The Sparkle Effect

It came to me in a dream. It was so very odd. I was singing Broadway-style in a little outdoor cafe in Paris or something full of people. I was with this guy (who I remember as being very, very cute and handsome...) and I had said something about the 'Sparkle Effect.' He'd never heard of it and had no idea what it was. Yeah, well, you and me both dude.

Or so I thought.

Because suddenly I was up and dancing around all the people seated at the tables, flinging sparkles everywhere I went. I would go up to them, say something bad, like 'The lotion you use is tested on animals,' and they would start to cringe, then I'd toss some sparkle in their face, in the air, and they'd get all dreamy-eyed and distracted and say something like 'But it makes my skin look so young.'

That, my dear, is what I call The Sparkle Effect.

Basically, The Sparkle Effect happens when you get distracted from the truth by something better, something sparkly, that makes you forget what's really going on. For example:

'These dishes are $750 dollars. Each.'

'Excuse me?!'

'But they are made of pure Scandinavian crystal, very rare. It's a steal really, you will be the best dinner hostess in town.'

'Oh? Well, they are beautiful...I'll take a 5-set.'

or

'This coat is absolutely perfect for you.'

'Yes, it is nice.'

'It's made of real mink.'

'No no, I do not support the use of animal's fur-'

'But the minks used for these were already dead. They died of natural causes. None were harmed in the making of this.'

'Still, I-'

'And look at that fit on you. Very slimming. It was made for you. And it has these crystal buttons on the sleeve...plus the color makes you look younger.'

'Well, yes, I have to agree it does...hmm. I do need a winter coat...'

or

'The ozone layer is depleting and that's why temperatures are rising and melting the polar ice caps. We will be underwater in ten years, if we haven't all burned alive yet.'

'You mean the sun will be out more? Oh good, that means I can work on my tan year-round!'

Get the idea? People hear what they want to hear, know what they want to know, and have learned to turn the other cheek. Everyone does it. Everyone. Now, if we could all just work on stopping it...

The Sparkle Effect. Creating ignorant people since the beginning of time.