In Joanne Finkelstein’s article, one theory of identity that concentrates on individuals that uses “displays of wealth” to please and seek approval from the general public, struck me. I had recently been browsing yahoo, my source for entertainment, and I came across this article, which is basically details how Helen Hunt wore a dress from H&M to the Oscars. It states that she wants to go Eco-friendly and so she chose this dress because H&M is “going green.” The end of the article, however, reveals to the audience that *gasp!* she also wore $700,000 worth of jewelry. Congratulations Helen Hunt and Yahoo. Congrats Helen Hunt for really trying to be funny, dressing down only to strut in wealth, and Yahoo for trying to spur silly controversy and gossip with the obviously placed last sentence.
Silliness aside, it seems like people perform even at the Oscars, and Finkelstein’s point drives home during this occasion. Stars are decked out in glamorous suits and gowns that cost about an arm and a leg, and like Helen, many wear expensive jewelry. Sure, they could afford it, but why $700,000 worth? It’s almost as if they’re showing that they’re a status symbol and that they aim to please the many reporters and fashionistas that will be there to judge them, and list who wore the best dress or suit. More importantly, is this something that drives their identities? Any person with fame has to have a public identity, so does this play a huge part in making who they really are? I’m curious as to how much this affects their lives since they’re constantly judged by people like me and the rest of the country. For Helen, she was trying to make a statement with the H&M dress, but it was countered by the jewelry. So what is she trying to imply? That she’s going green, but hey, she’s still rich?
On a smaller scale, though, I do realize that people who aren’t famous and necessarily wealthy do very similar things. We try to build an image of ourselves for the public eye. An example of this is a job interview. We usually have to dress nicely and present ourselves in a clean and professional manner, and sometimes this entails a suit, tie, blouse, nice dress, or dress pants. We’re trying to convince this potential employer of this possible separate part of ourselves, this other part of our identity. It also helps that when a person walks out with an expensive, well tailored suit that it does give off this vibe that people possibly respect and look on with envy.
One Legged Journey 