As a promotion for the upcoming Simpsons movie, a number of American 7-11 stores were converted into Kwik-E-Mart stores. The Kwik-E-Mart, of course, is a fictional store within the Simpsons’ universe. I, of course, just had to go and see what all the fuss was about.
TV plays such an important role in our lives and culture nowadays that anything like this, anything related to something we’ve seen on TV immediately grabs our attention. Love it or loathe it, we are all influenced by it even if, like me, you haven’t watched any TV in over a year.
I guess the very fact that this store exists is a commentary on the relationship between TV and culture, or at least American culture. You see, the Simpsons satire so neatly reflects the true nature of things that while I was at the store, I had a lot of difficulty telling the “fake” goods apart from the “real” ones.
Items such as Buzz Cola, KrustyOs, Squishees and, of course, donuts were all on sale. The store was thick with pundits all here to indulge in America’s favourite past time: buying stuff. I, of course, should be one to talk. I bought half a dozen suspiciously pink “Homer” donuts and a six-pack of “Buzz” cola.