talkingwiththings

Talking with things

by Bob on March 27, 2007

Walking advertisements or talking shirts. That's what we have over the last decades. Names, likely not our own, appearing on everything we use and wear and display to other people. Like walking advertisements for the company who made it. A status symbol in society as well it would seem. A multi-person joust of fashion labels whilst walking in public. A battle of the ultimate one-ups-manship: label v. label.

And some shirts and coats and jackets have the labels normally inside on the outside for personal public display purposes. Or just for people to show off or feel good.

Hmm. Cause for pause.

Also, one finds in the street, on a warmer day, or in the office or university, people with custom made t-shirts and the like, with words they put on them.

So, instead of people talking to people we have people under the non-interpersonal aegis of a talking t-shirt, talking to all sorts of people and they to us and our t-shirts. Or it can even be on a coat or backpack.

People not talking to other people letting their shirts and their slogans do the interpersonal communication.

There must be something off-kilter with that practice when it's pervasive.

If people really had conversations anymore, it would all be fine. But are they having them ? Or are the shirts talking ? Thinking.