Reading Notes: Week 14, Hans Christian Anderson

We've done some crazy things in the name of fashion. The Emperor's New Suit was one of my favorite stories growing up, serving as a wonderful cautionary tale for using one's own common sense. I always wondered whether I simply have no sense of fashion, or if the world is mad whenever I see a new and terrible outfit on some poor model trying to make a living.

"Fashion"

American designer Rick Owens can be credited with the design of this outfit, modeled on a Paris runway in 2017. 

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At what point in the emperor's quest for style did his common sense abandon him? And at what point do we make the same error in modern times? Considering the constant barrage of advertisements, pop-ups, brand insertions and other "style" suggestions we encounter on a daily basis, I would find it difficult to accurately distinguish between my own personal tastes and what has been impressed upon me as "cute" at this point in my life. 

Style aside, an entire city participated in supporting the poor emperor's delusion. The population both tolerated and reinforced this farce. Was this out of fear? Sympathy? Confusion? A desire to conform with what those around them were saying? The scariest part of this entire story is not that an emperor was conned, it's that none of his faithful had the courage to honestly address his poor decisions or the fact that their great leader was parading around buck naked. Wisdom only came from the voice of a child, who had not the "sense" or "decency" to contain their surprise. 

The modern parallel I can't help but consider is the standard Republican party line on the state of earth's condition and future, and how this position affects the progress and perception of our scientific community. 

Story source: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paul (1872).