“Gimme stuff now” marketing
While on my way to Sears at the mall to buy some tools, I cut through Macy’s and noticed the marketing and displays in the clothing department. I guess we can now say that all sense of responsible consumption is out the window. The display literally had the clothes saying “Gimme Gimme” in speech bubbles. See for yourself:
Almost exactly one year ago, I wrote an article about how some affordable housing and bailout programs were turning the country into a “gimme” population. It looks like this has come true.
Contrary to this, a woman in England has given up money altogether. She has constructed a life with no cash, obtaining all of her possessions for free. Her story is not unique, going back even to the 1970′s to the Dolly Freed book Possum Living.
More recently, the story of Dan in Florida narrates the life of a man who lived happily out of his truck in Key West. These are not homeless people, or beggars. They have discovered a lifestyle which is enjoyable to them, using no cash. Dan has since moved to Ohio, but the lifestyle is similar.
I assume that this a juniors department since behind the speech bubbles you see “me me me me me me me me me me me” all over the wall. What’s worse to me isn’t the “gimme stuff now” marketing to parents it’s the reinforcement to the generation of entitlement. While mom stands with the credit card buying Susie more clothes she can’t afford and Susie will wear a handful of times until it becomes unpopular, Susie stands and gazes up at the wall encouraged that it really is all about “me” and will always be about “me”.