designers seeking to engage a world through such a medium, it is increasingly important that we consider the messages we send and the ideas we promote.  It is necessary for us to indeed ascertain these beliefs and hold to them.