Treat Yo Self
Millie Goebel Meet Tom and Donna, two animated characters from the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation. While this show is purely fictional, Tom and
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Before Macklemore came out with “Thrift Shop”…
http://www.ted.com/talks/jessi_arrington_wearing_nothing_new Max Grinberg Now before I begin, I would like to start off by saying I am by no means someone remotely competent in the fashion world. Nor
Advertising: Our Common Language
Katie Lowell Advertising, whether you choose to believe it or not, effectively targets your subconscious to create the consumer driven world in which we live. We organize society and convert the average
Is Our Need for NEW Ruining Our Sustainability?
Caitlin Petrie Last week I came across a video entitled: “This is how little kids react these days when you show them a Walkman”. The video was literally seven and a half minutes of kids, ages 4-14, who
Normalization of Narcissism
Ashley Davidson This article seems to imply that taking (and looking at) selfies is causing self-absorption to the point of mental disorder. I would agree that our selfie/Facebook/Instagram obsessed culture
“Buying in to Social Change”–A Defense of Political Consumerism
Kaleigh B While doing some research for my thesis, I read this article by Lucy Atkinson called “Buying in to Social Change: How Private Consumption Choices Engender Concern for the Collective.” In it,
Swimming with Sharks
Kaleigh B I love Shark Tank. It’s one of my most recent guilty pleasure shows (move aside, Dance Moms). On Shark Tank, aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors–the “sharks.”
What We Buy is Who We Are
Katie Lowell The social logic of consumerism communicates identity, social status, and draws the lines for in groups and out groups. As consumers, we are told that the only way to represent ourselves
When Consumerism Defines Even Our Charitable Behavior
Kaleigh B For a while I’ve been bothered by ad campaigns for products where “a portion of the proceeds from every purchase” goes to such and such charity. On its face, this seems like a generally good
Growth: Our New God
We are constantly reminded that we are living in a dramatically polarized time in our history. Gerrymandering, media echo chambers, and the radical regulatory reductions in campaign finance laws have produced