The Issue of Name Brands

My buddy Ian posted a video earlier today, and it's quite hilarious (be warned, though, this video does have a fair share of cursing in it). But it does lead to a somewhat serious question, which I'll address after the jump.

The main issue that comes to my mind is that this isn't so far off from the truth. I've never been a guy to have brand loyalty, but I do have some favorites. I support Apple products (in fact, I'm typing this on a MacBook Pro), and I have two iPods (only one fully functional one) and an iPod Touch that came with the MacBook. But it's never even crossed my mind to purchase an iPhone, because, frankly, I just don't like how it works. Sadly, though, there are tons of people like the bear/bunny hybrid in this video who will rush out and buy the latest product just because it has a name on it they recognize. It happens all the time--athletic gear, clothing, even cereals.

Now, I'm not saying I never buy something expensive, but I'm not helplessly drawn to something just because a company throws a "friendly" name on it. Especially if the newer stuff isn't much of an improvement over what's already out there, and I'm not just talking about the iPhone 4. Maybe I don't have a very coherent point (although I did get to show that awesome video), but mainly it's this: don't be suckered into something just because it has a big name. If I was really clever, I could tie this into another current event, like maybe Wall Street's fluctuations or the impending NBA free agency period. But I'm not, so we'll just leave it at that.

Joey's Bad Joke of the Day

What do you call a sleeping bull?

A bulldozer.