Luxury

The Concept of Luxury

The author defines luxury in the article as the "modern capitalism," or "you are what you consume." Luxury is no longer a "luxury" in society; it is a necessity, which is why so many people are consumed with owning the most expensive cars, homes, clothing, etc. He writes, "luxury is not a goal; for many it is a necessity," and indicates that those who consider themselves to be successful, even in college, equate that success with certain brands, ideals and consumer goods. He also notes that modern luxury to many is gauche and phony, and if "everyone" can attain it, is it really luxury at all? He also notes that modern consumers share a taste for the good life, or luxury, and that it has changed the way Americans view class distinctions.

It is interesting to note that the author believes there is little left to differentiate between the truly wealthy and those who aspire to luxury but money and time. He notes that just about everyone, with enough hard work or credit, can afford the trappings of luxury, like a Lexus or imported fine wines. So, is luxury disappearing in our society? It seems as if it is. If just about anyone but the poorest people in America can afford what once were considered luxuries, what is there left to aspire to or hope for? The author's concept of wealth states that people acquire desirable objects to illustrate their superiority over those who cannot afford them, and their meshing with the wealthy and powerful who can. So, many luxuries are acquired as status symbols that say, "look what I can do" rather than for necessity or even personal pleasure.

I don't know if I agree with the author's conclusion that this need to acquire luxury goods could ultimately be good for the globe, and bring people closer together. This seems to simplistic to me, and too glib. He notes that many of the world's underprivileged will ever see this consumerism, and to me, it sometimes seems wasteful and unnecessary in the light of so many other important issues facing the world. If Nikes can bring peace to the world, so be it, but I think it's far more difficult than that.

References

Needing the Unnecessary: The democratization of luxury."