Aping the worst

Some of our Greek friends' teenagers wanted to see Planet of the Apes, and we ended up at the Mall of Athens.  Ugh. I was easygoing about it, thinking that it might be interesting to see what was different about a mall in a foreign country, hoping that there would be some Greek touches that would make me appreciate it, but I was very disappointed to see that it was really the same experience.  Mobbed with shoppers, American and European chain stores, and a food court with inexpensive and not-very-good food.  I don't much like malls in the US, so this experience was one of my least favorites of the trip.  I was glad to be with my friends, and it was good to let the kids do something they were excited about, but I wish the US wasn't exporting what I think of as the worst of its culture.

The Athens Mall

Athens Mall advertisement

It was packed with young people and some adults as well, and families.  It is as busy as Plaka.   Plaka is filled with foreigners looking to purchase a bit of Greece, and the tourist shops there are focused mostly on Greece's ancient heritage, with a few evil eyes thrown in for good measure.

 Or of course "university sweatshirts" from Athens (which aren't worn by anyone but Americans), or sports tee-shirts or humorous tee-shirts like you find anywhere.

The tourist shops in mountain villages are different, with lots of traditional products, like herbs, honey, some pasta, brass pots, furs, carpets, textiles.  Visitors there (mostly Greek) are looking to purchase a bit of their own past.

Makrynitsa last year

Another traditional product store

But the mall:  young people want to purchase the American (and a little European) consumer experience.  That includes the big global chain stores that sell clothing, chain movie theaters, and fast food restaurants like KFC.  I suppose that today's consumer culture is tomorrow's nostalgic souvenirs, so I shouldn't be too judgmental of either culture.  But.... yuck.

A few of the shops at the Athens Mall

Here is the poster for the film.

And just for laughs, here is how you spell Owen Wilson in Greek.