Ethnography
Reborn Babies, Real Dolls, and the People Who Buy Them
Ethnography
As a child I watched on as my grandmother meticulously maintained and added to her collection of figurines and dolls. It’s not like grandma didn’t have anything to do with her time – it seemed as though all she did was cook, clean, and entertain guests. I thought her obsession with dolls was strange…until I learned about two strikingly life-like dolls that have both enjoyed television specials on BBC America. I’m talking about Real Dolls and Reborn Babies.
These dolls are made my a select few niche manufacturers, and likewise, they are purchased by a very specific type of customer. The people that buy these dolls don’t buy them to decorate their bedrooms, they use these realistic-looking rubber creations to replace their real-life counterparts…human babies and women.
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Girl from Ecuador Assaulted on train in Barcelona – El Racismo no es Blanco y Negro
International Affairs
Random Act of Violence
On October 7th in Barcelona, Spain a young lady of 16 years old was attacked for no apparent reason by a man, that claims he was drunk – but is not remorseful of his actions. It’s sad to watch this video of the innocent girl getting kicked, punched, and spat on…the reporter narrating the video explains that the man was heard yelling out racial slurs in Spanish (of course).
Consumer Behavior Observations: Back to the Future (yes, the movie)
Marketing
1. Character Descriptions
The main character, Marty McFly, is a seventeen year old Caucasian male, who lives with his parents in Hill Valley, CA. His hobbies include playing the guitar and skateboarding. He dreams of being a rock star and owning a Toyota 4X4 truck. In the beginning of the Movie, his family is part of the Working class social stratum, but by the end of the movie moves up to at least the Middle class. Since Marty is not an adult, he is simply considered to part of a family household in the Full nest II stage of the household life cycle. He wears a puffy thermal vest and Nike shoes, and drinks Pepsi Free. While in 1955, Marty helped his parents meet and overcome the school bully. This shows that he is family-oriented. He is unsure that he will become a rock star, and fits into the ‘striver’ segment under the VALS System. We consider his shopping orientation to be like a predator’s, because we only see him purchase items when they are needed. Continue reading …