E*Mart= Meijer + Narcotics

Packed into a four-story megaplex complete with underground parking, kids’ playland, a flea market, an eye doctor, a photographer, a pharmacist and a Lotteria (Korean McD’s) is our friendly, efficient, local one-stop shopping.

The yellow E*Mart beacon shines from atop a moderately imaginative structure with pathways stretching from 5.18 Park. Windows framing a crisscross, hatch-weave of escalator ramps, allow a brief bit of sun into its maze of bellowing saleswomen, brightly lit produce and people unable to control their shopping carts. It is a quintessential homage to the western capitalist world complete with super-happy, la-la music.

The women bookend grocery aisles. These saleswomen are disturbing caricatures of their former Korean selves. Theatrically dressed as housewives, schoolgirls, anime cartoons, or whatever will sell the product, they throw themselves at you with a form of pressure sale that would make an American blush (and does). Power struggles between various women and products . . . who can yell louder, who will try to put an unwanted product in a cart, or who will continue talking to you even though she knows you have no idea what the hell she’s saying.

Above the sales’ wars and customer assaults, a bouncy chorus of “LA, LA, LA’s” strive to lull you into a prozac-esque coma, but fail miserably. Instead of the senses being numbed, the shopper is introduced to a form of bi-polarism that has shoppers undoubtedly empathizing with the Mad Hatter.
 
Fortunately, I’m possessed by a bit of madness, so I enjoy my trips to E*Mart. I long for the quiet, humming therapy of the frozen pizza freezers at Jewel sometimes, but how often does capitalism-via-circus come to America’s grocery stores? So for now, I’ll relish the squid-pushing fish guy, the Dove girls in legwarmers, and the chili paste lady in mother’s kerchief.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This was a great. I was able to visualize exactly what was happening. Squid.... ot for me. Got sick on the stuff when PG with Stephanie.

Love ya,

Aunt Jan
3:03 PM
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