consumerism

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Stop eating Lady Gaga's Oreos
2 months ago
- In the 1990s, bands like Pearl Jam rejected commercial success and fame, viewing selling out as a serious compromise of artistic integrity.
- Today, celebrity-brand collaborations like Lady Gaga's Oreos are widely accepted without stigma, reflecting a cultural shift away from anti-consumerism.
- The decline of art criticism and the rise of poptimism, which equates popularity with merit, contributed to the erosion of the anti-commercialist ethos.
- The 'Great Switcheroo' describes how people now aspire to fame rather than wealth, seeing themselves as temporarily unknown celebrities, which fuels tolerance of celebrity greed.
- To restore cultural integrity, the author argues for reviving the stigma against selling out and redrawing the line between art and advertisement.
Consumerism: The First Universal Religion Humans Actually Practice
2 months ago
- Apple Stores are designed like minimalist temples, evoking a religious pilgrimage experience.
- Apple's logo and product presentations mimic religious iconography, replacing the cross with a bitten apple symbolizing knowledge and temptation.
- Steve Jobs is portrayed as a secular prophet, and new product launches are treated as messianic revelations.
- Consumerism adopts religious patterns: evangelists, conversion, confession at Genius Bars, and liturgical unboxing rituals.
- Brands like Tesla, Nike, and Leica similarly create complete worldviews and meaning systems for consumers.
- Consumerism serves as a modern religion offering transcendence, community, and identity through consumption.
- People's primary identity is reduced to being a 'consumer,' with worth measured by purchasing power.
- The ultimate commodification is the extraction of spiritual values (transcendence, community, purpose) and their repackaging as products.
Stuff
2 months ago
- People in America, especially poorer ones, tend to accumulate excessive stuff, which has become cheaper and less valuable over time.
- Stuff often has little practical value if not used immediately, and it can become a burden, owning the person instead of being owned.
- Cluttered spaces are mentally exhausting because they require more energy to process, making a house full of stuff depressing.
- To avoid accumulating useless items, ask if a purchase will make life noticeably better or be used constantly, and consider the overall cost of ownership.
- Books are an exception as they are easier to manage in bulk, but for other possessions, it's better to choose services over goods.

consumerism

Stop eating Lady Gaga's Oreos

Consumerism: The First Universal Religion Humans Actually Practice

Stuff