Cheap Dopamine, Pricey Fits
How long can I keep racking up credit card debt, is SSENSE part of the deep state, and are people getting annoyed by viral stunts? I investigate...
“The pursuit of self-interest, formerly identified with the rational pursuit of gain and the accumulation of wealth, has become a search for pleasure and psychic survival.” - Christopher Lasch, The Culture of Narcissism
There we go again with the Lasch quotes… I know I know. I can’t help it, but this shit is true and hits on something that we all feel right now. You know what I’m talking about, that feeling of being a hamster stuck in a wheel, like a monkey being primed for its next banana, or a nicotine-deprived teenager clamoring for the next hit of their Malibu Elf bar. We’re all being bombarded with constant temptations to pursue something or the other whether it’s new clothes, sex, drugs, food, etc… Ultimately, it’s an unhealthy relationship to an unrelenting desire for pleasure. A coping mechanism for something much deeper. Cheap dopamine hits, slowly fed to us to guide our behavior like a skinner rat… Fashion is always changing, by its very definition it is a popular trend or the production and marketing of new styles of goods. And that’s ok, I think we all love to buy new clothes and throw on new fits because it’s genuinely interesting or fun to express ourselves in the rapidly evolving ways designers and artists push boundaries and evolve the medium. All that being said, the hyper-commodification of the industry and viral mechanisms that control social media algorithms have morphed the industry into an entirely new beast that’s focused on BREAKING THE FEED AND SHOCKING YOUR FUCKING MIND. How many collabs am I supposed to care about? Who in the actual fuck is buying the McDonald’s Cardi B x Offset merch?
As a result of the machine growing bigger and bigger and its synthesis with social media, streetwear feels dead, sneaker culture is not nearly as meaningful or exciting as it once was, and brands are constantly trying to come up with the craziest shit to hijack your feed. It’s turning into a clown show circus. I can’t really fault them for pulling stunts and for the most part, as a marketer in the sneaker industry, I respect the hustle. It works! The MSCHF boots were the hottest sneaker drop of the year, but that says a lot about the state of where we’re at. The industry is highly saturated, everyone is using the same playbook, sticking with the same formula. We’re all competing with each other, and ultimately reacting to the incentives that social media perpetuates.
“Right now it may make sense to invest in hyper-visibility, but as brands look ahead they’re thinking about whether it works to constantly surprise, or whether this is actually leading to a banalisation of brand awareness,” The Salmon’s Gallon said. “When brands are all pulling on that same thread, customers forget who was even behind each [stunt].”
It goes without saying that a viral stunt can put younger brands on the map, and give them the necessary boost to finally reach a willing audience. However, I think what consumers are craving on a more spiritual and fundamental level is a strong brand identity and clothes that speak to them with some intentionality. Not as a fleeting moment of cheap dopamine, but as beloved pieces they want to hand down to their children. Not as some ephemeral, mindless collab but as products thought up with enough creativity to inspire and provoke. Where’s the passion? It’s all part of the endless growth companies are after at the end of the day.
This is all coming off as extremely cynical and black-pilled, but I am still as passionate about streetwear, sneakers, and fashion as I was in the beginning. I think the ultimate challenge in all of this is figuring out how to tap into this existential angst that most of us probably do feel about the state of things and dig deeper to create products that people will care about. In the long run, it’ll be better for all of us. I’ll leave you with a famous quote from the dark lord himself:
“Working out is modern couture. No outfit is going to make you look or feel as good as having a fit body. Buy less clothing and go to the gym instead.”
Listen to Rick; work out, eat healthily, and pursue things that lead to long-term vitality and health. Most of all, learn to delay gratification and escape the trap of the dopamine feedback loop.
awesome, wise & true!!