Journal of the mental environment
“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
Buy Nothing Day 2008
In preparation for this year's upcoming Buy Nothing Day, our friends at Arithmetic hooked us up with this hilariously cute TV spot.
- Tue, 12 Aug 2008 3:12 pm — Posted by Trevor
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Comments
“back into the core.” hilarious!
I think it’s funny (though commendable) that people want to make such a big deal about sticking it to the corporate giants with BND. I didn’t buy anything today, though I hadn’t plan on buying anything in the first place. If you REALLY want to stick it to the Corporate World, become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses: NO Christmas spending or time wasted with absurd decorations, NO Halloween candy or decorations, NO Valentines candy or roses, NO wasted Easter Eggs, NO hangover on January 1st. And imagine all the garbage created by all those events. Next time a Jehovah’s Witness wakes you up on Saturday morning, thank him or her for not being a lemming :)
hahaha. thats very smart of you.
Buy Nothing, huh? I was clicking around after I saw that video and found a site that’s actually selling Nothing - you don’t get another ridiculous, crystal-laden videogame, just a brief explanation to give that says you’ve chosen to give out Nothing instead. I guess you could google it yourself, but it was http://de-gifting.com
Wait… it doesn’t sound like the boy wants her to buy something.. just sounds like he’s using his crazy imagination to try to catch her attention and she’s just sitting there like “stop talking to me.” Bad grandma!
His imagination definitely sounds like it’s influenced by video games, but he just wants some love!
I’m with Grandma. I won’t buy it either. Here’s to BND 2008! Happy Non-Debt-Producing Holidays to all!
I have two kids, and I’ve raised them to evaluate the difference between want and need - which is not to say that their wants are dismissed. But by understanding what they are, and how they fit in the whole structure, I’ve managed to allow them to grow as I’d imagine children used to grow - not brainwashed by the hypnotists hired to engage them. I asked them recently what they wanted for their birthdays and upcoming holidays and both (teens) said “Well, we really have everything we want - maybe some boots?” and we don’t have “everything” - we just all know what we really want - which is more time with each other, more time to read, more time to create - we’re a family that knows that money and things are traded for the most valuable gift of all - time.
Great commerical. My family and I are committed to the Buy Nothing Day 2008. Not just for the day, but the entire week before and after Thanksgiving.
It’s clear that corporations are running the world, but, at the least, we can f*ck with them and help a few more of them lose jobs (or sleep) trying to get us to buy more.
to stop buying presents for my younger brother was difficult. at gift time it felt like others were loved more and I felt excluded and the implication was that I was cheap. that feeling soon passed. after a few years it got more comfortable. the kid still loved me equally.two years ago another family member joined me. this year our mom is plan ing to buy less. and not because of the so called financial crisis.
Say what you want about the commerical, I really dont care. Christams has turned into a corporate holiday and walmart are new savior. I dont care how you get the message out, just get it out there! Im tired of seeing christmas crap going up in stores the day after halloween!
“they are all childless”
I think what Horse was saying is that most people who get behind things like BND don’t consider children- how will they understand BND, and how it may affect them. Luckily, since you’re timing out from superficial gift-giving, you’ll have time to spend with your kids to explain to them your family’s choices, and to spend time doing things more meaningful than simply exchanging presents. I’m sure it happens to Jewish kids who grow up in predominantly-Christian locales, and they grow up just fine. The point isn’t deprivation of tradition and custom, but simply involves replacing capitalistically driven traditions with more meaningful ones.
I had no idea what the video was about. I can guess? The child is supposed to represent societies impulsiveness to shop, and the older lady is supposed to be the voice of reason that says “bullshit” in retaliation against the flurry of advertisement. It was too hard to understand for the average person. I hate to think of myself as average but hell, somebody has to be. Anyway, humor doesn’t go well with this message. I liked the old doomsday alarmist messages better. You have to fight fire with fire with the PR industry. We need something iconic like, “the is your brain, this is your brain on drugs.” Yea, you know what I’m talkin’ about ;)
I think the message of the movie was that the Grandma didnt “buy” into the little boys story. Get it? Buy nothing day!
I, too, know how a child thinks. Have you seen kids open presents, say “What does it do?” and toss it on the pile to grab for the next one? Human nature, perhaps, but we can be taught, and I’d like my daughter to learn another way. A few cherished gifts rather than heaps of stuff.
Last year a new friend walked into my daughter’s room for the first time and said “you don’t have much stuff.” But recently she asked her dad, “Can we go visit? They always do such fun stuff there.”
Yes. It takes time, and I have a demanding full time travel job. But guess what? If you turn off the TV, you get two hours of your life back nearly every day. We cook, we color, we make dolls out of toilet paper rolls…
Thanks - I was watching this with my kids to show them about buy nothing day and got the *bonus* foul mouth at the end of the clip. Why does everyone seem to think that swearing must be included in everything if it is to be effective? It isn’t effective, it’s offensive - especially to those of us trying to teach our kids to make a difference without cussing out the neighbors. Great job.
“Swearing” is a myth used by people to try and control their children’s minds. A word cannot be “bad” or “good” by itself. A single word on its own cannot offend you unless you want it to. Why would you try to find offense where there is none?
Great video. I found another one I think you would all be interested in. It is made by a designer by the name of Jess Confer from Pennsylvania.
I love that commercial! Thanks! The adbusters one didn’t seem to really make the point this year and I didn’t want to forward something with foul language to friends at church, so this one is much better!
That was really stupid. One of the problems I have with the people who put together things like Buy Nothing Day or Drunk Santas (to use two examples) is that they are all childless. They have no sense of how a child thinks, and they subvert their own message as a result. Most of those I know involved in these projects are adolescents, though over 50.
Childless? Adolescent? WTF?
I have 3 kids.
I am 39 (not over 50).
Adolescent could be defined as:
A person between the age of puberty and adulthood.
or
acting by itself without outside power or influence
I’d be happy with the latter definition, but the former would insinuate that I am not YET an adult. If being an adult means buying shit for the sake of it, wasting finite resources and having a couldn’t-give-a-damn attitude about it all, then yes, I’m happy to remain an ‘adolescent’.
I am not childless. Buy Nothing Day is the day after America’s Thanksgiving where I come from and it’s a call to avoid joining the hords to shop for a holiday that for some is a spiritual time. It’s a time out that I totally appreciate. My kids are, in no way, deprived.
i almost bought it *snaps
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