Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Stop me if you've heard this one

Question: How many Chinese does it take to change a lightbulb?



Answer: Three.

That's it. Three. One carries the ladder, another carries the bulb, the third changes it. And China keeps it's people employed.

Oh, and before i forget, I do actually want to ask a question about Ikeas state-side. For those who have never been there, one of the floors is a huge showroom with a couple hundred smaller rooms representing in many different motifs. Anyway, when we got to the living room and bedroom areas, there were people literally passed out in just about every bed and comfy couch. Is this normal? I'm all for naps, my dad is a professional nap taker, but seriously? Who crawls into bed and pulls the sheets up?

I'm pretty sure most of those people didn't buy anything and simply went there because the bed is more comfortable than the one at home. Do people go to Ikea in the states just to rest?

~Kev

3 comments:

laurengrace said...

I love ikea for the very same reason--that is, it is a wholistic experience, a constructioning of limitless possibilities, a model from which to inform and guide our living spaces, our families, our future. I don't think it is as simply as "going someplace to rest" because then every migrant worker and her/his mother would be in there. Rather it is a unique form of middle class consumer recreation--choice, interaction, personality, visioning. The consumer is encouraged to imagine their world as a superimposition on ikea products, find the ikea world that reflects their unique individuality. Interaction and trial use is an imperative to this visioning. Similarly, in visioning one's own world consumers are led to envision the possibilities for others, and create objective worlds too. Ikea for China is thus the land of middle class home dwellers' imagination, where one can fantasive and attempt to live the [Chinese] "dream".

Anonymous said...

I've never seen anyone sleeping in the one in Edmonton, Canada (definitely laying down and trying the furniture, but not closing any eyes).

We are getting an IKEA in Denver, and I am going to guess anyone napping will be nudged along.

(and thanks for an entertaining distraction from work, great blog kevin!)

Anonymous said...

Hi Kevin,
Read your blog while in Galway Ireland. No Ikeas here. Never saw anyone sleeping in the 2 in Chicago, but it is very tempting (especially for Dad).

the 'rents