It is that time of the year again. The day when couples around the world have to love each other more - more than on any other day of the year. They even have to show it publicly. Why? Because the consumer industry says so. We have to buy huge, ugly plush toys (in pink, holding a bright red heart saying "I love you"), have to buy over-priced flowers and greeting cards (also in red and pink), spend unethical amounts of money in restaurants, shows and on holidays that offer special "Valentine's rates" (approx. normal rate times 1.5). I watch with a certain amazement how this day and the run-up hype of adverts, TV and web coverage, etc. manage to make half the human race (a safe estimate, I'm sure, since the phenomenon has long since spread from the US to Europe and even Asia) behave like a huge flock of dumb sheep. All in the name of love? No. Mainly, to earn big businesses big money.
It's actually quite well staged using more than a little psychology. Reverse psychology, even. The immense coverage it receives makes it seem that everybody is taking part. Now, if you don't treat your sweety to something special on this day you're clearly an arsehole and not treating him/her well. Because everybody else is doing it, so, why not you? Or maybe you don't love him/her enough and that's why you refuse to spend money on him/her?! So what, if everything is more expensive than usual - you've got to show your partner that you care more about him/her than about such material things as money. And how to best show that? By spending lots of it. You can almost visualise retailers, travel agents and restaurant owners rubbing their hands greedily. After all, that's how rose vendors make a living in places like Paris and Venice: they shove a flower in the girl's face so that her man buys it because he doesn't want to look like a cheap-skate.
And, in the end, it's all hypocrisy! If Valentine's Day is the only day of the year that I take my girlfriend out for dinner or give her flowers or treat her well then I clearly do not deserve her love. But if it is not then what makes this day so special and different from the other 364? It's like the fools that only go to church on Christmas Day: If you don't love God the rest of the year going to church on that one day will not make you a good Christian.
The only visible effect Valentine's Day has for me is that airports are busier, restaurants and shows are awfully crowded and everything costs more. Heart or flower shaped merchandise stares at me from every shop window until I feel sick. Even the local Thai restaurant has a Valentine's Day special menu. What's special? It's an expensive set menu. On any other day you can order whatever you want - on Valentine's Day you have to eat what they give you. Not that other restaurants were any better, mind you. Worst of all, in my experience if you plan to have a great, flawless evening full of love and happiness something will go wrong, anyway. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try but why must we try on this very day?
So, if I take her out one day later or earlier, or a week, or a month, I will not love her any less. If I treat her well and tell her that I love her every day I don't need to make a big fuss about it today. On the contrary, we might actually be able to have a quiet evening in our favourite restaurant at a reasonable price ordering what we want to eat. So, why follow the herd?
And why is this my "2 dollars worth" , shouldn't it be my "2 cents worth": 2 cents are too cheap. It's 2 dollars because I know I'm right.
No comments:
Post a Comment