August 27, 2005: I think this Frog Design article on "dissonant designs" is pure hokum. People buy Bugaboo strollers for the same two reasons people buy any luxury item: one, they're nicer than the average stroller (as in they feel good to push around... you know, that user experience thing all the kids are talking about); and two, they're a status symbol. That's it.

Oh, and, this bit on the Escalade is just patronizing hogwash:

Urban hip-hoppers now drive Cadillac Escalades because of the ironic twist they create by juxtaposing their cutting-edge culture with Cadillac’s stodgy, older brand image. Because the brand was not originally intended for them, driving Escalades enables them to poke fun at the brand’s old expectations. With the adoption of the Escalade as an urban icon, Cadillac’s brand has been rejuvenated after several decades of declining relevance.

My guess is that "Urban hip-hoppers" (if you mean "black people" just say it) drive Escalades not because they're ironic but precisely because they're the classic American status symbol car. And they've been marketed at young urbanites from day one. Sorry to get so snippy, but this one got under my skin.