Dhriti Maharatna 11 - Love and Capitalism
Valentine's Day has a strange power. It transforms the aisles of the grocery stores into displays of pink and red, inundates the feeds of social media with large and lavish displays of romance, and sends the solitary among us into a swirling kind of apathy and annoyance. It's a day devoted to love that half the population pretends to enjoy.
At some point in time, Valentine's Day transformed from a holiday for love into a day of lament, where the sad state of our romantic lives is paraded before the world. It's a day when the givers and receivers of love are forced to account for what they're doing with their affection. It's a day when love is performed before our friends on social media and when the quiet, unassuming kinds of love go unrewarded and unrecognized.
Ask a group of people what they think about Valentine's Day, and you're bound to hear a few disparaging it as a capitalist marketing tool, a day that makes single people feel especially bad about not being in a relationship, or an occasion that broadcasts he very narrow idea that love can only be expressed on one specific day of the calendar year.
These critiques aren't completely off base.
An idealized version of romance is what companies peddle, and profits are what they reap. The pressure to have a perfect Valentine's Day can make even those in relationships feel stressed. And yes, love should be celebrated every day, not just on February 14th.
But does that mean the problem lies with the day itself? Or is it outside influences that we let distort what should be a simple celebration of love? The largest misunderstanding concerning Valentine's Day is that it is only for pairs of people in romantic relationships. Love is not restricted to romance; it spans the existence of friendships, the bonds of family, and the care of oneself. The universal experience of love overshadows the desperate pressure to find or impress a life partner.
What if we ceased to regard Valentine's Day as a test of relationships or an occasion for corporations to pull in profits and instead saw it as a time to remind ourselves that all forms of love deserve expression, even if our only audience is ourselves?
Valentine's Day is a powerful occasion because its essence revolves around something powerfully itself: love. We might want to ignore the day because it has taken on such shallow meanings, but that shouldn't cause us to dismiss its potential entirely. What if, instead of simply disregarding it, we worked to reconfigure it into something more useful, more connected to the lives we're living? What if we remembered that love—whether it's the love of a partner, a friend, or a family member; or the self-love we all ought to possess—is always worth celebrating?
Hi Dhriti! I loved the way you started off your blog by painting a familiar image we see every year on Valentine’s Day since it gave a good depiction of the way in which one day really does transform whole places, even if it’s only temporarily. I really loved the perspective you took in your blog by going against it since it differed from the stereotypical take people have on Valentine’s Day. Your blog helped me understand the underlying feelings I have been having about Valentine’s Day for years as I had never liked it much. Your point on it making people feel insecure about their own lives really stuck with me as I realized I have seen this many times. It helped show me that there are other people like me who don’t usually get very excited about celebrating this holiday as it sometimes has negative effects. Since I’ve never had any special person to celebrate it with I have always celebrated it with my friends which helped me overcome any insecurities I might have felt during the time. It’s helped to show me that instead of thinking negatively about the day, I can enjoy just as much but in my own way such as getting roses for the friends whom I love. Whether it’s love for your loved ones or celebrities such as the Kardashians, it doesn’t need to be considered any less and can be celebrated just as much. I really hope to work with you more this school year!
ReplyDeleteHi Dhriti, I really enjoyed reading your blog and the way you captured dual nature of a Valentine's Day, it's both commercializing and its deeper potential of meaning of love and celebration. And your point about how the holiday often pressures people to perform love rather than simply just experience it really resonated with me. It is so true that Valentine's Day has been turned into something that can make people feel isolated rather than included. I also like their perspective on redefining the day as a celebration of all forms of love not just romantic relationships but even with families friends people who you care about. Your blog made me reflect on how my love in any form whether small acts of kindness of self care deserves some kind of recognition. Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful perspective of Valentine's Day.
ReplyDeleteHi Dhriti! I loved your take on Valentine's Day! Connecting to your point about the capitalization of Valentine’s Day, I always did find it interesting how holidays, typically meant to be a warmhearted celebration, was always a chance for companies to make cash grabs. In regards to Valentine’s Day in particular, money would be made by further promoting the idea of romantic love, with advertisements for couples in particular. I find this a terrible way to make business, as many people are not in relationships, which is okay. I liked your statement on how love should be celebrated everyday, and how Valentine’s Day overly puts pressure on having a perfect day for romantic love. The romanticization of a holiday celebrating romance is funny in retrospect. I don’t believe Valentine’s Day is only for romance. Like you, I believe Valentine’s Day at heart is more simple than made out to be—a holiday celebrating all sorts of love, whether it be with a partner, family, friends, etc. Your comment on the universal experience of love was beautiful, and really resonated with me. Love really is a powerful thing. Much love for you, Dhriti!
ReplyDeleteDhriti, this is a very timely topic for your Blog Post since Valentine's Day was just last week. The way you both criticized the way many see Valentine's Day right now and included your interpretation of how it could be seen differently provides a balanced and nuanced outlook on this special day. Although you definitely open this Blog Post with strong imagery of Valentine's Day "displays of pink and red" and generally center this piece around what the day means, I see your piece as an excellent reflection on how people see love overall. After all, Valentine's Day is a day meant to celebrate love, and I appreciate how you acknowledge the existence of non-romantic forms of love such as "friendships, the bonds of family, and the care of oneself." The focus on romance heavily influences my personal apathy about the holiday, so you have definitely provided me with an alternate perspective. Great job!
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