No marketing brainwashing. Ok, some. Case in point: FSR Magna's that weigh 50 lbs and never leave the sidewalk. And thank god they don't because they'd probably fall apart at the first hint of downhill.

Riiiight.

But it's also a cultural thing. We (being Americans in particular) LIKE doodads and gewgaws. Why else would anything be the Cadillac of anything. As if a Cadillac was a generous comparison. The markedroids sell us what we want to be sold, they're part of the feedback loop but they don't create that initial demand.

(that said, all those other things have their place, just many of your average consumers don't know there are alternatives or why they want those things to begin with)