Man's best friend is slowing turning into woman's favorite accessory. Dogs big and small are being pampered and dressed like movie stars and their owners are to blame. Spending almost $50 on a dog tux...a little ridiculous if you ask me. But how could I resist when I saw a doggie mailman costume for $2 at the Salvation Army in North Minneapolis? I became the crazy dog owner I have always made fun of but, oh my goodness my little, white puppy named Lucy looked just so darn cute!
Dog costumes are a relativity new cultural phenomenon targeting primarily white, middle to upper class women (think Paris Hilton) who easily buy into the material or economic Ideology that image is important. North Minneapolis, a poor, ethnically diverse neighborhood is not home to subjects normally willing to consume such a product. Then along comes a white, 19 year old girl from suburban Wisconsin--the perfect subject.
Social construction makes it 'okay' for me to dress up my dog in silly clothes. However, a middle aged black man from North Minneapolis dressing up his dog and taking pictures would break the social norm and push the boundaries of hegemony.
What makes it normal for me to dress up my dog but with another group of people the same act would be abnormal . Is it my age, race, gender? Or is it never okay to subject your dog to wearing tiny outfits and humiliating them in front of the other cool dogs?
No comments:
Post a Comment