Anti consumerismcongogirlNovember 23 2010, 15:56:04 UTC
This is a great way to keep it all in perspective. I've thought shallowly about supply and demand, but not in terms of staff scheduling. It's pretty awful when you think about it.
Black Friday doesn't exist here, so I'm far away from all the hype, but my college friend used to celebrate anti-consumerism day on the day after Thanksgiving. I like the idea of voting with my dollars by not spending them at all. (The older I get, the more I realize that in my ideal life inside my head, I'm opting out of the consumer cycle entirely.)
Re: Anti consumerismdaphnepNovember 23 2010, 16:04:38 UTC
We can't really opt out, entirely. I mean, we all need to eat, and we all need underwear.
But we can be more attentive about how we spend, whenever we do, and what we say through that spending. I've actually found a great amount of joy through attentive buying, or conscious consumerism, in the years since I first became a shopkeeper and realized how much power "buying power" really is. In my opinion, it really helps to think of money as votes, and that way, the gifts that I give I can really feel good about, because not only am I giving to the original recipient, but also I "voted" for whomever made (or provided) that thing in the first place. Shopping is gift-giving, when done attentively.
Re: Anti consumerismcongogirlNovember 23 2010, 16:30:33 UTC
Yes, I definitely agree with your points. Specifically on shopping as gift giving, yes - I really think about the recipients and what I supported with my purchase
( ... )
Re: Anti consumerismdaphnepNovember 23 2010, 16:38:25 UTC
The idea of Black Friday says that we place such a high value on consumerism that we're willing to plan our lives around corporate and retail decisions.
There are local furniture stores that are having "going out of business" sales all the time. Same stores, same "going out of business" sale since last summer. Crazy.
Yeah, I think NYC finally passed a law against that particular aggravation, but before that there was definitely a shop on Broadway that was "Going Out of Business" for three years, at least.
I don't know why, but my first thought was *always* about the employees who had to be there and how unfair it is to demand they work at horrible places at horrible hours for horrible customers.
One year I worked at the Mall's "Ambassador Center" and was grateful for the manager who flatly said that people had 364 other days to shop so we didn't need to stay open late just because they were desperate to get those last few gift certificates since they hadn't found anything else yet. Maybe the ubiquity of gift cards in groceries and gas stations will help ease that nightmare of screaming customers on the wrong side of the "This Lane Closed" sign.
And why isn't there more horror at the the yearly trampling of both shoppers and employees? Why is that seen as amusing instead of as a national embarrassment that getting a snuggie for 49 cents is worth someone's death or disability?
Well written, and very true. We don't have Black Friday here, but there is certainly no dearth of examples. My heart goes out to those employees who really have no choice..I can still remember vividly the hordes of people pushing through my last shitty retail job on Independance Day. #shudder#
I have never and will never participate in these crazy "sales." I'm not going anywhere at midnight except to bed to cuddle loved ones. I'm not getting up at 3 or 4 am except to use the restroom.
This Black Friday and Cyber Monday stuff is out of hand.
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Black Friday doesn't exist here, so I'm far away from all the hype, but my college friend used to celebrate anti-consumerism day on the day after Thanksgiving. I like the idea of voting with my dollars by not spending them at all. (The older I get, the more I realize that in my ideal life inside my head, I'm opting out of the consumer cycle entirely.)
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But we can be more attentive about how we spend, whenever we do, and what we say through that spending. I've actually found a great amount of joy through attentive buying, or conscious consumerism, in the years since I first became a shopkeeper and realized how much power "buying power" really is. In my opinion, it really helps to think of money as votes, and that way, the gifts that I give I can really feel good about, because not only am I giving to the original recipient, but also I "voted" for whomever made (or provided) that thing in the first place. Shopping is gift-giving, when done attentively.
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Very good point.
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One year I worked at the Mall's "Ambassador Center" and was grateful for the manager who flatly said that people had 364 other days to shop so we didn't need to stay open late just because they were desperate to get those last few gift certificates since they hadn't found anything else yet. Maybe the ubiquity of gift cards in groceries and gas stations will help ease that nightmare of screaming customers on the wrong side of the "This Lane Closed" sign.
And why isn't there more horror at the the yearly trampling of both shoppers and employees? Why is that seen as amusing instead of as a national embarrassment that getting a snuggie for 49 cents is worth someone's death or disability?
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This Black Friday and Cyber Monday stuff is out of hand.
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