It's A Lifestyle

I live in south Minneapolis and have classes at the U Monday through Thursday. Needless to say much of my time is spent in transit. I also don’t have a car, meaning I bike wherever I go, and as many bikers in the Cities know there are certain streets that have bike lanes and in general more bike-friendly than others. My favorite route from home to campus is down Park, cutting through downtown and across Washington... with this explained, I pass the same buildings, advertisements, and sometimes people, four days out of my week, so I tend to notice when something changes. The recent addition to my route was a bright yellow billboard with bold, black font advertising new condominiums downtown. The ad read, “It’s not just a condo, it’s a lifestyle.” I’m not sure if gets more explicit than a statement such as this, but you could pile on an entire book of cultural studies buzzwords to the phrase alone. Not to mention the outline of a woman in a business skirt-suit, legs crossed, leaning back slightly, glass of wine tilted in her hand to show you exactly what lifestyle they are referencing. The economics and politics involved in the ad are made even more prevalent as the billboard towers above low income housing, a block away from House of Charity and 2 blocks from the condos themselves. The raised billboard lifts your eyes away from the working class and the below-the-poverty line people in House of Charity, wrapped in symbolism and a no-shame statement, the ad is selling the lavish lifestyle you will be inducted into should you choose to live there. Implied are late night parties, a social circle of friends who most likely share your necessity of having to wear a business suit and high heels, and the conversations that could be had over a glass of a wine after the long workday in the office. No need to advertise good deals on prices, if you give the board a second glance you can most likely afford it. Real money knows no limits.