This Is Where They Want Me To Spend My Money
I live quietly here in the village not paying too much attention to what's raging out there in the real world. But I do get a newspaper every morning just to stay in touch. This morning's paper came with a magazine called Essence. What they mean, I suppose, is the Essence of Life. The magazine is heavy and printed on thick glossy paper. This already made me nervous. Inside the front cover is an advert for electric sliding roofs. I could really use one of those up here in the mountains, right? Inside are articles on holidays, fashion, cooking and travel and on the last page some short pieces entitled The Essence of Living.
Of course every double page contains a full page advert and this is where we come to the money side. Page 9 is a chain of hotels advertised with dark pink cocktails in ice- filled glasses with little umbrellas. Pages 14 and 15 carry an ad from a spa which I know to be fantastically expensive, although you reputedly stop thinking about the money when you are getting the treatment, whatever it may be. Page 10 advertises one of those giant flat TV screens. Page 23 suggests that you should invest in Macedonia. More pages featuring hotel chains and on page 40 Rolex shows the model 31. It has a black face and is set in a gold case with a gold and silver bracelet. It's beautiful. I wonder? But I haven't worn a watch for years.
The front cover of the magazine features a pair of thong sandals lying on a folded towel at the water's edge. The back page is an Audi advert, in monochrome black, gray and white with a trace of color.
All in all, the magazine achieves what it sets out to do ? it's all about money and it makes me feel that most of the items it advertises are out of my reach. I don't feel hard done by and the truth is that I am happy to walk around watchless, take short camping holidays, drive my old car praying all the time that it will get me to the top of the hill. Thank you, newspaper, but I don't need any of that stuff - I am content.
