Consumerism is out of control

Hugh Freaking Dillon

So a new Ikea opened up yesterday in Winnipeg. The second largest one in Canada. This city has been buzzing about this almost as much as when the Jets were coming back. They were allowing people to start lining up beginning at 12am yesterday morning (Tuesday night/Wed morning). EIGHT HUNDRED PEOPLE LINED UP AT MIDNIGHT IN -35 DEGREE WEATHER.

EIGHT HUNDRED.

To buy furniture you have to put together yourself.

It's a STORE. It's not a one-time burlesque show. It will be there for EVER. And people brought their kids and slept in their cars in the freezing cold to be the first to buy stuff.

Makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about how disgusting that is.

Fewer people camped out for Occupy Wall Street. Yep. that's where my city's priorities are. BUY BUY BUY. :fp:

riotgrl

Unfortunately, our economy is completely based on consumerism. If you put an end to the spending then you destroy our economy. Of course, greed and consuming are at the heart of so many of our mdoern day problems but if we continue to buy more stuff then maybe we can fill that void that we continue to feel from the lack of connection to each other :fp:

When will we realize that we have a collective, not an individualistic nature, and that we NEED each other? This sense of loss and loneliness cannot be filled in this way. Caring for each other and working together have been ingrained in our DNA for the past 3 million years, we can't just buy our way out of the things we need.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

I know it's based on consumerism, but I just meant that to get to this extreme is just ridiculous. People are fucked.

lukin2006

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

So a new Ikea opened up yesterday in Winnipeg. The second largest one in Canada. This city has been buzzing about this almost as much as when the Jets were coming back. They were allowing people to start lining up beginning at 12am yesterday morning (Tuesday night/Wed morning). EIGHT HUNDRED PEOPLE LINED UP AT MIDNIGHT IN -35 DEGREE WEATHER.

EIGHT HUNDRED.

To buy furniture you have to put together yourself.

It's a STORE. It's not a one-time burlesque show. It will be there for EVER. And people brought their kids and slept in their cars in the freezing cold to be the first to buy stuff.

Makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about how disgusting that is.

Fewer people camped out for Occupy Wall Street. Yep. that's where my city's priorities are. BUY BUY BUY. :fp:

800 people lined up over night to buy cheap, put together yourself furniture ... ridiculous :fp: :fp:. By the way this kind of consumerism does not help the economy much ... you buy crap from a swedish store(i'm sure profits end up mostly in sweden) made in any other country (likely china) but Canada ... so if people consider minimum wage jobs a economic boost ... so be it.

People need to shop independent when they can ...

polaris_x

lukin2006 wrote:

800 people lined up over night to buy cheap, put together yourself furniture ... ridiculous :fp: :fp:. By the way this kind of consumerism does not help the economy much ... you buy crap from a swedish store(i'm sure profits end up mostly in sweden) made in any other country (likely china) but Canada ... so if people consider minimum wage jobs a economic boost ... so be it.

People need to shop independent when they can ...

weren't you the guy who said you shop across the border cuz it's cheaper!? ...

in any case ... consumerism is definitely out of control ...

Pap

:problem: :think: :fp: :nono:

lukin2006

polaris_x wrote:

lukin2006 wrote:

800 people lined up over night to buy cheap, put together yourself furniture ... ridiculous :fp: :fp:. By the way this kind of consumerism does not help the economy much ... you buy crap from a swedish store(i'm sure profits end up mostly in sweden) made in any other country (likely china) but Canada ... so if people consider minimum wage jobs a economic boost ... so be it.

People need to shop independent when they can ...

weren't you the guy who said you shop across the border cuz it's cheaper!? ...

in any case ... consumerism is definitely out of control ...

yup ... i do groceries ... very few independent grocery stores in my area ( the ones that are have poor quality) ...

my music needs I shop at my local record store (dr. disc), and photography ... but I also don't cross border shop as much ... and people do change their habits over time ( I have ), apparently that unheard of to the likes of some people around here.

mikepegg44

Participating in consumerism isn't a bad thing. Participating in what is perceived to be an event isn't a bad thing either. Some people like to be the first...I am glad they are out there, because all the shit that doesn't work at first gets fixed over time and then I benefit when I drag my lazy ass in their to get a pretty cool entertainment center at a pretty good price.

i don't look at this as consumerism run a muck...paying hundreds of dollars for a fucking beanie baby in the late 90's is consumerism run a muck...If you don't mind me asking, what were the opening day deals that people were looking to get their hands on?

Also, how many people are working that may not have been prior to this? Consumerism can actually be a good thing. Blanket statements about society being fucked seem a little strong.

We have one in Minneapolis by the wonderful mall of america (a.k.a. consumerism headquarters) and the store gives me a god damn brain aneurysm every time I go into it.

People find joy in odd things. With so little of it going around these days, I won't fault anyone for trying to find some under rocks or in Ikeas

blackredyellow

I was just thinking that never in my life would I wait in line to try to buy something from a store before someone else got to.... But then I remember waiting in line for ticket onsales or a midnight sale at a record store for No Code...

:? :oops:

Hugh Freaking Dillon

mikepegg44 wrote:

Participating in consumerism isn't a bad thing. Participating in what is perceived to be an event isn't a bad thing either. Some people like to be the first...I am glad they are out there, because all the shit that doesn't work at first gets fixed over time and then I benefit when I drag my lazy ass in their to get a pretty cool entertainment center at a pretty good price.

i don't look at this as consumerism run a muck...paying hundreds of dollars for a fucking beanie baby in the late 90's is consumerism run a muck...If you don't mind me asking, what were the opening day deals that people were looking to get their hands on?

Also, how many people are working that may not have been prior to this? Consumerism can actually be a good thing. Blanket statements about society being fucked seem a little strong.

We have one in Minneapolis by the wonderful mall of america (a.k.a. consumerism headquarters) and the store gives me a god damn brain aneurysm every time I go into it.

People find joy in odd things. With so little of it going around these days, I won't fault anyone for trying to find some under rocks or in Ikeas

there were only a few things to get people buzzed about on opening day, as I'm guessing they knew they didn't need to do much. A few small tables that were 50% off, but that's just from the flier that came to my house.

they also did a thing where the first 1000 people in the door all got $75 gift cards, and 8 out of those 1000 people were put in a draw for a $5000 gift card, which one person won.

No one is saying consumerism is bad. I'm saying that taking your kids to sleep outside in the freezing cold to be the first in the door to a store is where it gets out of control.

I didn't say society is fucked. I said people are fucked.

polaris_x

lukin2006 wrote:

yup ... i do groceries ... very few independent grocery stores in my area ( the ones that are have poor quality) ...

my music needs I shop at my local record store (dr. disc), and photography ... but I also don't cross border shop as much ... and people do change their habits over time ( I have ), apparently that unheard of to the likes of some people around here.

hey ... sorry for calling you out like that - it was not my intention ... i just remembered whatever we were talking about at the time - you held a strong belief ... i can understand why people cross border shop ... especially these days online ...

Hugh Freaking Dillon

blackredyellow wrote:

I was just thinking that never in my life would I wait in line to try to buy something from a store before someone else got to.... But then I remember waiting in line for ticket onsales or a midnight sale at a record store for No Code...

:? :oops:

I went to local cd shop for the VS release at midnight. Would I have waited all night until it went on sale in the morning? Nope. In the cold? Nope. With my kids? Abso-fucking-lutely not.

lukin2006

polaris_x wrote:

lukin2006 wrote:

yup ... i do groceries ... very few independent grocery stores in my area ( the ones that are have poor quality) ...

my music needs I shop at my local record store (dr. disc), and photography ... but I also don't cross border shop as much ... and people do change their habits over time ( I have ), apparently that unheard of to the likes of some people around here.

hey ... sorry for calling you out like that - it was not my intention ... i just remembered whatever we were talking about at the time - you held a strong belief ... i can understand why people cross border shop ... especially these days online ...

that not a problem ... I freely admit that I have and do cross border shop ... mostly groceries ... unfortunately this area has poor choices of independent grocers (quality not the greatest either), so unfortunately grocery shopping at big box stores is a reality ... whenever possible I try to get stuff a independents ... in the summer months I tend to visit the farmers stands and stuff like that.

Like other people our habits tend to change and I know mine have ...

mikepegg44

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

mikepegg44 wrote:

Participating in consumerism isn't a bad thing. Participating in what is perceived to be an event isn't a bad thing either. Some people like to be the first...I am glad they are out there, because all the shit that doesn't work at first gets fixed over time and then I benefit when I drag my lazy ass in their to get a pretty cool entertainment center at a pretty good price.

i don't look at this as consumerism run a muck...paying hundreds of dollars for a fucking beanie baby in the late 90's is consumerism run a muck...If you don't mind me asking, what were the opening day deals that people were looking to get their hands on?

Also, how many people are working that may not have been prior to this? Consumerism can actually be a good thing. Blanket statements about society being fucked seem a little strong.

We have one in Minneapolis by the wonderful mall of america (a.k.a. consumerism headquarters) and the store gives me a god damn brain aneurysm every time I go into it.

People find joy in odd things. With so little of it going around these days, I won't fault anyone for trying to find some under rocks or in Ikeas

there were only a few things to get people buzzed about on opening day, as I'm guessing they knew they didn't need to do much. A few small tables that were 50% off, but that's just from the flier that came to my house.

they also did a thing where the first 1000 people in the door all got $75 gift cards, and 8 out of those 1000 people were put in a draw for a $5000 gift card, which one person won.

No one is saying consumerism is bad. I'm saying that taking your kids to sleep outside in the freezing cold to be the first in the door to a store is where it gets out of control.

I didn't say society is fucked. I said people are fucked.

I guess I over assumed and lumped those together. Thanks for clarifying.

They may be sleeping overnight in the freezing cold, but at least they are spending time together...too many families don't bother to even do that in the comfort of their own homes. :(

blackredyellow

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

blackredyellow wrote:

I was just thinking that never in my life would I wait in line to try to buy something from a store before someone else got to.... But then I remember waiting in line for ticket onsales or a midnight sale at a record store for No Code...

:? :oops:

I went to local cd shop for the VS release at midnight. Would I have waited all night until it went on sale in the morning? Nope. In the cold? Nope. With my kids? Abso-fucking-lutely not.

Yeah, there is a difference. I would never camp out for something overnight... especially in the freezing cold with kids.

I think age/family situation is important too. Being young and single, waiting in line with some friends could be fun. But when you are bringing your kids with you in the freezing cold, your priorities are a bit out of whack.

brianlux

I don't know about Canada, but the US has so much stuff that other than food and beverage and toothpaste, and toilet paper we could all get buy on used goods for the next decade. That's pretty much how I get by. Well, ok, I did buy a new copy of the PJ Missoula boot CD. :oops:

hedonist

But their meatballs are so tasty :P

Gotta agree with this, Mr. Pegg:

"People find joy in odd things. With so little of it going around these days, I won't fault anyone for trying to find some under rocks or in Ikeas"

The whole lining-up thing - for anything - is not for me, never has been...but yeah, I figure if that's a way for some folks to get their ya-ya's out, go for it.

I'd rather be comfy-cozy at home

chadwick

hell, i wish i had money to be a consumer. there's a lot of things i need but i do without. no i would not wait in line during early morning hours in very cold weather to get inside a new store. again, i'd do without before putting up with that kind of bullshit.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

chadwick wrote:

hell, i wish i had money to be a consumer. there's a lot of things i need but i do without. no i would not wait in line during early morning hours in very cold weather to get inside a new store. again, i'd do without before putting up with that kind of bullshit.

but what if they sold a teenage mutant ninja turtles vcr?

chadwick

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

chadwick wrote:

hell, i wish i had money to be a consumer. there's a lot of things i need but i do without. no i would not wait in line during early morning hours in very cold weather to get inside a new store. again, i'd do without before putting up with that kind of bullshit.

but what if they sold a teenage mutant ninja turtles vcr?

i despise the teenage mutant ninja jerkwater c.suckers
yes... repugnant

unacceptable on a stellar scale
yes one could purchase a teenage m.n.t. vcr player & use it as target practice, set aflame, run over with a old amc pacer or dodge dart or a new cadillac suv

fuck teenage m.n.t. & fuck a bunch of vcr players

Jeanwah

riotgrl wrote:

Unfortunately, our economy is completely based on consumerism. If you put an end to the spending then you destroy our economy.

What you are saying here is the media's defense for people to go out and consume in order for our failing economy to stay afloat. But it's simply not true. What exactly happened after the Great Depression? Were folks urged to spend the little that they had in order to "save" what was left of an economy? NO. People saved everything they had, reused everything, made use of everything, saved every last bit and helped one another. "Buying" the fact that we have to spend when we're not in good shape financially, due to a struggling economy, is nothing but the gov't telling you to go more into debt to save the Feds ASSES. Corporations and big companies, with their tax breaks for offshoring work, paying for slave labor in other parts of the world, paying Americans lower pay while the CEOs get deeper pockets with profits, it's all part of the scam called our federal government. Republicans passed into law AGAIN that if American businesses did business outside America, they would receive tax breaks. Corrupt politicians put their money into oversees bank accounts where they don't have to pay taxes on it. And there's so much more; all you have to do is research.

The Feds want us to think that spending our money and constantly consuming will strengthen the economy, that it's up to us. And it's pure bullshit. Consuming is doing nothing but littering the earth with more plastic, polluting our air and making us all go broke. And since we're in the Christmas season, may we all think about why exactly we're wrapped up in the hype of the next throwaway item, the defective new iphone or the holiday sweater that's going to get tossed. Be conscious of your spending habits and don't get wrapped up in the commercialism and consumerism of the holiday.

riotgrl wrote:

When will we realize that we have a collective, not an individualistic nature, and that we NEED each other? This sense of loss and loneliness cannot be filled in this way. Caring for each other and working together have been ingrained in our DNA for the past 3 million years, we can't just buy our way out of the things we need.

I agree!

Hugh Freaking Dillon

chadwick wrote:

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

chadwick wrote:

hell, i wish i had money to be a consumer. there's a lot of things i need but i do without. no i would not wait in line during early morning hours in very cold weather to get inside a new store. again, i'd do without before putting up with that kind of bullshit.

but what if they sold a teenage mutant ninja turtles vcr?

i despise the teenage mutant ninja jerkwater c.suckers
yes... repugnant

unacceptable on a stellar scale
yes one could purchase a teenage m.n.t. vcr player & use it as target practice, set aflame, run over with a old amc pacer or dodge dart or a new cadillac suv

fuck teenage m.n.t. & fuck a bunch of vcr players

I was only making a joke about your Dora tv!

chadwick

^ haha dora tv
funny stuff that tv

wish i still had it

hell dude sometimes i guess i miss sarcasm
i actually was thinking you are into the teenage turtles or something
i was like...wtf, HFD?
gimmie that turtle ninja vcr
i'm gonna fill it fulla gasoline & bottlerockets

chadwick

^^^ wait... i can't afford both gasoline & bottlerockets
heaven forbid

fucked over again

kenny olav

I saw Occupy Wall Street firsthand last November, about a week before it was shut down. It was an absolutely pathetic operation. I'm all for the anarcho-communist revolution they wanted, but guess who isn't? Most people. There were only a hundred or so people at OWS that day, and meanwhile, there were half a million people uptown buying all the bullshit money can buy. People will never understand what the consequences of this endless consumption will be until the shit completely hits the fan. Human civilization is on a path to destruction, and there's nothing that can be done to stop it.

But yet I can still enjoy this mug of coffee and plastic cup of strawberry-banana yogurt I'm currently enjoying.

even flow - question mark

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

So a new Ikea opened up yesterday in Winnipeg. The second largest one in Canada. This city has been buzzing about this almost as much as when the Jets were coming back. They were allowing people to start lining up beginning at 12am yesterday morning (Tuesday night/Wed morning). EIGHT HUNDRED PEOPLE LINED UP AT MIDNIGHT IN -35 DEGREE WEATHER.

EIGHT HUNDRED.

To buy furniture you have to put together yourself.

It's a STORE. It's not a one-time burlesque show. It will be there for EVER. And people brought their kids and slept in their cars in the freezing cold to be the first to buy stuff.

Makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about how disgusting that is.

Fewer people camped out for Occupy Wall Street. Yep. that's where my city's priorities are. BUY BUY BUY. :fp:

I camped out all night long for World Series tickets the first year the Blue Jays got to it.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

even flow - question mark wrote:

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

So a new Ikea opened up yesterday in Winnipeg. The second largest one in Canada. This city has been buzzing about this almost as much as when the Jets were coming back. They were allowing people to start lining up beginning at 12am yesterday morning (Tuesday night/Wed morning). EIGHT HUNDRED PEOPLE LINED UP AT MIDNIGHT IN -35 DEGREE WEATHER.

EIGHT HUNDRED.

To buy furniture you have to put together yourself.

It's a STORE. It's not a one-time burlesque show. It will be there for EVER. And people brought their kids and slept in their cars in the freezing cold to be the first to buy stuff.

Makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about how disgusting that is.

Fewer people camped out for Occupy Wall Street. Yep. that's where my city's priorities are. BUY BUY BUY. :fp:

I camped out all night long for World Series tickets the first year the Blue Jays got to it.

totally different. that's tickets to something that is an event. something that is limited. this shit can be bought today or next year. I've camped out for tickets many times, and it was fun. and if I hadn't done that, fun or not, I wouldn't have gotten tickets.

Jason P

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

chadwick wrote:

hell, i wish i had money to be a consumer. there's a lot of things i need but i do without. no i would not wait in line during early morning hours in very cold weather to get inside a new store. again, i'd do without before putting up with that kind of bullshit.

but what if they sold a teenage mutant ninja turtles vcr?

Is Micky Mouse an option?

Must be at least a 15" screen to boot.

riotgrl

Jeanwah wrote:

riotgrl wrote:

Unfortunately, our economy is completely based on consumerism. If you put an end to the spending then you destroy our economy.

What you are saying here is the media's defense for people to go out and consume in order for our failing economy to stay afloat. But it's simply not true. What exactly happened after the Great Depression? Were folks urged to spend the little that they had in order to "save" what was left of an economy? NO. People saved everything they had, reused everything, made use of everything, saved every last bit and helped one another. "Buying" the fact that we have to spend when we're not in good shape financially, due to a struggling economy, is nothing but the gov't telling you to go more into debt to save the Feds ASSES. Corporations and big companies, with their tax breaks for offshoring work, paying for slave labor in other parts of the world, paying Americans lower pay while the CEOs get deeper pockets with profits, it's all part of the scam called our federal government. Republicans passed into law AGAIN that if American businesses did business outside America, they would receive tax breaks. Corrupt politicians put their money into oversees bank accounts where they don't have to pay taxes on it. And there's so much more; all you have to do is research.

The Feds want us to think that spending our money and constantly consuming will strengthen the economy, that it's up to us. And it's pure bullshit. Consuming is doing nothing but littering the earth with more plastic, polluting our air and making us all go broke. And since we're in the Christmas season, may we all think about why exactly we're wrapped up in the hype of the next throwaway item, the defective new iphone or the holiday sweater that's going to get tossed. Be conscious of your spending habits and don't get wrapped up in the commercialism and consumerism of the holiday.

riotgrl wrote:

When will we realize that we have a collective, not an individualistic nature, and that we NEED each other? This sense of loss and loneliness cannot be filled in this way. Caring for each other and working together have been ingrained in our DNA for the past 3 million years, we can't just buy our way out of the things we need.

I agree!

Yes, this is exactly what I meant but my coffee hadn't kicked in yet! Although, I would argue that you're dead on in regards to the Great Depression but since the 1950s? I'm not sure that our economy isn't mostly based on consuming. For the most part, our economy during the Great Depression was primarily secondary sector jobs (i.e., manufacturing) with a fairly large percentage still working primary sector (i.e., agriculture). However, today we have shifted to tertiary, quaternary, and quinary sector jobs (i.e., mostly service) which would mean that we have to consume that product or service to continually invigorate the economy. But I like the way you think Jeanwah!

Cosmo

I Tried to save the trees, Bought a platsic bag. The bottom fell out... It was a piece of crap.
Saw it on the tube, Bought it on the phone. Now you're home alone with a piece of crap.
I tried to plug in it, I tried to turn it on. When I got it home, It was a piece of crap.
Got it from a friend On him you can depend. I found out in the end It was a piece of crap.
I'm trying to save the trees, I saw it on TV. They cut the forest down To build a piece of crap.
I went back to the store, They gave me four more. The guy told me at the door, "It's a piece of crap".

adropinthepark

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

So a new Ikea opened up yesterday in Winnipeg. The second largest one in Canada. This city has been buzzing about this almost as much as when the Jets were coming back. They were allowing people to start lining up beginning at 12am yesterday morning (Tuesday night/Wed morning). EIGHT HUNDRED PEOPLE LINED UP AT MIDNIGHT IN -35 DEGREE WEATHER.

Sounds like a good time for a guerrilla screening of Fight Club.

Something similar came up in a discussion the other day. The person I was talking to didn't think there was any purchase she would camp out for. I said I would absolutely camp out at Seatac if one of the airlines was having some 'Black Friday' style sales.

We all have our deals. And, for your Ikea example, they were all going to at least walk away with a $75 gift card. I'm sure people have worked in those conditions for less.

I understand being repulsed by consumerism. I have skipped Christmas with my family in the past due to the excess of it all. Which, in the end, worked in my favor(?). Since, my family would rather have me around than spend a lot of money on me. :think: