Bras in Trees

Ode to a Bra Tree: There are links to opinions at the bottom of the blogWhile reading Frazier’s essay, “Bags in Tress”, I wanted to give him my full attention. I, too, get annoyed with trash in trees. It makes me feel the filth of the city even more readily. As if seeing filled trash bags all over the street weren’t enough. I wanted to read and commiserate. Finally someone raised the issue.
But instead of simply jumping onboard I got distracted. I kept thinking about bra trees. What is a bra tree, you ask? I’ve never heard of a tree that bears supportive lingerie fruit!
Well, to allay your concerns, it doesn’t actually grow brassieres. It’s an entirely normal tree, but with special human enhancement. On most ski mountains there is at least one tree, the bra tree, which becomes the focal point of an annual ritual. Every year people throw their bras and other undergarments onto it. These ornaments come to litter nearly every branch by the end of the winter. The tree transforms into a cotton and timber reminder that no matter how prissy the resort, there are people there that still want to have a good time.
It was easy to tell the difference between the two in the beginning. Bra trees are enjoyable because they give energy and become a funny emblem, while bags in trees are only a reminder of bad littering habits. But when I learned that there is actually a faction of people that enjoy this sight, that just relish in the rough glittering of shopping bag strips, I wasn’t so sure of where to draw the line anymore.
I assume that there are also people that get offended by the bra trees. Some older people probably think it’s a sign of cultural decay, or just don’t want their grandchildren to witness the horrors of lace. As well, others may see it as an intrusion on the beauty of the pristine mountain. So there are contending points of view around this type of tree embellishment. It became confusing.
I started thinking about how, since there were clearly polarized views regarding both, I could formulate an educated opinion about why I like one and not the other. Why did I think the bra tree was fun and festive, while the bag tree was disgusting? It seemed that the way I perceived these defined places came down to a question of ratios. This is relevant because bags litter trees everywhere. I hardly think that people would get upset enough to make a totally new invention, the bag snatcher, if there weren’t many trees like it. The bra tree, conversely, stands alone in a natural setting: a single reminder of human presence. In the former case, it seems that man is ruining nature while in the latter, man is only making a small mark on nature. giving himself a place of reference.
It seems interesting in terms of place making because it speaks to the uniqueness of a place and what people value in it. When a place, no matter good or bad is unique it will be much more valuable and noticed, while once it becomes ubiquitous it loses its value and people may come to dislike it.
In my research I came across a few links that discuss the bra trees and their origins/
Here’s a link to a discussion Group about bra trees, most of the bloggers are older women: http://www.theskidiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=749
This one has more about the history of them:
http://skiinghistory.org/forums/showthread.php?t=183&highlight=tradition