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Would You Buy a Fake?
by Anne
Iredale 5/4/10
A lot of people aspire to the designer laden lifestyle but haven't got the cash to
back it up. You could scrimp and save for that luxury purse or pair of shoes or you
could fake it. Instead of purchasing a Louis Vuitton purse for $1,000, you can buy
a fake for $80 or less. Fake Rolex watches are so common now; it's difficult to convince
anyone that you're wearing the real thing (not that I have a Rolex at all). The word
replica is being touted to give products a more legitimate image. It still means fake.
However, you can still spend thousands of dollars on a replica Rolex. If it's a Lacoste
T-shirt you're after, you can buy a knockoff from a supplier in China with badly translated
product descriptions.
If a genuine Van Gogh, which has graced your living room wall for years, were suddenly
revealed to be a forgery, how would you feel? The sequence of emotions is likely to
be shock, disbelief and anger, followed by deep-seated embarrassment. The painting
that has given you so much pleasure turns into an object of shame and not only becomes
financially worthless but also emotionally worthless. It looks the same but it's a
lie.
So many people crave luxury and they demand the real thing. If it's fake, they don't
get that adrenaline rush. They feel cheated. The Sex and the City gang drool
over Gucci this and Prada that and the thought of shoes takes up 90% of their brains.
Women want to be Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. They want to sashay into
restaurants in the latest Manolo Blahnik creations. In the episode Sex and Another
City, the question of authenticity is explored. The four friends leave the comfort
zone of New York City for a vacation in Los Angeles, and encounter a world of pretence
where everyone strives to be something they are not. Samantha shows off her new fake
Fendi purse and Carrie decides to buy one too. Off they go to the guy who sells them
out of the trunk of his car. As she looks at his stock, Carrie decides she doesn't
want one after all. What should be a spiritual experience for her is reduced to a
tacky trade. Charlotte makes the link between fake products and fake relationships
when she declares, "my marriage is a fake Fendi". She and husband Trey were
having trouble in the bedroom at the time.
Personally, I'm not interested in spending thousands of dollars on a possession, even
if I could afford it. I don't need to show off or get anyone's approval. I know that
fake replicas don't have the same quality as the real thing but paying ten times more
isn't worth it to me. However, I do feel differently about paintings. Yes, I probably
would gladly buy a Van Gogh if I won the lottery and I would be devastated if it turned
out to be a fake. The thought of having a work of art that he poured blood, sweat
and tears into is thrilling and I would feel an emotional connection with him. If
it turned out to be a fake, no matter how convincing, it would utterly destroy that
connection.
My pet hate is tribute bands and singers. I despise them. I wouldn't pay for a ticket
to see one or buy one of their records. If I want to re-live the Beatles, I'll play
my old records or watch them on DVD, and I can't think of anything worse than being
married by a fake Elvis in Vegas. The most annoying ones are tributes to artists that
are still active. The Coldplayers band apparently 'deliver with a passion and energy
comparable to Coldplay themselves'. Oh, for heaven's sake. Fake, fake, fake!
The only fake product that carries any status is fake fur. This used to be considered
cheap imitation but now you can flaunt your fun fur as a campaign for animal rights.
That pink faux mink screams social conscience. Even Ralph Lauren found a soul and
backed fake fur.
We can also make choices about our bodies and whether we want them to be real or altered.
Does a tummy tuck, a boob job or a face-lift make us a fake? Having a Botox injection
or chemical peel is just the same as applying make up for some people. We own our
bodies so it's up to us to show our chosen version. We sculpt the truth out of what
nature gave us. Our own label belongs to us. Would I go under the knife for vanity?
I don't think so but never say never!
We all have our deceits, our masks and little secrets. Look carefully at the stitching
and we are found out. Fakes are a billion dollar industry. We are judged by the products
we use and if we can't afford the real thing, we substitute. If we want the perfect
body, we buy one. There's a certain kind of tyranny in needing constant validation.
If you're just doing it for yourself and it feels good, it's your money to splash
out, but just beware; faking it can become a habit and start to influence other aspects
of your life. You could become a replica of yourself.
Anne Iredale has been a freelance writer for many years, writing feature articles
and reviews for popular websites. Her eBook of poetry, 'Bread
and Circuses' is available on the Amazon Kindle Store.
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