Value and price are two different things

IWAS intrigued to see a newspaper poster last week that said: “Win a watch worth R2 800.” As I drove past, I snorted in derision and said to myself: “There is no such thing as a watch worth R2 800.” There may be watches that cost R2 800, and a great deal more, but no watch is actually worth that amount of money.

I read last week that King Mswati of Swaziland owns a watch apparently worth R20 million.

All this proves is that there is no limit to human stupidity. If you stud a Vienna sausage with diamonds and emeralds you might say it is worth a couple of million rand, but you’d be wrong. It would no longer be worth anything as a Vienna sausage, because it would be impossible to bite into.

In the same way, you can pile enough bling on to a watch and say you have increased its worth. You haven’t. You may have increased its price, but as a watch it will only tell you there are 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour.

Isn’t this one of the big problems of modern society? We have confused value and price to such an extent that we no longer know which is which. Almost all the things we surround ourselves with have lost their real value and been swallowed up by the tinsel god of bling.

From our homes to our cars and even our shoes, we pay more attention to the price than the purpose. We are more concerned with what our neighbours will think and not whether it works well or fits.

The R50 watch I have worn for years tells the same time as the king’s bling. And I’m still late for appointments.

Masqued Murder

In the wake of two recent high-profile murder cases involving men who killed their female partners, it’s interesting to note that the production at Muizenberg’s Masque Theatre focuses on that.

originally hit the entertainment headlines as a thrilling Alfred Hitchcock movie. The theme is as relevant today as it ever was. It’s the story of a married man who believes his wife is having an affair and hires a hit man to murder her.

In true Hitchcock style, the audience is kept guessing to the end. Will Sheila, the wife, die? Will Tony, her husband, get away with it?

You’ll have to see the show to find out. There are performances this week on Thursday and Friday at 8pm and on Saturday at 2.30 and 6.30pm. Booking is at Computicket and there is adequate parking for theatregoers next to the Masque.

Last Laugh

A salesman ordered a round of drinks in a Karoo hotel and got chatting to the local farmers. Eventually the talk turned to politics and the salesman said: “I think Julius Malema is a complete horse’s ass.”

Someone grabbed him by the collar and said: “You be careful what you say here. A remark like that could get you beaten up.”

“I’ m sorry, I didn’t realise I was in Malema country,” he said.

“You’re not, buddy,” said the farmer. “You’re in horse country.”