Christmas and Consumerism
Comments
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soo ... now christmas is about saving the economy?? ...
we soooo live in a false existence ... sad really ... oh well - whatever it is, at least this is a time that some people take time to ponder what truly is important ...0 -
SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:Ok Lets get back on topic here....
Christmas and Consumerism...
Christmas season makes up how much of total retail sales????
10%
20%
30%
Who has the answer?????
If people didnt go out and buy the Clappers and gifts made in China...
If little Johnny didnt get his power ranger doll....
If little Mary didnt get her little Barbie doll....
If Christmas in the USA didnt exist...
What would happen to the economy??
How many retailers would be out of business???
How many college kids who come home to work the holiday month.....Would be shit out of luck????
How many full time employees would be let go.....If the Christmas shopping season didnt exist????
People should be fucking thrilled that a large majority of us have NO FUCKING PROBLEM going out and spending a weeks pay on Christmas gifts for our loved ones.....
Borders is downsizing, closing 20 stores in order to become more profitable. Company sprawl does not mean bigger profits, it means bigger costs and more reliability to attain profits, especially in the 4th quarter. They're closing some of their stores because they know they will be more profitable with a smaller company. This trend is spreading. Your theory that Christmas sales are necessary is typical and one I've heard many times. Fact is, the world does not run on Dunkin Donuts, nor does it run on your money. But businesses would like you to believe it does. Businesses want you to think they'll die if you don't buy yourself into debt.
Retailers in a franchise are victims of sprawl. Out of business? Hardly, not if they follow Border's model. It's about smart business, not placing pressure on consumer's shoulders, to keep their sprawl alive.Post edited by Jeanwah on0 -
I never said Christmas is saving anything...polaris_x wrote:soo ... now christmas is about saving the economy?? ...
we soooo live in a false existence ... sad really ... oh well - whatever it is, at least this is a time that some people take time to ponder what truly is important ...
I asked if anyone knew what percentage of retailers profits are made during ther Christmas season....
How many of those retailers put college kids, high school kids, people looking for part time work, to work for a couple months???Take me piece by piece.....
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....0 -
Jeanwah wrote:
I love being questioned, how not to grow if you can't ponder why you believe what you believe.SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:You ask for feedback???
I give you feedback......
I never said I dont like what you write....
I said I question what you write......
The problem here is simple...
YOU dont like to be questioned on your beliefs and attitudes....It makes you defensive and insulting....
YOU are the one who says we should ask questions and not act like sheep...
But when YOU are questioned....
Well....
We know what happens......
And I've answered all of your questions in the past, too bad it's not to your pleasing.
And the word "Giftmas" is not the same as "Christmas". Read between the lines. Giftmas is what Christmas has become...a focus on consumerism and gifts, rather that the real meaning behind the holiday.
You are so correct, I do believe Christmas is about the birth and celebration of Jesus Christ, am i right on that? It seems to have been lost in the sauce and has become as you say *Giftmas*. I like that terminology, it's appropriate to what this season has become.
Peace*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)0 -
blackredyellow wrote:scb wrote:From my perspective, all the consumerism easily just gets in the way of the part I bolded, which is what everyone seems to be agreeing that Christmas is all about. When I or those around me buy into the messages we receive about how Christmas is about buying gifts, for instance, it only serves to make the holiday more busy and hectic than ever, with more thought put into the process of buying, wrapping, and delivering the gifts than into the process of actually enjoying time together.
My aunt and her family go to see our grandmother for about 3 days every Thanksgiving. Yet she doesn't spend the day after Thanksgiving with our grandmother; instead she spends it frantically doing Black Friday shopping, camping out in front of electronics stores, yelling at her kids and husband in her frantic attempts to get the best stuff. My other aunt meets us at our other grandmother's house every year for Christmas, but spends the entire time in the kitchen, fratically baking cookies to give to everyone, instead of actually spending time with us. And my mom is forever stressed out in the days before Christmas trying to get all the perfect gifts for everyone else, ignoring our pleas that what we really want most is for her to relax and enjoy her holidays.
Perhaps these are the kinds of scenarios Jeanwah would like to avoid, in an attempt to preverve the joy of Christmas that you both value.
I just can't see how people blame the idea consumerism and not the people who do it. No one is making your aunt desert your grandma and camp out in front of Best Buy, or making your other aunt ignore the family to bake.
To me blaming the holiday (and the marketing hoopla around it) for people acting foolishly would be like blaming Pearl Jam if someone racks up a lot of debt and loses their job because they decided to travel to Europe to see a dozen shows. I'd just rather blame people for the unwise decisions that they make.
No one is blaming the holiday.
It's the consumer attitude that's the problem, whether that manifests itself in the actions of my aunts or in TV commercials. That's not necessarily to say that one manifestation caused the other and is to blame while the other is an innocent victim. It's just two different parts of the same animal.0 -
SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:I never said Christmas is saving anything...
I asked if anyone knew what percentage of retailers profits are made during ther Christmas season....
How many of those retailers put college kids, high school kids, people looking for part time work, to work for a couple months???
ok ... i took your what would happen to the economy as a statement that it we needed to buy in order to save businesses ...
either way - it's a false reality ... the circle isn't a closed loop ... we buy/sell/manufacture way too much shit and there are consequences that go beyond the economy ... we've been brainwashed to think the economy is our lifeline (gdp) ... if our economy isn't growing - things are shit ...
it's fucked0 -
philthehip wrote:Wow, how can Christmas create so much tension? The original poster is entitled to his opinion but I have to disagree totally with his view of Christmas. Its a wonderful time of the year when families and friends come together and put everything else aside. I get the point about expensive gifts a,d cars and diamonds. I agree with you there but just dont buy them, and dude, stop watching telly if it turns you into a rabid buyer. I dont let advertising get past my eye lenses. Im a retailers worst nightmare. Noone can make me part with my money unless I have thought it through and feel that what Im buying is going to be a benefit to the person intended. Christmas is about sharing and hopefully re connecting with the people you love. Good food, drink and conversation. Some time off work for most.
I work at a christmas soup kitchen in the morning (7am til 2pm) on the day and then go home for dinner with my family, pop around and see friends. Get home at about 8pm and get drunk and listen to PJ, have more food. Thats a magical day and I love it. If someone has no where to go that day and wants to have dinner with me and my family then they are welcome, the more the better in my opinion. Some might be eating cheese and crackers but we have plenty of drink :-)
Anyways, christmas is a fantastic time and I love it!
:thumbup:
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For a change of pace, this is played to one of my favorite instrumentals *Cliffs Of Dover* by Eric Johnson
Christmas Light Hero
Peace during the Holidays*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)0 -
SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:
I never said Christmas is saving anything...polaris_x wrote:soo ... now christmas is about saving the economy?? ...
we soooo live in a false existence ... sad really ... oh well - whatever it is, at least this is a time that some people take time to ponder what truly is important ...
I asked if anyone knew what percentage of retailers profits are made during ther Christmas season....
How many of those retailers put college kids, high school kids, people looking for part time work, to work for a couple months???
actually you kinda did.....If people didnt go out and buy the Clappers and gifts made in China...
If little Johnny didnt get his power ranger doll....
If little Mary didnt get her little Barbie doll....
If Christmas in the USA didnt exist...
What would happen to the economy??
How many retailers would be out of business???
How many college kids who come home to work the holiday month.....Would be shit out of luck????
How many full time employees would be let go.....If the Christmas shopping season didnt exist????
People should be fucking thrilled that a large majority of us have NO FUCKING PROBLEM going out and spending a weeks pay on Christmas gifts for our loved ones.....
usually when people use multiple ? it means they have their minds made up towards the question. especially when you concluded it by saying 'people should be fucking thrilled that a large majority go shopping. so, why should we be thrilled? because you are implying by doing this they are keeping the economy afloat. if not that then why else should we be thrilled for it?don't compete; coexist
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'0 -
SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:I love Christmas.....
I love everything about it...........
I totally agree.
Nothing better than seeing the looks on friends and family's faces when you get them something they really want.
People are just in a better mood this time of year as well.- Busted down the pretext
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Solat13 wrote:SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:I love Christmas.....
I love everything about it...........
I totally agree.
Nothing better than seeing the looks on friends and family's faces when you get them something they really want.
People are just in a better mood this time of year as well.
i thought there were more suicides this time of year?
edit that appears to just be a popular myth...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/pai ... 0_ST_N.htm
Study after study shows no such link; in fact, suicide numbers peak in the spring and may even dip in December, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, the holiday suicide myth has amazing staying power.don't compete; coexist
what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?
"I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama
when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'0 -
WOW there's certainly a whole variety of opinions on this, and I love reading it all. I say each to his own. But I am a christmas lover. Always have been, always will. Growing up christmas was always a 4hr drive interstate in 35C+ heat in an unairconditioned car with vinyl seats, to see all of my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. It was the one time of year that our entire family made the effort to all be in the same place at the same time. I can always remember my Nan making christmas pudding with sixpences in it.
Now, it;s spending the day with my family..my son, brother, sis-in-law, parents and nephews. And again, we always make the time to spend it together and enjoy beautiful food and each others company. Yes we do presents, and we have $ limit. For me giving a gift at xmas isn't about self gratification or giving in to any pressure to spend, it's more of " I love you, and I appreciate who you you are and who you are becoming". I love to give gifts, especially to my family, and I do it throughout the year, not just xmas. My brother holds a very stressful position, and I have given him gift vouchers for movies and massages (relaxation ones) etc just because I love him, and think he works really hard and deserves a bit of down time. Som in that respect, christmas is also, "downtime" for our family. Nothing else is a priority on xmas day, just spending the day together and forgetting about everyhting else, for just one day! It's nice.
Then Boxing Day is the day we spend with friends and have a bbq and cricket match... there's kids running around everywhere having a great time. We don't give gifts, everyone brings something to share be it salads, meats, desserts, drinks. We have a top day...so the day is again, about sharing time and laughter together.
I love christmas. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all...even the Grinches
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This year i'm making a scrapbook for my boyfriend instead of buying him anything, and a few small gifts for the parents (bottle of wine, etc) nothing big. I also usually make my own cards... birthday, christmas, new years... I don't think in my entire life I've ever bought a hallmark card (or any store bought card)...
And the family is doing a vacation in the spring to Japan instead of gifts...
My best friend's mom finished her shopping by November, she spent over 2000k on her family, not even including immediate family!! They're all about that... its nuts.live pearl jam is best pearl jam0 -
They Live:
Post edited by Byrnzie on0 -
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Byrnzie wrote:They Live:
I was trying for the longest time to remember the name of this movie. Somebody on here had an avatar for that movie, I think it was Vinny G.
peace*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)0 -
g under p wrote:Jeanwah wrote:
I love being questioned, how not to grow if you can't ponder why you believe what you believe.SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:You ask for feedback???
I give you feedback......
I never said I dont like what you write....
I said I question what you write......
The problem here is simple...
YOU dont like to be questioned on your beliefs and attitudes....It makes you defensive and insulting....
YOU are the one who says we should ask questions and not act like sheep...
But when YOU are questioned....
Well....
We know what happens......
And I've answered all of your questions in the past, too bad it's not to your pleasing.
And the word "Giftmas" is not the same as "Christmas". Read between the lines. Giftmas is what Christmas has become...a focus on consumerism and gifts, rather that the real meaning behind the holiday.
You are so correct, I do believe Christmas is about the birth and celebration of Jesus Christ, am i right on that? It seems to have been lost in the sauce and has become as you say *Giftmas*. I like that terminology, it's appropriate to what this season has become.
Peace
But to those that are of the non-religious ilk, X-Mas is a time of getting people gifts that they want. Seeing friends and family. Getting dressed up and going to parties. You know having fun and enjoying the season.NERDS!0 -
Jeanwah wrote:SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:Jeanwah...
Enough already...
Let it go....
I could bring up your "valuable feedback" too....
Lets try to act like adults here...
And just let it go......
Fair enough????
Quit targeting me, Speedy. It's obvious, and do you really want to talk about immaturity here?
Talking about me on another forum and then coming back here to talk about it? Really, now.
You. Let it go.
He never said he talked about you on another forum. :idea:NERDS!0
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