6 ms·

I remember a while back seeing an ad for smart toilets. Somewhat intrigued, I googled for them and found that a good many of them cost several grand. I remembe

I remember a while back seeing an ad for smart toilets. Somewhat intrigued, I googled for them and found that a good many of them cost several grand. I remember thinking "who the hell are they advertising to?" No average person is going to spend that money on a smart toilet, and I'm sure even the upper middle class has better purchases to make in that price range. Also I've noticed everything in commercials is so idyllic. A nice house in a beautiful setting, with a functional family. People just buying each other cars as Christmas gifts. It's kinda distressing to realize that most people, including myself will never have this (in part, because I dont think it exists)

jbob2000 7y ago
There are people in the middle class that I call "uni-purchasers". They buy one very expensive thing, and that's their "thing" that they spend their limited amounts of money on. They give up on medium-level experiences and draw everything else to a minimum to get the thing they really want.
- JohnFen 7y ago
  When I started my first business, a mentor gave me advice along these lines: identify the two or three pieces of equipment that are truly key to your business, and go high-end on those. Everything else should be as cheap as possible.
  - jbob2000 7y ago
    Those types of goods usually aren't mass advertised, e.g. high end music or video gear, mechanic's tools, etc. Peleton bikes, smart toilets, diamond rings, high-end purses, and so on are all things you can get the cheaper versions of and still get roughly the same experience.
    - aabbcc1241 7y ago
      Sometime, people choose a product/band over the alternatives solely because their choice is more expensive, so others will appreciate or jealous on them...
  - tartoran 7y ago
    Generally I agree. It is important to know though, that there's a thin line between high end and luxury-brand where you pay a lot of money for the latter.
    - JohnFen 7y ago
      True. By "high end", what's meant is genuinely high quality, not necessarily flashy or luxury brands.
- rapnie 7y ago
  Smart toilet not the best example, but I can get tremendous joy from buying something high quality and knowing that this thing could last my entire lifetime. Buying that product once forever removes my need to crave for an upgrade (unless it breaks, of course). My 98yr grandma inspired this behavior. She bought her kitchen utensils as a young mother, and used them forever. Her wooden cutting board is now so worn, that its thinned and almost breaks in half. Yet not a hair on her head would want to replace it until that happens.
nkrisc 7y ago
That stuff exists, it just costs a lot of money. Well, except for a functional family, money can't buy that. Want a house that looks clean and perfectly staged all the time? Hire a full-time cleaner to come every day and sweep, pick up, do the dishes, etc. The lie in those commercials is that their target audience can never afford something like that. So in a sense, you're right, they're showing "you" what you can never have.
- whatshisface 7y ago
  You can also keep your house clean and perfectly staged all the time by cleaning it yourself. It's not impossible, or even difficult.
  - nkrisc 7y ago
    Well, duh. I kinda thought that went without saying. But it's work. And if you have 4 kids and 3600 sqft McMansion that aspires to be one of those beautiful, large homes in the commercial with the car with over-sized bow out front, you'll spend most your time doing that. But that's not what people want. They want a perfect, clean home and to be able to spend all their free time on leisure activities, just like the commercial promised them.
  - kerkeslager 7y ago
    Yes, but what are you giving up to do that?
    - whatshisface 7y ago
      Video games and Netflix, for most people. I really don't think the trade-off between Netflix time and house cleanliness is a false perception synthesized by advertisers.
      - wutbrodo 7y ago
        Netflix and videogsmes are very passive activities, and time cleaning your house presumably isn't fungible with them, from a mental energy perspective. I'm not in the habit of watching TV, but my sister is a good example: over the course of her medical education and early career, her Netflix addiction has tracked pretty directly with how mentally exhausting her workload is. If she was at full-enough capacity during Netflix time to be cleaning house, she'd be spending it on one of her hobbies, or reading.
itronitron 7y ago
That is a lot, however I can see a smart toilet being a reasonable cost during a bathroom renovation (I assume you are referring to the type that wash your behind and are standard in Japan.) Although since a toilet is an easy thing to install afterwards, unlike bath, sinks, and shower, then the purchase may just be delayed a year (and then another year...)

jbob2000 7y ago

There are people in the middle class that I call "uni-purchasers". They buy one very expensive thing, and that's their "thing" that they spend their limited amounts of money on. They give up on medium-level experiences and draw everything else to a minimum to get the thing they really want.

JohnFen 7y ago
When I started my first business, a mentor gave me advice along these lines: identify the two or three pieces of equipment that are truly key to your business, and go high-end on those. Everything else should be as cheap as possible.
- jbob2000 7y ago
  Those types of goods usually aren't mass advertised, e.g. high end music or video gear, mechanic's tools, etc. Peleton bikes, smart toilets, diamond rings, high-end purses, and so on are all things you can get the cheaper versions of and still get roughly the same experience.
  - aabbcc1241 7y ago
    Sometime, people choose a product/band over the alternatives solely because their choice is more expensive, so others will appreciate or jealous on them...
- tartoran 7y ago
  Generally I agree. It is important to know though, that there's a thin line between high end and luxury-brand where you pay a lot of money for the latter.
  - JohnFen 7y ago
    True. By "high end", what's meant is genuinely high quality, not necessarily flashy or luxury brands.
rapnie 7y ago
Smart toilet not the best example, but I can get tremendous joy from buying something high quality and knowing that this thing could last my entire lifetime. Buying that product once forever removes my need to crave for an upgrade (unless it breaks, of course). My 98yr grandma inspired this behavior. She bought her kitchen utensils as a young mother, and used them forever. Her wooden cutting board is now so worn, that its thinned and almost breaks in half. Yet not a hair on her head would want to replace it until that happens.

nkrisc 7y ago

That stuff exists, it just costs a lot of money. Well, except for a functional family, money can't buy that. Want a house that looks clean and perfectly staged all the time? Hire a full-time cleaner to come every day and sweep, pick up, do the dishes, etc. The lie in those commercials is that their target audience can never afford something like that. So in a sense, you're right, they're showing "you" what you can never have.

whatshisface 7y ago
You can also keep your house clean and perfectly staged all the time by cleaning it yourself. It's not impossible, or even difficult.
- nkrisc 7y ago
  Well, duh. I kinda thought that went without saying. But it's work. And if you have 4 kids and 3600 sqft McMansion that aspires to be one of those beautiful, large homes in the commercial with the car with over-sized bow out front, you'll spend most your time doing that. But that's not what people want. They want a perfect, clean home and to be able to spend all their free time on leisure activities, just like the commercial promised them.
- kerkeslager 7y ago
  Yes, but what are you giving up to do that?
  - whatshisface 7y ago
    Video games and Netflix, for most people. I really don't think the trade-off between Netflix time and house cleanliness is a false perception synthesized by advertisers.
    - wutbrodo 7y ago
      Netflix and videogsmes are very passive activities, and time cleaning your house presumably isn't fungible with them, from a mental energy perspective. I'm not in the habit of watching TV, but my sister is a good example: over the course of her medical education and early career, her Netflix addiction has tracked pretty directly with how mentally exhausting her workload is. If she was at full-enough capacity during Netflix time to be cleaning house, she'd be spending it on one of her hobbies, or reading.

itronitron 7y ago

That is a lot, however I can see a smart toilet being a reasonable cost during a bathroom renovation (I assume you are referring to the type that wash your behind and are standard in Japan.) Although since a toilet is an easy thing to install afterwards, unlike bath, sinks, and shower, then the purchase may just be delayed a year (and then another year...)