Luke Feels the Boycott Burn

January 20, 2007

Well, he sorta felt the burn.

We went to the vertical mall in Lincoln Park (I can never remember what the mall is really called, but it is vertical instead of horizontal and sprawling like I'm used to) for the big sale at Express, one of his most favorite stores.

On the way to the mall, I tried not to fantasize about the things he won't be able to buy. I realize that I must sound like the most self-absorbed partner on the planet, but it isn't true, I swear! You'd get tired of being wrong too sometimes!

At any rate, it came back to bite me, this fantasizing about Luke not being able to buy anything. I would have liked for him to expand his sweater collection, but they were all made in China. Every one of 'em!

There were a lot of tee shirts he could have purchased, but he already has several dozen. He doesn't see the need for a scarf in the frigid winter ensnaring Chicago, and he hates the jeans that are on sale.

I do wonder if I've been rubbing off on him, since he scrutinizes the price of everything, tries it all on and reassesses the price again before buying two long sleeved cotton button-downs, in which, he looks very sexy. They are made in Indonesia.

Perhaps as punishment for thinking about what Luke won't be able to buy, I agree to see a movie he wants to see, even though this has been disastrous in the past. I agree, in part, because the vertical structure of the mall makes it very easy to sneak into a second film, and this is why we each get to pick out a movie.

The irony of our choices are that they are both made in China. This does not even dawn on us until we are back at the apartment late that night, despite the fact that we read the reviews before hand!

First we suffer through "Curse of the Golden Flower," which sounded good to both of us and was TERRIBLE!!!!! The only redeeming things I am able to say about the movie are, Luke paid and we saw my movie for free. Even Luke hated the movie. It is rare that we both hate the same movie.

After that punishment, we slip into "The Painted Veil," which was not terrible. It did not move mountains or exceed my expectations, but it was not terrible and the views of China were breathtaking. Clearly these are not the parts of the country which are being gobbled up in a race to export the most crap to the rest of the world.

When we finally realize that we payed to see movies which were, by the credits listed in the film themselves, made in China, I declare that this is a violation of the not made in China boycott. Luke doesn't agree. We go round and round on this issue for an insufferably long time, and it verges on an argument.

"If we ban movies made in China, should we also ban Chinese food?" "How are we the primary consumers?" Luke queries. He postulates that the movie theatre bought the film and we just paid for the tickets. I counter that if we look at things this way, the department stores buy the merchandise first, we just take it off their hands. It doesn't add up. The film industry keeps tabs on who pays to see which movies and the purchase of a ticket is our contribution to something in this case, made in China.

Eventually we agree to add yet another shackle, er, rule to the list, "no movies made in China" (see Additional Rules, Rules, Rules, posted on January 26, 2007).

After all, it is only a year.