October 20, 2005

Postmodern Vocab 101

New cultures require new words, (as do new theologies driven by new cultures) Here are three.

YOUniverse - This gets at the idea that everything can be customized, cell phones, cars, even jeans. No one wants to be a generic “everyman”. We want the power, and for a price, you can have it.

Massclusivity - Every one wants to feel special, wants to feel like a celebrity, wants to think they are getting an exclusive deal that no one else is offered. So while your local retail store won’t shut the place down for you like they would for some superstar, you can get a credit card with all kinds of benefits, special passes to clubs, invitation only extras if you spend X number of dollars, airline clubs, etc…

Gravanity - Graffiti + Vanity – This goes hand in hand with YOUniverse. People want to leave their mark, they love the glory of the byline. Hence custom play lists, blogs, websites and the like. You can have a My Yahoo, a My Discover card, a My ESPN. We leave our mark wherever we can, and in this culture, that is predominately in cyberspace.

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