by Pa Rock
Art Critic
American sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen coined the term "conspicuous consumption" to discuss one aspect of the lives of the rich and famous in the late 19th century. One modern dictionary defines conspicuous consumption as "the act of displaying ostentatious wealth to gain status and representation in society."
That era of obscene wealth and savage inequality was described by many as America's "gilded age." The emergence of the Great Depression a few decades later spurred the American government into developing social programs to address the vast economic chasms between this country's "haves" and "have nots," and ever since the rise of FDR's "New Deal" a certain segment of the population has been quietly licking its imagined wounds and awaiting its rightful return to social and economic dominance - and now, of course, that is about to happen, with a vengeance!
Some of the changes that average Americans will witness and endure over the next four years will be intentionally cruel as those in power figure out more ways to place the burdens of paying for public services on the backs of the poor, and some will be shock and awe as people who have trouble paying for rent and food are forced to watch obscene amounts of money being wasted by people who are apparently lacking any social conscience whatsoever.
As a case in point, this week a young crypto billionaire purchased a banana that was duct-taped to a wall for $6.2 million, an amount of money that would pay for a hundreds of thousands of school lunches or hot meals for shut-ins.
The banana duct-taped to a wall in an art gallery is the artistic creation of Italian artist and satirist Maurizio Cattelan. The piece is called "Comedian," and it actually came out in three editions. One was purchased by a private collector who donated it to the Guggenheim Museum, another went to a private collector who is apparently still unidentified, and the third went to a young crypto billionaire named Justin Sun who announced soon after the purchase that he intends to eat the six million dollar banana,
In addition to the very real banana and the strip of duct-tape holding it to the wall, Mr. Sun also received a new roll of duct-tape and a certificate declaring him to be the owner of the work. It is the certificate that actually holds the value of the purchase. Since this most recent version of the art work has been completed, the banana has actually been replaced three times, and it will presumably continue to be replaced long after the current iteration has been eaten by the billionaire.
If one was ever looking for a perfect example of "conspicuous consumption," eating a six million dollar banana would have to be a contender!
In a tweet on X, the purchaser had this to say about the duct-taped banana which he bought at auction through Sothebys:
"I'm thrilled to announce that I bought the banana!!! I am Justin Sun and I am excited to share that I have successfully acquired Maurizio Cattelan's iconic work, Comedian, for $6.2 million. This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history. I am honored to be the proud owner of the banana and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world."Additionally, in coming days I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture. Stay tuned!"
Justin Sun copied his tweet to Space X and Sothebys, perhaps giving a clue as to whom one of the other bidders may have been.
Maybe the best that can be said for this oddball art purchase is that it represents $6.2 million that will not be flowing into some right-wing nut job's political campaign. Small mercies. Of course, it also represents $6.2 million which will not be of benefit to the purchaser's fellow human beings. They won't even get a taste of the banana!
(You know, I have a dust bunny beneath my big iron bed that is about the size and shape of an adult rabbit. I could probably part with it. Somewhere in the low-to-mid eight figures sounds about right. Hello, Sothebys?")
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