Apr 23, 2009

Mailhouses?

I see a lot of mailboxes that are replicas of their house (examples here).

How did this trend begin? Am I the only one that doesn't fully understand this art? What does mail have to do with your home? Are mailboxes seen as architectural pieces? A mailbox houses mail. A home houses humans, animals and any other living thing. So mail = living beings? Your are your mail (I hope this is not the case, cause most of our mail consists of bills and junk)?

Why aren't other things designed as replicas of your house as well? I don't see trash cans that look like houses. Or tool sheds. Or planting pots. Or garden hose holders. Or anything else that holds things outside your home.

I see this trend with condiments as well, particularly mustard and ketcup.
And none of these are cheap.

Did I OD on crazy pills? What am I missing here?

4 comments:

  1. these replicas aren't meant to provide anything more than an association to the object or activity that inspired their design. it's inherent in human language and cognition. why do we represent love with a heart when love actually exists in the brain and endocrine system? would you prefer a gland shaped box of chocolates on valentine's day? the heart is just a muscle that beats in response to a stimulus that started somewhere else; a mailbox house says "mail goes to THIS house".

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  2. So mailboxes are just as important as your vital organs?

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  3. that's a subjective matter, like whether or not the filling is more important than the bread in a sandwich you like

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  4. It's the filling that makes the sandwich. No one asks for a Wheat Bread sandwich. Just like no one inspects the mailbox as a prospective buyer. Filling is more important than bread. House is more important than mailbox.

    It's obvious who took the crazy pills this morning.

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