NAKED CITY: DAY OF THE DREAD!
Lump them all together – Valentine’s Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day, Halloween and the confectionery side of Easter and you’d have to admit there’s a global conspiracy at large – one entirely designed to flog a range of products that we might generally ignore on an average day.
Take last week’s Valentine’s Day, which supposedly generated over $750 million for the Australian economy in sales of flowers, chocolates, restaurant meals and hotel bookings. In recent years it’s been heavily promoted by the large retail stores and supermarket chains, not to mention blanket coverage in the mainstream media.
Perhaps it’s no secret that all of the above ‘days’ are strategically placed throughout the year so as not to clash and allow credit cards enough time to recover before the next big splurge. If by some historical accident they all occurred within the same month, or even week, then their economic impact would be greatly reduced.
The question that remains is do we have enough celebratory days in the year that are ripe for commercial exploitation and if not should we create more? After all everybody should be keen to give the local economy a boost even if Coles and Woollies step in to rake off most of the profit.
Check out the internet and you’ll find lots of strange and esoteric ‘days’ that are celebrated like World Tongue Twister Day on November 9th or the completely ridiculous Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day which (if you are remotely interested) falls on April 12th. Just about every day on the calendar is occupied and indeed many days are forced to share a date such is the demand for international attention.
Here at the Naked City we have racked our collective brains to come up with a concept that is both morally rewarding and gives a boost to the Australian economy. After much deliberation we’re proposing an international Day Of The Dread in which all Australians would be encouraged to show their disgust for injustice, crimes against humanity and all that is rotten in the world.
Manufacturers such as SPC would be encouraged to market cans of special ‘liberation’ peaches which could be posted to oppressed populations throughout the world. All takeaway food on the day would come with an emblazoned message, either on the food or the packaging, and punters could express their rage by choosing a PUTIN OUT pizza or a FREE TIBET burger. Political slogans would abound on the day, broadcasted across all social media and temporarily covering every billboard and advertising display.
All banality would be banned from commercial radio and TV for the day and the popular breakfast shows given over to serious debate about the global issues that really count. Office workers and school children would be encouraged to wear t-shirts expressing their concerns and the City Council would distribute free mini placards with a choice of popular slogans.
There would certainly be an economic incentive driving the whole Day Of The Dread, but minds would be alerted and consciences pricked. At the end of the day everybody would have learnt something and the sale of tin peaches will have skyrocketed!
