consumerism | Andy Arthur.org

What Would Jesus Buy?

Andy | December 23, 2023

Reverend Billy and his gospel choir from the Church of Stop Shopping travel the country trying to spur awareness of consumerism around the holiday season. He parodies this consumerism and tries to get people to think about the real meaning of Christmas.

A non-religious film with a great deal of humor, the protest tactics of Reverend Billy frequently gander him the criticism of the police and a significant amount of interest to the media. Not only does the film show many of his stunts, he takes a look at how widespread consumerism is in both the youth and adults alike.

The reactions of the people interviewed in the film about consumerism is somewhat incredulous, but at the same time frankly captures many people’s view about the necessity to give expensive presents for the holiday season. As the film notes, many people find themselves so stressed out about gift giving that they are unhappy during a season that’s supposed to be an enjoyable season.

People are not finding happiness in the holiday season, they are just exchanging material gifts without meaning. Much of the happiness and family times that come from Christmas could be done without such wasteful consumption that is speeding up the destruction of our earth. Indeed, watching the film it’s amazing how much joy comes out of protesting consumerism — not just by the protesters but by the people witnessing them.

It is amazing to see how much joy comes from the song, dance, and acting by the Church of Stop Shopping. You will be laughing and finding much of the happiness that is now gone from our holiday season. After the film, you might just be feeling a lot happier and less stressed then when you where when you went in.

And no, I doubt Jesus would buy a Wii like the one kid said.

Unfortunately, unless you are in a few limited cities where it is playing, you will not be able to see it. The film only played during two showings in the Albany-area, at The Sanctuary for Independent Media. This venue while enjoyable is not on the radar of many people who would have otherwise gotten great joy from seeing this rather hilarious and enjoyable film.

Wanting A Bigger Truck

Andy | September 24, 2008

Notes on the Re-Run for Monday, August 22nd.

I do like my Ford Ranger. It’s big enough and powerful enough for me needs right now, but I would love to have a little bit more space for camping, and in a year or so I think it will reach it’s end of cost-effective life at 13 years of age. Maybe not, but I’ve been saving for three years and the reality is full-size trucks now have fuel economy in the range of compact trucks of a decade ago.

— Andy

It’s probably no secret to anybody who reads my blog that I’ve been coveting a bigger pickup truck, with an extended cab, bigger bed, and a better off-road capacity. As I’ve also noted, I’ve been saving a big chunk of every paycheck to have enough money next year or the year after to buy that truck.

Yet, I realize it’s kind of silly. I still have a decent 1998 Ford Ranger regular cab short-bed, with only 95,000 miles on it. Driving only for pleasure, I probably will have less then 5,000 miles on it before the year’s end. It might be a bit old and rusty, but it still runs well with minimal problems. But I still want a bigger truck.

It’s not totally rational. I know I am buying into the consumerist mindset that I one level I supposedly reject as being vapid. But it would be so much more fun then my current Ford Ranger. Who wants to put money to upkeep a truck that I don’t really like that much, when I could be putting towards getting a new one?

It’s probably not a good attitude to have. I probably will drive more carelessly with my Ford Ranger and not maintain it as well as I should, secretly hoping that it will die, so I have to buy a new pickup. I need to avoid that attitude, as the truck is something I want to keep working,I also want to avoid financing as much as possible.

Credit Cards

Andy | January 23, 2008

I rather amazes me how some people can run up these huge debts so quickly on credit cards through frivolous shopping. Some people are given the privilege and convenience of using a credit card only to get caught up in consumerism and outspend their ability to repay.

I have gotten offers frequently for credit cards throughout college, but those quickly ended up in the recycling bin. I felt credit cards where a waste of money and an unnecessary temptation that I did not want in my life. Yet, as I have grown older my opinion on these seemingly endless source of credit for people has changed.

I now see having a credit card as an important way to build credit by using the card for small purchases. I did not borrow any money for college so I have essentially no credit score and it’s something I want to build so some day I can have the money to buy land and money to build a farm.

Recently, I went searching for a credit card online and shifting through the variety of offers. Unfortunately, I found that the number of offers I could get where quite limited, with a limited credit history. The cards with good perks where either declined for me or required a yearly fee. It turns out that nowadays getting a credit card has gotten more difficult.

Ultimately, I settled on a very basic Capital One card, the one that’s so heavy advertised to college students including myself. It was free to get and use as long as you pay the balance back right away. The ceiling on the card was very low, but that’s fine for me. I don’t plan to use my card to finance anything expensive — it simply is a tool for me to build credit.

There is one additional benefit to having a credit card. It’s great for limited emergencies, when you run upon a situation where you need more money then is directly available in your bank account. When I have my card I will very rarely use it for this purpose. I believe a credit card should only be used for emergencies until you can get the funds from a savings account or other guaranteed place that ensures that it’s paid off as soon as possible.

It horrifies me to see how some people use credit cards for thoughtless consumption. Yet, I realize there are many legitimate uses of credit cards to build credit scores and bona fide emergencies. I believe that with restraint, that’s often so lacking in our society, credit cards are a good thing.

Thrift Shops

Andy | November 23, 2007

There is a view in our society that shopping at the Thrift Shop for clothes will somehow get you an inferior product, or will make you feel inferior. Yet, for some things, its make sense to look at a good thrift shop, and try to find out what you get can at a reasonable price.

Thrift Shops not only save you money on the clothes, they also save useful material from going to the landfill. Many people buy expensive clothing to wear for one or two occasions, only to stuff it in the dresser or hang it into their closet to be forgotten.

Some people have funny feelings about buy used clothing. It feels funny to think somebody else has worn a pare of clothing before you have put it on. Of course, our society is full of all kinds of creepiness and weirdness, if you only think about it. Be assured however, that used clothing places must either carefully wash or dry clean all their clothing before selling it.

When we choose to make do with what we have existing on our planet, and not demanding the extraction of new materials from the ground, its good for all of us. And while we cant survive entirely by shopping at the thrift shop, for the occasional blazer or suit pants, it might just fit the bill. And your saving the environment and a money at the same time.

What is the Greatest Christmas Gift?

Andy | December 18, 2005

The greatest Christmas gift is something that lasts forever. It’s not something whose wrapper you chuck in that 55 gallon drum and celebrate by breathing in that thick black toxic plastic smoke. That is far from happiness. It has to be something far greater then material stuff.

To me it is Patridge Run. Every Christmas morning I go out to that place, going for a nice long walk in the snow, and ride around on snow covered roads with my 4×4 truck and my dog on my side. This is a place of true greatness, of natural happiness far more then what one consumer gift might be. It’s about being natural.

The gift of Christmas is also about being with your family and eating together. It might be a factory farm turkey, or it might be something more natural like venison if your lucky enough at your hunt. The important thing is to be together, to reflect, to be truly part of our earth. The gift is about love.

It’s also the candlelight service and church. It’s about the hope that such a service instills upon us, as a baby more then 2000 years who was born to help us forever cope without weaknesses. A baby not unlike you and I, a king no richer then the typical person on the street.

Christmas should forever last in our minds. It should not be about trash preserved forever in a landfill or toxic smoke produced by our consumerism. We all like stuff, but we should try to dig deeper then plastic bags, and go back out in the same nature that created all of us including Jesus Christ.