This post is from staff writer April Dykman.
Brace yourselves — the Christmas-shopping season is upon us. In fact, it’s been upon us since October at least, when I saw an early-bird Christmas shopper guide for the “it” gifts in 2010. Is it just me, or does the chaos seem to start earlier each year?
Last night I was browsing the list of Netflix “watch instantly” movies, and I saw one produced by Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame called What Would Jesus Buy? Here’s the official trailer:
The film follows Reverend Billy (real name Bill Talen), a performance artist with a shock of bleach-blond hair and a knack for getting the attention of shoppers and security guards alike. The documentary takes place in 2005 as he and his Church of Stop Shopping choir tour the U.S. to fight the “shopocalypse,” a term he uses to describe the insanity that’s become the American holiday-shopping experience.
Along the way, Reverend Billy gives passionate and comical speeches about consumerism and globalization, while the choir sings the “stop-shopping” version of popular Christmas carols. These performances take place in locations like Disneyland (Mickey Mouse is Reverend Billy’s personal anti-Christ), Wal-Mart, and the Mall of America, and they typically end with security guards or police officers escorting the group from the premises. Talen’s wife has lost count of the number of times he has been arrested, and he’s no longer allowed in Starbucks. Any Starbucks.
Dreading the season
According to the film, three out of four people dread the holiday season. It’s not really so surprising. Overspending is stressful, and in an Associated Press-GfK poll, 46 percent of Americans surveyed are experiencing a “great deal” or “quite a bit” of debt-related stress.
One mother featured in the movie said she had multiple credit cards she would max out at Christmas, but her husband only knew about one, and he paid the balance in full each month. It was so important to her that her kids have the best toys to impress their friends that she was willing jeopardize the family finances and keep secrets from her spouse.
Addiction to consumerism
It’s easy to look down on someone who seems so out of touch with reality, but as the film points out, many Americans are clinically addicted to shopping. We’re conditioned to associate material gifts with love at a young age, and family togetherness during the holidays now centers around gifts.
How else can one explain the 1996 insanity over the Tickle Me Elmo doll, when scarcity compelled some consumers to pay as much as $1,500 for a $30 toy? Or the 2008 incident when Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour, 34, was trampled by a stampede of Black Friday shoppers and died by asphyxiation?
“It doesn’t matter where it’s made, as long as the price is low.”
Another message that the Church of Stop Shopping works to get out is of globalization. The documentary focuses a bit on Disney, arguing that Disney sells a fantasy — an image of a child and a dream — but in reality, the company is “ruthless.” One example from the film was a children’s book about a Disney princess that didn’t tell the story of the crushed fingers of the Chinese women who worked in the factory that produced it.
Buying most any item on the shelves of big box stores means American consumers are cooperating in this slavery, but those interviewed either felt that it didn’t matter where an item was made or that there was nothing the average consumer could do about it. After all, they said, where do you shop if everything is made in China?
Advice from the film
Even the members of the Church of Stop Shopping realize it would be nearly impossible for the average American to just stop shopping altogether, but there were several bits of advice that anyone can apply who wants to keep the mania to a minimum and be mindful of how an item reached the store shelves, such as the following:
- Spend half as much money as you did last year, and give twice as much to others in time and love.
- When you buy, buy local. When local isn’t possible, try to buy American-made items (or fair-trade items). The Responsible Shopper is another resource for the back story on a product.
- If you think you have a shopping addiction, try a trick interviewee Dr. April Benson uses with her shopping addict patients: Put a card in your wallet with the following questions: “Why am I here (in this store, on this website, etc.)?” “Do I need this?” “How will I pay for it?” “What will happen if I wait?” “Where will I put it?”
My thoughts
Talen puts himself out there as a reverend, but his message supersedes religious preaching and Christmas caroling (He actually doesn’t refer to himself as a Christian.). I found the documentary to be both funny and depressing, and perhaps that’s why Talen’s theatrics weren’t as annoying as I thought they’d be — I needed the comic relief.
While based in comedy, his message is quite serious. Most of us are conditioned to believe that it’s just not the holidays without tons of wrapping paper piled up in the living room. We think a gift is a display of love, so the gift then quantifies love. I’m guilty of it. I’ve bought my husband a new shirt just because I was thinking about him and wanted to get him something.
I don’t think Talen’s point is that all buying is bad; it’s more that we should be mindful of what we’re buying and why, especially as the shopocalypse approaches and we’re bombarded by the advertisers, deals, and hot items for the season of “giving.”
Talen said it best during one of his sermons: “We think we are being consumers at Christmas, but instead we’re being consumed.” Here’s to hoping we can all maintain our mindfulness through the hectic holiday season.
(And if you need some pointers, GRS has featured articles in the past on celebrating a frugal Christmas, keeping the season anti-Stuff, and making homemade gifts.)
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Christmas is my husband’s favorite holiday. I usually enjoy the holiday itself – parties, food, family – but I hate the buildup. And I am soooooo done with piles of stuff under the tree, and stockings – which my dad & sis are unwilling to give up, even though we’re all adults now. No one but me is remotely interested in dialing back.
I love it when I can find the perfect present for someone. But I hate having to buy something that isn’t perfect, just to get them SOMEthing.
Halloween remains my favorite holiday. All fun, no standards.
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I think many folks at GRS probably like buying and giving gifts. I do. But I just don’t like a holiday and shopping season built around this.
I like finding fun things to give people throughout the year, and then doing so. It’s fun! But the Christmas season sometimes like All Too Much.
I think you’re right, though, that it’s important to do what works for you…
My favorite holiday remains Thanksgiving, though. I love the spirit and meaning. Please please please don’t let it become commercialized too!
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I find the patriotic fervour with which Americans support locally-made goods to be frankly quite disturbing. Of course, for food products, there’s an environmental benefit for buying local produce, but for anything else it seems rather regressive.
It should not matter where a product is made, so long as it is made ethically, and it’s not too hard to research which brands outsource to well-meaning, well-paying companies, rather than sweatshops.
Countries like China and India are advancing and improving due to the capital generated by their exports – without the west, they would still be very primitive, with standards of living even lower than they are today. Yes, the majority of people in such countries are in poverty, but only by buying their goods can we hope to change that.
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I’ve actually read the book, WWJB, and it was, for the most part, great. I definitely enjoyed that it made practical suggestions on issues he brought up. I do think people should be more conscious of where they buy things, as in where it was made and by what company. The companies that were under the most scrutiny (like GAP and Nike) have made larger and larger efforts to resolve these “fair labor” issues, so let it be known, we can change things.
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Great post! Probably my favorite in a while here. I love a good documentary, so I’ll have to check this one out.
One thing I do love about the shopping frenzy is that since I’m not buying tons and tons of stuff, I can get a great deal or two during black Friday or cyber Monday. If other people weren’t buying like mad, the great deals wouldn’t be there for me
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@ Betamax – economic theory suggests that trade benefits both parties, but the way things have been set up since the 80s, the American working class has been on a steep and steady decline while corporations rake in the profits.
Meanwhile, countries like Germany maintain a healthy manufacturing sector, a robust economy and a high standard of living in the face of global downturn. They’ve managed to profit from globalization while we wither and slowly die. It’s not rah-rah patriotism, it’s survival instinct.
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“American working class has been on a steep and steady decline while corporations rake in the profits.”
Agree with the premise but not with the explanation. Read Tim Noah’s Slate series on income inequality to learn why free(r) trade isn’t the culprit for the shrinking working class.
http://www.slate.com/id/2266025/entry/2266026/
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I enjoy the holiday season … but I suspect mostly because DH and I DON’T have kids and we AREN’T expected to take part in big multi-family celebrations requiring travel.
We can just purely enjoy the decorations other people put up (including our city, which does it big), shop online to send a few carefully selected gifts, have a dinner party or two, and generally spend our time and money as we please.
Growing up, my family did three big things for Christmas. We had a C-day dinner with my parents’ best friends (older and childless); we participated in a holiday music program at my parents’ church; and we did a cookie-decorating extravaganza.
I couldn’t even tell you what my “favorite” tangible gift was during those years. I’m sure I got some I loved, but they certainly aren’t what I remember.
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From the consumerist perspective of Christmas I’d say we fall somewhere in the middle. We do Santa Claus and presents (a new pair of PJs for Christmas eve, and something else) under the tree for the kids, and then no Santa and one present from the kids to each parent. We didn’t want the kids to think that Christmas was just about getting presents but also giving them. On that note, I have a tradition every year with my daughter (5) that we go to the mall to see Santa and tell him what she wants for Christmas then we go shopping and she chooses one toy that she would like (within her predetermined budget) and we donate it to the local toy drive. We’ll continue the tradition this year with the new baby as well but get her older sister to choose the baby toy.
I find that our daughter is very balanced and realistic about her wants though. Often it is difficult for her to even think of something that she wants. She also seems to appreciate what she does get. As an example at Easter this year she received a chocolate bunny, some jelly beans, a colouring book and some new markers. She looked at what what there and commented that the Easter Bunny had been very generous to her. I’m sure this will change but for now I’m happy with it.
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I love buying gifts for people, but I also hate the shopping frenzy that happens near Christmas. These days I buy most of my presents online. I try to find one or two gifts for each of my close family members, gifts that are unique, thoughtful, and will actually be used. I love giving food and wine for this reason — it won’t (hopefully) sit on a shelf!
I also try to give as much to charity as I spend on gifts for other people. This helps bring some balance to the process, and if I really want to splurge on a gift, it means that much more will go to charity. I choose to sponsor a family at a women’s shelter every year, so I actually get to scratch the shopping itch while doing something good for people.
I tell my family that I don’t need the dreaded STUFF, but they always buy gifts, so when they ask for suggestions I send a small list of items (or food/wine) that I might not buy for myself. Then they feel they have to supplement by sending me other gifts. I completely appreciate the thought, but it means that the week after Christmas, I end up taking a new box of stuff to Goodwill. If I won’t use it, there is no sense keeping it around.
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Thanks, J.D. Sigh. You’re right.
I agree that it’s become All Too Much. I think I’ve grown touchy, because I see (maybe unfairly) in others’ comments my own prior smugness about how non-consumeristic we are.
We do practice moderation with our buying – we draw names for gifts in both my husband’s family and mine; I have a gift budget. Heck, the day after Thanksgiving we celebrate Buy Nothing Day instead of Black Friday.
In earlier years, we tried out a lot of the “simple Christmas” ideas. We talked to our families about not exchanging gifts. We gave donations-in-honor-of instead of giving actual gifts. We set a $20 gift limit between us. We tried to give used or homemade gifts. We made our own (small, recycled paper) Christmas cards. I even sewed little reusable cloth bags to use instead of wasteful giftwrap. We set a rule that for every dollar we spend on a gift for someone we know, we’d spend a dollar on a gift for someone in need.
The result was that Christmas became a whole lot less joyful. It became another stupid competition in which you either became greener-than-thou or you felt guilty. And our families rebelled. All that crunchiness affected THEIR traditions and holidays, too, not just ours.
So we moderated what we did. We give gifts that we think are right for the recipient, and the gift may be new, an antique or handmade. I love paper goods, and presentation and packaging is important to me; so we’re back to wrapping gifts (people didn’t know what to do with the goofy bags anyway) and we send nicer cards (though I buy the giftwrap and cards the year before on after-holiday clearance sales). We’ve kept the rule about matching the dollars we spend on gifts with dollars we spend on those in need.
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@60 I think Miss Manners does it best.
The giver gives what the giver wants to give. The recipient graciously accepts whatever the giver has given (and then is allowed to do whatever he or she wants with said gift, so long as it is done politely and in good taste). The recipient has no obligation to give a gift in return, and any gift given does not need to be of the same value etc. of the original gift. Gifts are given from caring and accepted with the same.
It sounds like you’re hitting that exactly, with an added charitable bonus.
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@60, like JD would say you have to do whatever works for you. But I think most people feel pressure to spend at the holiday time, not the opposite, so it is nice to get positive reinforcement for not spending.
I was so thankful when my brother first raised the idea of not buying gifts for each other and our spouses and we’ve since expanded it to other adult family members who similarly feel like they don’t need any gifts and would rather not feel obligated to buy. But like I said, I love to buy gifts and I just did so on an international trip, but I’m sending them out now not waiting until Christmas.
My husband and I both feel no joy is knowing we must buy his mother a holiday gift. And last year we sent her the obligatory holiday gift and she complained that we did not send a gift for her husband. So now we know we must buy both her and her husband a gift. It doesn’t even seem to matter what it is, but we must do it.
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Excellent article April. The trailer was pretty funny and you made some good comments about it.
However, some of the commenters are a bit ridiculous. “We dont buy anything for anyone”, like one dude said is just as bad as the people who max out their credit cards. Moderation is key with anything. Find something special for your loved ones. It doesnt have to be expensive, just make sure its wanted. If you dont know someone well enough to know what they want, then dont get them anything.
Also, a bit on the commentary about the “slavery” overseas. American companies are sometimes no better in how they treat people. Blanket statements like “Buy American” are the problem. Stay informed and buy from responsible companies, domestic or foreign. There is nothing wrong with importing/exporting. The US exports the most, in terms of dollars, of any country in the world. Its just that we also import a ridiculous amount of stuff.
Lets try to keep a level head and be informed before we make overreaching statements. I’m not pro-globalization, but at the same time, its not the evil people make it out to be.
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Hallelujah! And thanks for a highly thought provoking post April. We will be watching this documentary tonight at home with our kids. This year, we are setting $$ limits on gifts and honoring the requests of everyone who wants to be left out of the gift giving circle without making them feel like ‘scrooges’. The emphasis this year, and most likely from here on out, is going to be on togetherness and much less on spending money that probably shouldn’t be spent on buying unneeded stuff. I am guilty in the past of having spent thousands at Xmas for the very reasons you describe. I have spent months ridding my home of clutter and hoards. Personally, I am done.
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I love Christmas! Especially throwing parties and baking stuff, doing crafts with my kids, great music and decorating.
I guess I was raised by anti-consumerists:
we give gifts in my extended family, but usually just something hopefully needed, limited to approx $10 per person. I give a bit more to my BF and to my parents and children, but most of it is stuff like PJs and mittens in addition to 1 or 2 coveted toys. (my BF got me an axe to cut firewood last year–yay!) Everybody needs stuff like this, you just have to think about it and ask around!
I do like to spoil my parents, though–I got them the DVD set about the National Parks last year–but hey, I’m grown up and I can afford it, while they’re retired and living very simply.
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I hate Christmas more and more each year, and I’ve given up (after a decade) on ever getting any kind of quarter from the “Shopocalypse” of the extended family – the grief just isn’t worth the resistance.
The thing I resent the most, though, is that I never get to give my kid things, because I can’t limit the amount that comes from relatives to anything like a reasonable level and I can’t bear to add anything else to the pile.
I would *love* to give back just 1/10 of the emotional bullying and guilt-tripping that gets piled on us when we dare to suggest lower spending expectations, less travel, and a lower volume of stuff. But then I’d regret it. So they win.
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#23 Elisabeth
Wonderful thoughts – but have you ever given the thought that your family may feel pressured to give you just as nice of a gift? We stopped going to family Christmas until recently – because we felt pressured to actually spend more on my extended family than our own! You may feel good and sweet- but the pressure is not very fun on the other end.
My extended family does white elephant. Bring something fun- wrapped- choose numbers- pick in order- you can choose one from the table OR one from a gift already opened. We roar with laughter and the atmosphere is great. All feel welcome no matter what the financial situation is. We go to our “we need to get rid of this” pile and choose fun things from there.
As for Black Friday. I go every year. How else will I get all of the things I have been saving for all year for the house on 50% off? :>)
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I really enjoyed the super size me documentary and this next one looks to be really good as well.
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@ Corey #57 – Very nice article, thank you, actually series of articles, and yes, I’m not sure what the explanation is for the growing disparity– I think it has to do more with our legal structure, tax code, etc. Very complex issue.
I mentioned “survival instinct” as the explanation for people’s reaction, which tends to be knee-jerk. Protectionism, while misguided, is a rational reaction given the information available to the average worker/consumer. I was just attempting to explain to Betamax where this “buy American” comes from; he seemed to think it stems from jingoism, I feel it has to do more with a perception of immediate self-preservation, not a grasp of complex economic issues.
There are other possible rational responses to the growing income disparity and ballooning trade deficit, but they require a different set of information that is not readily available to the public. I’d venture “stop getting into debt to buy all manner of useless crap & start saving money”, but who knows.
I’m not against a global economy by the way, I’m just against the way we’re positioned into it–borrowing from China to buy Chinese goods. Odd. That’s why I offered the example of Germany prospering from globalization while maintaining a high standard of living for its working people.
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The comparison to slavery didn’t belong in there. Poor working conditions are not “slavery”. That kind of hyperbole undercuts the credibility of your own argument.
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@Jim–Conditions are very close to slavery (http://www.nlcnet.org/newsroom?id=0065), and sometimes are actually slavery. There have been a series of slavery scandals in China. Here’s one from earlier this year:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/31/chinese-police-rescue-slave-laborers-held-torture-kiln/
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I enjoy shopping for the family and friends I get Christmas gifts for – it’s not stressful to me at all. I am now, however, a parent who thinks they need to create the *perfect* Christmas experience for the kids.
One thing I would say about that though … When I was a kid, we made Christmas lists of things we would like to have and we would always get one or two or three things from the list but we NEVER got ALL of the items on our lists. Fast foward 25 years – my niece and nephews appear to get everything on their lists and then some. They are so lucky to have 2 sets of grandparents and two aunts/uncles (not me, I spend $20 on each and that’s it) who either can afford to spend a lot or do so anyway (ahem, that’s aimed at you middle sister who doesn’t read this blog anyway). It’s fun for them, but an almost total waste – the kids don’t really appreciate it and it makes it tough to find gifts for them.
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@ Corey
RE: your original comment #30 that “No one loses” with the current global manufacturing environment is irresponsible.
I see at least two primary “losers”:
1) The environment – given the lack of regulation with many of these gov-business arrangements, pollution and its effects on local populations is in many cases massively devastating. Have you not heard of Bhopal? Seen these recent images from China?: http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/
2) The developing world – although cheap goods can benefit the lifestyle of local populations in some ways – it is not always a net gain. Mostly it is a gain for those who are already relatively well off, while the poor remain poor but suffer the new costs of “development”. I lived in a remote village in Ghana that relied on farming for food, and saw crop yields fall and entire plots of land die due to the amount of plastic bags that would blow in from the nearby village and get embedded in the fields. I live in Asia now and have yet to go to single beach that does not have immediately visible plastic bags and bottles floating along – which greatly impact fishing yields. Not to mention the primary means of disposing trash in these places is burning it. So sure, cheap TVs and cell phones “elevate” the standard of living – but feeding your family and avoiding toxic chemicals in your air and food are nice too.
I’m not anti-globalization – I live and work in Asia for a reason – but to pretend that the current situation is “win-win-win” is simplistic and irresponsible.
… and the adults in my family do a yankee swap for Christmas and we love it
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April, There is a wide difference between rare instances of slavery in China and what you said. “Buying most any item on the shelves of big box stores means American consumers are cooperating in this slavery”
Bying “most any item” in the USA stores is NOT “cooperating” in “slavery”. That is hyperbole.
Here’s a report of slavery in the USA:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/slave-labour-that-shames-america-765881.html
Should we all stop buying US food?
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Hello,
I am a long-time lurker and I love Christmas, spending time with family and friends. Living in Brisbane, Australia it’s usually stinking hot (+30 degrees Celsius). Our 4 kids who are aged between 2 and 12 will be playing and fighting in the pool. Using empty plastic sauce bottles as water pistols.
We have the same problem here with stores and malls starting the Christmas shopping season earlier and earlier each year, it started here a few weeks ago. This has made the older children quite upset, which was surprising to me (or maybe I don’t give them enough credit). I believe it is the conflict between the horrors on the news and TV programming in general interspersed with happy cynical Christmas advertising. For example a news item about a woman in South Australia who let her newborn baby starve to death is followed by an ad break that kicks off with a Coles supermarket Christmas food shopping ad. A very sad coincidence, I live in a country with no 99ers, unemployment benefits don’t get turned off, there are no food shortages, and there are comprehensive social welfare networks. Sorry gone of track here.
This Christmas we have decided to support a charity that provides goats, cows, and school supplies to less fortunate people around the globe. There will still be a myriad of useless plastic toys lying around the house on Boxing Day (when traditionally it always rains heavily), but maybe this can be the start of something more in keeping with the spirit of the season.
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@Jim–There’s no comparison between working conditions in the US and in China. If the instances of slavery are “rare” in China, they are far rarer in the US. A quick search yields many instances of slavery in Chinese factories.
Sufficed to say, the conditions in these factories are not just “poor,” they are abhorrent, and that is not a rarity. Replace the word “slavery” with “near-slavery” if you feel it’s less an exaggeration.
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For the religiously inclined (and, in full disclosure, I’m an Episcopal priest, so I qualify!) a tremendous program for individuals, families and faith communities is the Advent Conspiracy. It’s a project to get folks to spend less at Christmas and take a portion of what they save to provide clean water worldwide.
You can see a terrific video for it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc8RIQRvZPU&feature=related, and the movement (with which I have no affiliation) has a website, too.
One quick fact: we spend $450 billion on Christmas each year; it would cost $10 billion to get clean water to everyone on the planet.
Christmas is not above money; it’s about love, and always has been.
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I love Reverend Billy! And I’m not even Christian.
Actually, I think he recently ran for mayor of NYC? He’s a great guy, with a great message and makes lovely music. Thanks for writing him up!
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@imedla: Interestingly enough, he’s a performance artist, not a reverend or even someone who calls himself Christian in the film. The odd thing is that I didn’t know that from watching the movie–found it out later when doing research for the article.
I wonder how many people are put off by the “religious zealot” impression he gives, and whether that hurts his message.
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Sometimes it is better off buying things online. At-least you can prevent some impulsive purchase.
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Consumerism isn’t all bad. The need to want things is good for developing economies. Producing and consuming goods improves people’s livelihood. It’s when you go overboard and become a slave to it that is bad. But that is your own fault since no one forced you to buy a bunch of stuff you can’t afford or want.
Yes we may spend $450 billion on Christmas each year and it may cost $10 billion to get clean water to everyone on the planet. Unfortunately most of the $10 billion dollar goes to corrupt officials pocketbook and the clean water never happens. But if you get a producing/consuming cycle going, they can get their own clean water.
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Watched this movie with my kids six months ago as part of my ongoing effort to prevent in them the lifestyle mistakes their father and I have made…I thought it was a tongue in cheek way to get the message across. I also found in interesting that it is not “new”…it has definitely been around a few years and I don’t think anything is better.
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I just watched this show and oh boy this guy is out there. He was very annoying but the message he had was great. I’ve stepped back from the Christmas craziness over the last few years. I have began living a more simple lifestyle and our holiday gift giving has been cut way down. Even though we have narrowed our list down to kids, parents and grandparents we still have a wonderful family fun holiday. I ask everyone not to buy for me and I mean it. I don’t want people stressing to find me a gift and my kids are just as happy with the few things they get as they were with a room full of toys.
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I always appreciate your posts April as I think we share many of the same world views. Our family has given ourselves a challenge this year to attempt to buy only goods that are fair trade and/or not made in sweatshops. And for those who think that most things you buy are made in non-slavery conditions I encourage you to actually contact the companies or check the manufacturing process/location yourself- I have been SO surprised. The challenge has proven quite difficult (I’m still working to try to find work shoes!) but we are finding that if we CAN’T find things being sold by a fair trade vendor we often can do without or keep them on our ongoing list of things to search for at the Goodwill type shops.
For us, I think the challenge at Christmas is to focus more on making awesome memories through experiences and time spent together rather than through the things we buy each other. That being said- I have inlaws that would freak out if we didn’t buy them a gift so I just keep my eyes out for a fair trade gift that will be something they enjoy and then everyone is happy!
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I stopped giving gifts and just celebrate the religious part of it (which is the actual holiday!). The consumerism in America is out of control and I am starting these habits and hoping my family tones it down. I also cannot turn on the tv much without hearing about it and I got fed up a few years ago.
We are drowning in “stuff” and debt, not just in my family but as a society and the cycle needs to be stopped.
I explain myself to my family and to work people and claim “religiousness” and I don’t get bothered about it. If you are worried about what other think, try it for one time and see. No one is going to badger you if those are your beliefs, and if they do then they shouldn’t be celebrating any kind of religious holiday when the religion says treat others as you would be treated yourself.
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Yesterday I saw my first Salvation Army bell ringer when I went to Walmart to get dog food. These bell ringers are usually clients of the Salvation Army and even though they are paid to ring the bell, this may be their only job all year. Please donate to the kettle and also be kind enough to offer to buy them a cup of coffee and throw in a donut or snack. My Walmart has a sub shop inside where it is easy to buy coffee. I have even gone through McDonald’s and brought back coffee and food for bell ringers in other locations. I love it when they say “God bless and I will pray for you” because prayers is somenthing money can’t buy.
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I watched WWJB last night with my family. It spurred some healthy dialogue regarding spending, debt and the obligations that the commercialization of Xmas has ‘saddled’ us with. I long ago came to the conclusion that Xmas was way over commercialized. We all came to the decision last night to have a family meeting to discuss how we want to celebrate this holiday moving forward, especially given the fact that we are not particularly religious. Yes, we are spiritual but we do not subscribe to the western ideal of christianity or anything else. Without even needing a family meeting, however, we all unanimously agreed that this year, for the first time, we are going to enforce a dollar limit per person per Xmas gift. We agreed to place far more emphasis on birthdays and anniversaries and other individual celebrations as a family, not in terms of dollar amount per se but in terms of making the effort to appreciate each other more. Watching WWJB just reinforced my own personal opinion that the commercial Xmas has plain gotten out of hand.
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@April #80 – maybe he assumed anyone who’d watch that movie would know he’s a performance artist? Or the director did? The act is pretty campy, at least in person – almost Elvis impersonator levels of camp.
We actually caroled the Mall of America with Reverend Billy a few years ago, and it was clearly an activist/Adbusters type of event, not a traditionally religious one (not to mean there were no religious people there, but it was advertised through activist channels.
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When I walked in Walmart the day after Halloween (out of absolute necessity, I might add), I was stunned to see that Christmas was everywhere. EVERYWHERE. What happened to Thanksgiving? What makes me saddest is that when you have too much of something special, it ceases to have specialness. I’m sat that this is what seems to be happening to Christmas.
I, for one, will put up my tree for two weeks prior to the day and treasure it every moment that it’s there because it won’t have time to become a fixture in the living room from Halloween to New Years.
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First, I have to say, I love this (multi-author) blog and the ideas and comments it generates.
Second, I want to advise that this inspired me to take a different path for my oldest (7 y-o)and niece (9) and nephew (7). This year I will open $4/trade ING stock accounts for them and buy them each 1 share in Disney/Kelloggs or similar kid-friendly stocks for BD and Christmas. Not only is this a good learning opportunity, but the money will be there when they are 18 v. having given toys/clothes they will have long forgotten. Our kids still believe in Santa, which is a magic of its own and something we will $$ support until it passes. But it does get expensive. Kids do compare at school and it would be hard to explain why Santa leaves “one toy” here and more at others. Thankfully my son is too gracious to ask — I hope he doesn’t wonder if he was “as good” as other kids. (Santa left more last year, but only one toy was remembered! I was saddened and a little shocked by that when revealed a couple weeks ago.)
Keep up the good work J.D. and Co.!
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