Christmas Consumerism

[Smartmarzipan]

I usually just make gifts for people....everyone loves a nice, warm scarf in their favorite color. :) Or, I'll just buy small things and put them all in a bag together. Gift cards are fucking amazing, though, I agree. $25 at Lowe's or Target or whatever? Awesome. But, I'm an aunt now (married into it) and uh, I'm not very good at toy shopping. Christmas has always been easy for me because I don't go wild with it (wtf, people buy TV's and cars and shit), but now I have to brave the toy aisles.....*shudder*

[Hydra009]

Right. This is a sensible way to approach the issue. The U.S. is so steeped in crass consumerism and so controlled by big business through their methods of gigantic sales and mass marketing, that people have literally become sheep.

[youtube:7rrppwm6]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8fp8ZcYdG4[/youtube:7rrppwm6]

[Plu]

[youtube:4hpvgd14]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQO-aOdJLiw[/youtube:4hpvgd14]

[Smartmarzipan]

[youtube:1ids52qf]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xL8rE9DT4g[/youtube:1ids52qf]

The likeness is uncanny.....

[youtube:1ids52qf]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOPmqP_OGWA[/youtube:1ids52qf]

[SGOS]

Writer posted a YouTube video

That's just nuts.  People putting their lives in danger at worst and acting like idiots at best... just so they can buy some shit.  What's wrong with people?  This may be the ugliest side of Christmas I have ever seen.

[GrinningYMIR]

I was dragged to black Friday shopping by all of the girls in my family


It was...so...horrible  

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I'm gonna buy into a coal mine to profit on next 'Black Friday' because I'm pretty sure a lump of coal would go over pretty big. :)

[Jmpty]

I have young kids. It's fun.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Got gifts to buy for people you don't like? Give the gift that will just suck the air out of the room, COAL! :)

[Mermaid]

If everyone did as I did, there would be no Black Friday, because the need would be gone.

There's been a lot of coverage of Black Friday over here in the UK.

Ugh. I was afraid of that. I am officially mortified as an American.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

If everyone did as I did, there would be no Black Friday, because the need would be gone.

There's been a lot of coverage of Black Friday over here in the UK.

Ugh. I was afraid of that. I am officially mortified as an American.

Americans portrayed as stupid consumers of cheap crap in other countries? :shock: Nobody saw that one coming!

[Aroura33]

I like your thinking. I enjoy getting gift cards to places I may shop, like Jo-anns, or the local shoe store.

I buy presents for my 6 year old, but my husband tells me what he wants and we get it, evety year without fail. I ask for gift cards, or sometimes a specific sewing tool. Everone else gets handmade gifts. Well, even including my daughter and husband. I spend a good two weeks making things like zippered make up pouches for my in laws and cousin, or handmade kanzashi hair flowers. The men get things like bbqing aprons. If I do not have the time to sew a lot, I fall back on homemade candies and chocolates and canned jams and preserves.

Honestly, everyone seems to genuinely appreciate the homemade gifts. Yes, there is still some cost to me. Barrets or combs, thread, ingredients, etc. But usually I can give everyone in my family, including inlaws and cousins, a basket of treats and hand sewn gifts for under 30 bucks total. It takes me more time and effort, but I also feel GOOD about my gifts.

On that note, my husband just bought me a 300 dollar embroidery and sewing machine for Christmas...so consumerism is still there.