Rethinking consumerism and shopping as an American pastime was one of the first goals of my business, and part of the reason behind my business name, mindful closet. I saw over and over that women had closets full of clothes that they didn’t wear, and weren’t even sure why they bought them.
I used to teach a weekly middle school class that I developed called Media Literacy. It was an attempt to help the kids understand just what you're talking about here, and to become skeptics about consumerism. We started out with the history of advertising. Over a semester, I showed a very good documentary from The History Channel called Sell and Spin: A History of Advertising. It's on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPBf7km7NAk&t=25s. It's admittedly dated but covered the topic well.
I invented LogoCheck which we would do at the beginning of every class. Each student would stand up and point out what logos they were wearing. We would talk about that they were paying the company to advertise for them when it should be the other way around. It was a revelation to most of them!
We also watched the movie "Josie and the Pussycats" which is a gem of a satire on product placement, subliminal advertising (real or not?), and teen consumerism.
The second semester would be spent on the Disease/Cure project which was inspired by the Listerine story - how the dreaded disease of "halitosis" (invented by Listerine) was miraculously cured by their product. I divided the kids into small groups, and they had to come up with a "disease" and a "product/cure", create an ad campaign, and film a commercial. Many of them were so clever, and it really helped them understand how they were being marketed to. Many former students have told me it was the most practical class they had.
What was interesting was that, as the years went by, students became less aware and less outraged by the amount of marketing they were exposed to. It was like they were so immersed in marketing that they didn't see it anymore. I finally stopped teaching the class partly because of that, and partly because I think that marketing has gotten so skilled and so manipulative that I really didn't want it in my head anymore. (I was also the school librarian so I had lots more fun stuff to think about!). I truly have come to believe that the consumerism we're all exposed to is immoral and encourages many negative attitudes and behaviors. It's a shame.
That sounds like an incredible class!! I have two young kids now and as they’ve learned to read, I’ve especially noticed how much advertising is all around us as they try to sound out signs and such around the city. I wish a class like this was going to be available to them in a few years.
It's never too early to talk to them about advertising and what it's really for. When I watched tv with my daughter, I would talk about the commercials and how they were designed to get her to want things.
There's a series of very dated but still effective videos on YouTube called "Buy Me That!". They were produced by HBO and Consumer Reports. They show the tricks used in kids' food and toy advertising. I used to show them to the 1st - 3rd graders every year around the holidays since that's when the advertising is the heaviest. They loved them, and the younger kids didn't realize how truly ancient they were!
While this quote has little to do with the discussion at hand, I thought many of you could appreciate it as do I. "I wear forgiving pants. The world is too hard as it is, without letting your pants have an opinion on how you are doing" -- Anne Lamott
This essay is spot-on, Dacy! I was reading something by the writer Paul Kingsnorth, recently, all about our absurd and destructive levels of consumption. He listed a couple of questions people can ask themselves periodically, that seem helpful in combating ad-driven consumption: "Do I want too much?" "Am I living too heavily on the planet?"
If you're interested in the development of advertising as a way to create need, you might enjoy a four-hour documentary series called The Century of the Self, by Adam Curtis, which should be on YouTube. It's a little dated now (it was made in 2002) and it's aimed in large at understanding political advertising and manipulation, but its history of commercial advertising really helped me understand a lot about how ads manipulate us into wanting the latest and greatest, and also into naming "needs" that we didn't know we had until advertisments told us something was "wrong".
Oct 24, 2023·edited Oct 24, 2023Liked by Dacy Gillespie
Yesss I love this thanks for writing! As for this tidbit you infer: "presumably because without a behavior change, they would see no need for these additional purchases." YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I read a book called "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg and there is a nice little vignette in there about Febreeze and how they got everyone to buy into it by making it a habitual part of cleaning! Just wanted to voice my support and for anyone who is fascinated by Dacy's overview here, you can dive deeper with this book! Not trying to sell anyone anything, though, I read it from my local library :)
Thank you for writing this. It def puts things in perspective. And it makes me angry actually. I’m constantly being manipulated by big business in exchange for things I “need” like clothes to clothe my body. 😖
Oct 24, 2023·edited Oct 24, 2023Liked by Dacy Gillespie
Interesting reading your piece as I pour through electronic copy of Vogue Magazine, which I subscribed to specifically to see designs and colors deemed "it" for fall and spring. Delightfully viewing all of the pretty clothes in the "$300 and less" section, I became enamored with a bright pink alpaca crew neck sweater from Everlane, which I promptly placed in my cart. I already know that should my size not sell out, I will purchase it this weekend, telling myself that waiting seven days doesn't qualify as an impulse buy. (For context, I own 49 sweaters. That, after giving a family member 6 this weekend,) A manipulative trick? Is Vogue the most lucrative print fashion advertiser, one we actually pay for annually? And am I one of its thousands of enthusiastic victims? You give me pause.
I don't require new clothes (save a black wool skirt and a pair of boots) to complete revolving capsule wardrobes. Through your writings and responses from women here I'm questioning whether it is okay or healthy to shop when there is no pressing need. Am I doing what the Independent news article suggested and attempting to fulfill a psychological need? Honestly, I find it fun to experiment with fashion, adorn my body with things that feel comfortable and pretty. I became enamored with Mindful Closet out of excitement exploring styles beyond Banana Republic/Everlane/COS go-tos. This discussion makes me question the efficacy of that. Need vs. want, and if "want," why?
It's a really good question. Need and want can be hard to define, right? I definitely shop when I have perfectly good clothes already in my closet. I see it as part of my creative expression and where I choose to spend some of my disposible income, while others might spend theirs on knitting supplies or bike gear. For me, I am mindful of not collecting too much because it's overwhelming to me, but I also appreciate others' collections that might be larger. Maybe it's about intentionality and being clear about your intentions? It's something I'll always be exploring, I'm sure.
I used to teach a weekly middle school class that I developed called Media Literacy. It was an attempt to help the kids understand just what you're talking about here, and to become skeptics about consumerism. We started out with the history of advertising. Over a semester, I showed a very good documentary from The History Channel called Sell and Spin: A History of Advertising. It's on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPBf7km7NAk&t=25s. It's admittedly dated but covered the topic well.
I invented LogoCheck which we would do at the beginning of every class. Each student would stand up and point out what logos they were wearing. We would talk about that they were paying the company to advertise for them when it should be the other way around. It was a revelation to most of them!
We also watched the movie "Josie and the Pussycats" which is a gem of a satire on product placement, subliminal advertising (real or not?), and teen consumerism.
The second semester would be spent on the Disease/Cure project which was inspired by the Listerine story - how the dreaded disease of "halitosis" (invented by Listerine) was miraculously cured by their product. I divided the kids into small groups, and they had to come up with a "disease" and a "product/cure", create an ad campaign, and film a commercial. Many of them were so clever, and it really helped them understand how they were being marketed to. Many former students have told me it was the most practical class they had.
What was interesting was that, as the years went by, students became less aware and less outraged by the amount of marketing they were exposed to. It was like they were so immersed in marketing that they didn't see it anymore. I finally stopped teaching the class partly because of that, and partly because I think that marketing has gotten so skilled and so manipulative that I really didn't want it in my head anymore. (I was also the school librarian so I had lots more fun stuff to think about!). I truly have come to believe that the consumerism we're all exposed to is immoral and encourages many negative attitudes and behaviors. It's a shame.
That sounds like an incredible class!! I have two young kids now and as they’ve learned to read, I’ve especially noticed how much advertising is all around us as they try to sound out signs and such around the city. I wish a class like this was going to be available to them in a few years.
It's never too early to talk to them about advertising and what it's really for. When I watched tv with my daughter, I would talk about the commercials and how they were designed to get her to want things.
There's a series of very dated but still effective videos on YouTube called "Buy Me That!". They were produced by HBO and Consumer Reports. They show the tricks used in kids' food and toy advertising. I used to show them to the 1st - 3rd graders every year around the holidays since that's when the advertising is the heaviest. They loved them, and the younger kids didn't realize how truly ancient they were!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaVM2XG4wvE&t=381s
so true.
same!
That class sounds so valuable! Really interesting about how kids were less bothered later on.
While this quote has little to do with the discussion at hand, I thought many of you could appreciate it as do I. "I wear forgiving pants. The world is too hard as it is, without letting your pants have an opinion on how you are doing" -- Anne Lamott
Anita, looks like this quote really resonated! Thanks for sharing! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy0ryStO5OO/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
YES! Stealing this to share on social media.
This essay is spot-on, Dacy! I was reading something by the writer Paul Kingsnorth, recently, all about our absurd and destructive levels of consumption. He listed a couple of questions people can ask themselves periodically, that seem helpful in combating ad-driven consumption: "Do I want too much?" "Am I living too heavily on the planet?"
I love that.
If you're interested in the development of advertising as a way to create need, you might enjoy a four-hour documentary series called The Century of the Self, by Adam Curtis, which should be on YouTube. It's a little dated now (it was made in 2002) and it's aimed in large at understanding political advertising and manipulation, but its history of commercial advertising really helped me understand a lot about how ads manipulate us into wanting the latest and greatest, and also into naming "needs" that we didn't know we had until advertisments told us something was "wrong".
Sounds well done.
Yesss I love this thanks for writing! As for this tidbit you infer: "presumably because without a behavior change, they would see no need for these additional purchases." YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I read a book called "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg and there is a nice little vignette in there about Febreeze and how they got everyone to buy into it by making it a habitual part of cleaning! Just wanted to voice my support and for anyone who is fascinated by Dacy's overview here, you can dive deeper with this book! Not trying to sell anyone anything, though, I read it from my local library :)
So glad you mentioned this book, it's a great read, but I forgot it talked about this! Thanks for the rec! Also, fellow library lover ❤️
Thank you for writing this. It def puts things in perspective. And it makes me angry actually. I’m constantly being manipulated by big business in exchange for things I “need” like clothes to clothe my body. 😖
Interesting reading your piece as I pour through electronic copy of Vogue Magazine, which I subscribed to specifically to see designs and colors deemed "it" for fall and spring. Delightfully viewing all of the pretty clothes in the "$300 and less" section, I became enamored with a bright pink alpaca crew neck sweater from Everlane, which I promptly placed in my cart. I already know that should my size not sell out, I will purchase it this weekend, telling myself that waiting seven days doesn't qualify as an impulse buy. (For context, I own 49 sweaters. That, after giving a family member 6 this weekend,) A manipulative trick? Is Vogue the most lucrative print fashion advertiser, one we actually pay for annually? And am I one of its thousands of enthusiastic victims? You give me pause.
Perhaps not manipulative, but definitely something you might not have felt you needed before coming across it!
I don't require new clothes (save a black wool skirt and a pair of boots) to complete revolving capsule wardrobes. Through your writings and responses from women here I'm questioning whether it is okay or healthy to shop when there is no pressing need. Am I doing what the Independent news article suggested and attempting to fulfill a psychological need? Honestly, I find it fun to experiment with fashion, adorn my body with things that feel comfortable and pretty. I became enamored with Mindful Closet out of excitement exploring styles beyond Banana Republic/Everlane/COS go-tos. This discussion makes me question the efficacy of that. Need vs. want, and if "want," why?
PS I'm going to add this question into thursday's discussion thread because I'd love to hear what others think!
It's a really good question. Need and want can be hard to define, right? I definitely shop when I have perfectly good clothes already in my closet. I see it as part of my creative expression and where I choose to spend some of my disposible income, while others might spend theirs on knitting supplies or bike gear. For me, I am mindful of not collecting too much because it's overwhelming to me, but I also appreciate others' collections that might be larger. Maybe it's about intentionality and being clear about your intentions? It's something I'll always be exploring, I'm sure.
Absolutely great advice. With your help I’m learning to buy what I love and not what the advertisers tell me I should love
❤️❤️❤️