Choose one of the following options from the book Reading Pop Culture:
Barthes writes that "French toys always mean something". Choose a toy, product, or common object, and in a brief descriptive analysis essay, interpret its meaning as Barthes interprets toys in his essay. Focus on its function, material, and formal details: What do they suggest about its user's relationship to the world? How does the object reflect social values? What does the object mean?
What are some of the benefits of chain stores according to Postrel? List them in your own words. Do you agree? Why or why not?