Study participants facing a glaring light were asked to read printed words as accurately and as quickly as they could, receiving compensation proportional to their performance. Those wearing sunglasses tagged Ray-Ban made fewer errors, yet read more quickly, than those wearing the identical pair of sunglasses when tagged Mango (a less prestigious brand). Similarly, ear-muffs blocked noise more effectively, and chamomile tea improved mental focus more, when otherwise identical target products carried more reputable names.posted by TheophileEscargot at 5:39 AM on March 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
A UK version would presumably be 'People of Netto'.People of Poundland, perhaps? Personally, though, I think you can always find a better class of true freak in John Lewis or Waitrose. Like the middle-aged woman who pushes in front of you to buy her organic Pinot Gris, free-range pork, vegan challah, and Madagascan king prawns while simultaneously occupying all three express checkout sales points and ordering her daughter around via iPhone, then, at the end of her 35-minute transaction, produces a £5-winning lottery ticket that she of course presents to most inexperienced member of staff, precipitating a lengthy team meeting/massed training session in working the lottery machine and proper invoicing, after which she somehow pushes in front of you again on the way out because she's in such a fucking hurry.
Oh, that's ridiculous.Try being not White and liking (some of) the stuff White people like. Read SWPL from that vantage point, and it's not long before you realize you're being told "this is not for you."
posted by londonmark at 5:31 AM on March 15, 2011