There comes a point in the life cycle of every trend when the item at its center has been so thoroughly spun, tweaked and pushed forward that it no longer bears a resemblance to its original form. I think this is likely a global inclination, but one that also often feels undeniably American. Italian semiotician and author Umberto Eco said as much in his seminal Il costume di casa, or "Faith in Fakes," in which he attempted to unfurl "America's obsession with simulacra and counterfeit reality."
Wax museums, the Vegas Eiffel Tower, Disney World's EPCOT Center, holograms — these were all examples he gave of the ways in which imitations and copies have been turned into mainstage attractions. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however I've been thinking a lot about our inclination to relentlessly iterate, especially in the world of food and drink, and what impulse we're (myself included) actually feeding when we do so.
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