Harley Guys and whole foods

In Chapter 2 of Ramage, he presents the idea of a multidimensional identity. Ramage divides it into three parts: the given, the readymade, and the constructed. The readymade was my favorite of the multidimensional identity elements, with the example of the consumer readymade "Harley Guys." We've all seen them, one of my first spotting's would be down on Nassau Street in Princeton, NJ. That orange and black jacket was no Princeton University apparel, it was a Harley Guy. I can almost guarantee after he whizzed by me (his "devil-may-care" attitude obviously being the cause for his failure to yield to pedestrians) that he parallel parked his "hog" in front of Panera for a caesar salad or a panini. I think Ramage was dead-on in using this example for the consumer readymade dimension of identity. The Skeletor model turning girls into obsessive calorie counters is overused and getting bland. When Ramage describes the readymade as "on offer through the workplace...marketplace...cultural space.." I'm reminded of the growing organic food trend. it used to be that organic food could only be found in farmers' markets and small stores like Second Nature. However, with the rise of large supermarkets like Whole Foods and Wild Oats, it has become more mainstream. Even Weis has organic produce and a "natural foods" aisle. When consumers are told to "Go Organic" or "Go Natural", it appeals to their consumer readymade identity. It is an offer of an identity they can choose to accept or reject. It is an expensive and hopefully healthier identity to accept, but it isn't given. In the case of P-Dog, it is an Act to become a Harley Guy or an organic, natural foods consumer. I found Ramage's idea of the multidimensional identity fresh, I was a little tired of hearing about Freud and his all-about-sex theories. This idea is modern and is not gender biased like some identity theories. I found it an interesting update to the theories of old.

P.S. I'm hesitant to comment on the example of P-Dog because I'm sure the majority of the class loathed it; but, I thought it was great, haha. Maybe because I'm a dog-owner, but most likely because its late and I'm exhausted. Goodnight!