material boy

When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.  That has certainly been my experience as a compulsive shopper.  There is a strange satisfaction when you are in the process of a purchase.  But the fleeting feeling of personal reward doesn’t last very long.   You will soon hear the siren song of the retail merchants calling your name again.  It is a viscous circle of irrational behavior.  And before you know it, you have an entire season’s worth of DKNY hidden in your closet.  I never analyzed the source of my shopping addiction.  They say that childhood deprivation can result in this expensive affliction.  I am not sure that is the case in my situation.  I can honestly say that I feel a natural high when I score a sweet possession.  But do I believe that this hobby is a side effect of my OCD.  My brain is hard wired to identify any purchasing opportunities.  I used to show up at Bloomingdales on Sunday at noon if I put a precious item back on the shelf on Saturday.  And there was the time that I spent my last 40 bucks in the world on a pair of Guess Jeans.  Not to mention, my trail of credit card debt that crippled my credit rating in the 90’s.  Like any drug, the urge to acquire can override your common sense.  But I think I have made some progress.  I do look forward to my merchandise endeavors.  But I have tried to direct my urges to an affordable outlet.  Instead of roaming the racks of a high-end emporium, I have discovered the joys of the mass market.  Thank God for Target!  I am lucky that this road to ruin has not lead to any serious financial trouble.  If I could only stick to my budget.  This is my roundabout way of introducing this track.   If you listen to the lyrics, you can hear a subversive message of this sly ode to materialism.  The singer is clearly expressing ambivalence about his greedy outlook.  The trip to the mall can be a buzz kill if you are consumed with envy.  And you can’t buy yourself self-esteem.  But I must have been the only 1 trading in his allowance for this single.  This song crashed the pop charts at #56!