Predictable Pandemonium: Masks and Manufactured Enthusiasm
Seriously? A World Cup sales boom? Let me guess, someone in a press release somewhere decided that highlighting a small artisan’s workshop is exactly what we need right now to distract us from…well, everything else happening. Because apparently, the fate of the global economy rests on how many papier-mâché faces Guadalupe Zuñiga can churn out.
Iztapalapa, huh? The outskirts of Mexico City. How quaint. Its just so heartwarming to imagine tourists clamoring for brightly colored masks while ignoring, I don’t know, the systemic issues that plague a huge swath of this nations population. A small factory! Dedicated artisans! Let’s all pretend this isn’t a carefully orchestrated display designed to elicit warm fuzzy feelings and conveniently overlook the fact that these masks will likely be mass-produced with questionable labor practices in an attempt to capitalize on national pride.
And don’t even get me started on World Cup sales boom. Its a guarantee, isnt it? Like sunrise and rampant consumerism. We must celebrate this small business’s impending windfall! Because nothing says cultural preservation like boosting profits through manufactured enthusiasm and the exploitation of sporting events. Bravo to everyone involved in this utterly predictable, wholly transparent spectacle. I’m sure those masks are absolutely unique.
