time comes undone

I just had one of those reality shaking moments in a bathroom not my own, when I looked at the counter and saw this:

Something about this plastic, faux-stylish JC Penney toothbrush holder made me weep a little, on the inside. Why do we buy this shit? Seriously, what the fuck is this for? And is it really worth a day's pay in China?

You know what this item is worth to me? Negative ten bucks. That's how much you'd have to pay me to show off both my relative opulence and absolute tastelessness by having it in my home.

I am reminded of this documentary Mardi Gras: Made In China mentioned in passing during some internet discussion. I've not seen it myself, but the poster described a scene of these Chinese factory workers who make plastic Mardi Gras beads being shocked by pictures of how the beads are actually used. Honestly, I would be disheartened too if I learned that my daily labors served only to adorn drunken revelers in a party of excess, debauchery and waste — especially if such a wanton celebration was so inaccessible to me.

Granted, I too exercise my middle class privilege to throw obscene amounts of money at baubles that tickle my fancy. I took these pictures with my iPhone, for example. I'd like to think that my iPhone adds more value than just bringing my toothbrush six inches closer to my hand when I reach down to grip it though.

Where is a link to that George Carlin bit about stuff when you need it. Or did he use the word shit instead of stuff? I don't remember. I just know that he talked about how our lives are full of this shit. It is such a strange, absurd, and vaguely suffocating time to be alive.