Murder, Music, and Shopping

The Economist links murder, music and shopping to the eternal human quest to "propel the genes of the successful into future generations."

An excerpt:

"Shopping, that most urgent and tiresome activity at this time of the year, may seem to have little to do with either music or murder, beyond the mindless jingles in every store that provoke a desire to dispose of the manager who chose the playlist. But it, too, helps propel the genes of the successful into future generations. As surely as the tasty morsel that the male robber-fly offers up to his chosen mate, the jewels, champagne and scent that a man showers on a woman speak of his prowess as well as her desires. The Jaguar in his driveway, meanwhile, serves to emphasise his status to other men. A Fiat would get him there as fast, but only to physical destinations, not sexual ones."