In defense of consumerism #137

I'm a big fan of Samuel Mulia. But less so this morning. No, I'm not talking about Samuel's column in Kompas -- it's still good as usual. I'm talking about O-Channel's "Pagi Jakarta" broadcast now. The topic is Style, Brand, and Status. Erwin Parengkuan and Jill van Diest are featuring Samuel Mulia.

The trio are lambasting consumerism quite excitedly. Samuel just talked about a new trend in Jakarta: exclusive bags for rent. He was concerned about Jakartans new way to show off by renting Hermes or Gucci by hour.

What's wrong with that? Samuel -- and Erwin and Jill -- think that way of life is artificial and not good for your health and pocket. I fail to understand it. On the contrary, I thing bag-for-hourly-rent is an excellent idea. When else do the not-so-rich can wear Hermes or Veneta? Kudos for the inventor of this idea. Because of you, the exclusive bags are not so exclusive anymore, give a room for others to fill.