Tina’s Consumerism Blog

As much as I hate to say it, Schor’s Overspent American definitely described me in some aspects.  I buy tons of stuff that I really don’t need.  For instance, just a couple of weeks ago I shelled out $50 for the new video game Fallout 3.  While the game is a ton of fun, there was a lot of stuff I could’ve bought instead that I probably needed more.  I know part of the reason I got it was to show it off to all of my gamer friends (visible lifestyle!), who were quite jealous, but I also spent way more money than I meant to on that shopping trip.

That’s why I admire the downshifters so much.  It has to take an insane amount of self control to do that.  I like to think of myself as someone who does pretty good with material needs vs. wants, but then I do something stupid like buy a $50 game when I know I shouldn’t. This book actually brought me down a few times, because as much as we’d like to think that we know better than to overspend, we all do it anyway.  And it’s just the way that our society works at this point.  I hope that our prioties somehow get straightened out, and soon.

Wal-Mart Field Work

I have to start off by saying how much I hate Wal-Mart.  As someone with an anxiety disorder, nothing gets me more stressed than entering a Wal-Mart supercenter.  I guess it’s a combination of the insane amount of self-absorbed people paying no attention to anyone around them, the advertisements blaring on televisions all over, the blindingly flourescent lighting, and the overwhelming amount of products to consume.  It just sends my brain into overdrive, and it’s awful.  But I took one for the team (and my grades) and went into my own personal hell on Friday, dragging a friend along with me to share the horror with.

Most stores are usually pretty empty at 2 PM on weekdays.  But not Wal-Mart, which seems to be crowded 24/7.  The customers were from all different ethnicities, but they all appeared to be from the lower or middle economic classes.  That’s the group who Wal-Mart appeals to, with their “rollback” prices.  However, for most items that I’ve priced that I’d actually buy, Wal-Mart is usually only a few cents cheaper than other stores. (They wouldn’t want me to tell you that.)  Therefore I usually will go elsewhere to avoid Wal-Mart induced panic attacks.

The one good thing I will say about Wal-Mart is that it is defintely the place for “one-stop shopping.”  They had stuff I didn’t even know existed, like the fan that attaches to your iPod and is completely gimmicky, in my opinion.  So as you buy completely useless products, you can also get food, gardening supplies, toys, makeup, and whatever else you need all under one roof.  They were even pulling out the Christmas decorations so you could get in the holiday spirit as well.  Or in my case, roll my eyes and shake my head.

It never made any sense to me when people would build in areas that were so easily susceptible to landslides, flooding, fires, and other natural disasters.  However, upon reading the last parts of Adam Rome’s “The Bulldozer in the Countryside,” it makes more sense that it’s all about money.  Despite the imminent danger that you’re putting yourself, your family, and your belongings in, the location is great!  And for developers, good location means good money.  Even if you lose your home due to Mother Nature, you can rebuild on the exact same spot by shelling out even more money.  I don’t understand why people would time and time again put themselves in these areas that are easily susceptible to natural disasters just for aesthetic looks.  To me, I’d rather be in a safe location where the chances of my house becoming a river barge are slim!

However, it is good that there are pieces of land-use legislation that are protecting not only the environment but people as well.  My sister works in the environmental sector of the Justice Department, so I hear more about these environmental laws than I ever need to know!  I imagine that with the current trend of “going green,” even more of this legislation will be passed.

I listen to music whenever possible.  So when my sister got me these Skullcandy headphones for my birthday, I was pretty stoked.  Not only do they look really cool, but the sound quality is great.  They also come in a ton of different styles and colors, so you can get the style that best suits you.

Now these headphones aren’t cheap, but for me they are worth the money.  Target and Circuit City both sell the style I have for $34.99, but there are also cheaper ones available if you don’t feel like shelling out that much for a pair of headphones.

The whole idea of “coolhunts” is overall disturbing to me, and something I was never aware of before.  For me, as soon as they find these kids who are clearly trying hard to form their own identity with their clothing and whatnot, these coolhunters take that away from them by marketing it to the rest of the age group.  If I were one of these kids, I’d be pretty pissed!

One of the things most disturbing about the book was how hard the women tried to fit in with the teenagers in order to understand them better.  Something just seems creepy to me about a 30+ year old woman acting like a 16 year old, regardless if she’s only doing it for marketing purposes or not.  It’s clear that they are targeting a specific type of teenager, because not all teenagers are how these adults view them.  It always annoyed me a few years ago, and I’m sure it’s just as annoying to those who are teens now.

Another thing that stuck out to me in the reading was when the kid put a shoe back simply because it was by Reebok.  Have we really gotten that superficial?!  Heck, half of my clothing in grade school was either hand me downs or from WalMart, and I usually got more compliments than the kids who went to the high end stores.  It’s surprising to me that anyone would really care that much about a stupid label.

In the film, I’m pretty sure I smirked through the entire segment about MTV.  When I was 13, I loved MTV!  But at that point they also still played music (albeit, this was increasingly rare).  My dad cut cable for about 5 years, so I missed the obliteration of the ‘M’ from ‘MTV.’  Boy was it a shock when I saw the channel again at 18 years old.  It was like watching a gigantic infomercial with some of the dumbest reality shows ever created spliced in!  It’s no wonder MTV is considered “uncool” nowadays; it’s nothing but a bunch of executives trying to push products and music that they think are cool down the throats of impressionable teens.  So I’d like to thank my dad for cutting cable in my house and getting cable internet instead, I found much better music and products that way!

I’ve been a Radiohead fan for years now.  Not only do I have all of their albums and album b-sides, I own all their solo projects and even the demos they made when they were called On A Friday.  Formed in 1986, they hit mainstream radio with “Creep” in 1993.  This album, which was released in 2007, made headlines again because the band put it on their website and allowed people to pay as much as they wanted for the download.  You could even get it for free if you so wished.  I, being the diehard fan that I am, paid $7 for my download and haven’t stopped listening to it since.

It’s hard to lump Radiohead into one specific genre.  As I usually tell people, Radiohead can be any genre they feel like.  In Radiobows is no different.  The album starts out with “15 Step” which is a heavily electronic/drum ‘n’ bass track, then launches into “Bodysnatchers,” a guitar driven track.  Then it glides into “Nude,” which is slow and ballad-like.  And that’s just the first three tracks!

Radiohead’s music was recently put onto iTunes, so you can now buy all of their albums for $9.99.  They are also available anywhere music is sold, such as Wal-Mart, Target, or Circuit City.

Spotsylvania Mall Review

Since my dad was in town, I went with him to do my report on the Spotsylvania Mall.  I hadn’t been since freshman year and he hadn’t been at all, so it was a fun experience for us both.  The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the handy map they had at the main entrance.  It helped us plan out a route to take and to see what sort of stores the shopping center had.

The layout and ambience of the mall was aesthetically pleasing.  Light jazz music played, it was well lit, very clean, and the main hallways were painted in neutral tones.  However, when we reached the main hallways where all the stores were, my senses were overwhelmed with perfumes, a jumble of music from the different stores, and a rainbow of colors.  The halls appeared to always end in a major chain store such as Macy’s or JC Penny’s, probably so that shoppers would stop at other stores on their way to the more popular ones.  There were also koisks of small vendors and seating areas located in the middle of the large halls.  There was something for everyone, regardless of class, race, or age.  My dad remarked that he wanted a bit of everything, especially when we reached the Redskins store.

We stopped at the food area, which is one of the best parts of malls.  You don’t have to stop shopping just because of hunger.  It had TVs and advertising to lure you into buying more stuff as you watch the economy flounder on CNN.  My dad was offered a free sample from the Fortune Wok, which ultimately helped him take a leap into consumerism and buy some of their food.  This food area also had restrooms, so you could spend an entire day shopping without having to leave.  And for your rowdy kids, they had play areas.  There was even a mini playground, but to my dismay I was about two feet too tall to climb on.

This is a good example of malls in America and how they are designed to lure shoppers in.  Unlike areas like Central Park, everything is under one roof with restrooms and food areas provided.  It’s a wonder people even leave!

Being sick is awful, especially when you can’t get rid of whatever you have (like me right now).  The UMW health center did absolutely nothing to help me, and that’s where my good friends stepped in.  For just 79 cents a can, they purchased 3 cans of Campbell’s classic chicken noodle soup to donate to the Tina Feels Like She’s Dying Fund.  And let me tell you, it hit the spot.  Despite having a ton of sodium and not being the healthiest of soups, it’s the best thing ever when you have the flu.  Also, it’s a cheap comfort food that’s available anywhere food is sold such as WalMart or Giant.

So next time you’re sick, reach for that can of Campbell’s.  It’s Mmm mmm good, even if it doesn’t actually cure your illness.

Alison Isenberg’s Downtown America has made me giggle, cock my head to one side in confusion, and roll my eyes in disgust, and I’m not even finished reading it yet.  The marketing schemes and the stereotypes are both just astounding to comprehend.

For instance, the postcards.  I knew some of the photos had to have been manipulated, but WOW.  The extent to which they edited the photos is borderline false advertising.  You have to wonder what the people who decided where to travel to based on these postcards thought.  “Honey, I KNOW we took a wrong turn somewhere!” would be my first words.

The stereotypes of blacks and other minorities was disturbing, to say the least.  It’s stupid that people actually thought the color of someone’s skin or what country they were from determined the land value of that area.  However that was the way of the country then, and those being stereotyped against really didn’t have a voice to speak out.  The community organizers wanted to make sure their downtown would be how they wanted it to be, discriminatory or not.  It was nice to see that the people who were ignored by the mainstream society formed their own downtowns and community leadership.

William Reilly’s Law of Retail Gravitation was quite interesting.  It must have been surprising to men to see someone state that women were rational (oh my) and not entirely dependent on men (good heavens!).  Giving women this new look probably helped them commercially, as store owners would know better how to advertize toward them.  It was pretty cool that he showed the shopping patterns of women, and how many shopped in the more metropolitan areas, which helped the smaller local businessmen.

The downtowns were definitely hit pretty hard by the depression.  Being faced with your store being demolished must have been terrible.  I can’t even imagine losing something I’d put years of hard work into.  Frederick Babcock also seemed like a bright ray of sunshine, predicting that the downtown would have even more issues in the future. While it was true that correct appraisals and more market research could have help dampen the blow of the stock market crash, there was no way to have known that it would happen.

Downtown Fredericksburg Report

It was a misty afternoon, definitely not good weather for walking around downtown.  I can’t blame those who stayed at home, but I know that if I want to go shopping, I’ll go as long as the weather doesn’t put my life in danger.

Lauren, Lorelei, and I headed into the store A Place In Time first.  One thing to say about this store:  BRANDING.  Vera Bradley products are about 75% of the goods sold here.  The walls were pink, and light jazz music was playing quietly, but there were only a few customers other than me and my classmates and they were all women.  This store was most certainly geared toward women, with purses and other bags, body products, home decor, and chocolate.  It’s like the grown woman’s equivalent of a McDonald’s playland.  Lauren became a consumer and bought a belt that was 60% off, and we laughed about how well their marketing technique had worked.

Next, we headed across the street to Riverby Books, a used book store.  I remember spending hours in this store during my freshman year.  It’s an old building, which works with all of the old books inside, and it’s taken good care of.  Music from the 60’s was playing, and the store was brightly lit.  There were also a few more customers, both men and women.  One of my favorite parts of the building is the upstairs, where there is seating.  It’s here where you can really appreciate the antique building.  The books, which vary from barely read to a hundred years old, are arranged in a way that shows off both the products and the building itself.  Again, I could spend ages inside.

We then headed down the street to the Hope Co. Boutique.  There was only an elderly saleslady inside.  The store was definitely geared toward older women.  Old ragtime music was playing, and old pictures of celebrities such as Cary Grant, Nat King Cole, and Marilyn Monroe hung on the wall.  The products being sold were clothing, shoes, bags, gloves, hats, jewelry, undergarments, and perfumes.  I found it interesting that there were fitting rooms, as I hadn’t seen fitting rooms in many other shops downtown.

Then we went into heaven, also known as the Fudge Factory.  It’s quite possibly my favorite place in Fredericksburg.  More candy than you can shake a stick at!  Like many of the other stores in downtown, it has retained the antiquity of the building, and works with it by putting all of the candies in old-school candy jars.  At first I thought they were playing Motown music upon hearing the Jackson 5, but when the next song came on I realized they were playing songs that mentioned candy in them.  I thought this was hilariously awesome.  We also got free fudge samples, which again, nearly tempted me to buy some.  However, I kept my money, knowing that I needed to purchase something at the next store.

That next store was the Picker’s Supply, a seedy looking shop.  It’s dimly lit with no music, but looking at the clientele, there are definitely more male patrons than female.  Seeing me there was probably a surprise to the employees, but I needed a capo for my guitar.  The employees were friendly though, and helped me pick out the right capo.  One thing that we found out was that they put their logo on their bags, so any customers can be walking advertisements.

Overall the trip downtown was a fun excursion.  It would have been a bit more interesting if the weather was better, but you can’t have everything.

The last section of Strasser’s book and the discussion of classes in home economics for women instantly reminded me of the short movie from my favorite TV show of all time, and what I spent the first 10 years of my life obsessed over, Mystery Science Theater 3000.  This educational film was originally from 1951, this episode from around 1991.

The discussion of stamps starting on page 242 was another thing that caught my attention.  I hadn’t been aware of the country’s “stamp fever” before.  It shows how fast any gimmick to get people to consume can work.  I’m not surprised that it caught on though; from the company’s point of view it brings in more business, and from the customer’s point of view it gives back a bit for what you pay for.  It also shows how those store credit cards that I had to constantly ask customers about at my job at TJMaxx got started!

I’ve been an avid fan of the Sims games since the very first one was released back in 1999.  I mean, who doesn’t want to play God with tiny cyber people?  Users control every aspect of their Sims, from what they do for a living and who they marry to their hairstyle and what they wear.  It’s the ultimate video game for control freaks.

A far cry from the 2D Sims 1 experience, which included hilariously awful preset faces, the Sims 2 allows users to shape every detail of your sims’ faces, clothes, and personalities.  Of course, with this new power, it is obligatory to see exactly how hideously atrocious you can make a sim.  Like this, um, thing:

Quite possibly the ugliest sim ever created.

They even have aspirations, which determine what goals they want to achieve in their short, binary code lives.  For instance, a sim with the family aspiration may want to have 3 of their children graduate from college, while a sim with the fortune aspiration would want to earn 100,000 simoleans (the monetary unit in the game) in the course of their lifetime.

The latest expansion pack is Apartment Life, which gives players the options of moving their sims into apartments, something which players have been requesting for years.  The wait was definitely worth it.  The best thing about apartments is the ability to have neighbors in such close proximity, so meeting new people and making new friends is much easier.  However, it’s also easier to get annoyed with neighbors, as I found with the new twist of noise pollution.  Too of my poor sims have had to ask their neighbors to cut down their music at three in the morning.

Along with many fun new objects, the expansion adds new interactions.  For instance, the sims can now wash their faces and brush their teeth with new medicine cabinets.  Instead of going to the gym or buying exercise equipment, they can get fit by jumping rope in the comfort of their home.  They can also get room mates if the rent becomes too much, which throws a fun new twist on the home experience.

On the whole I think this is the best expansion pack for the Sims, and it sort of makes me sad that this will be the last one for this installment of the Sims.  Why?  Because next year, The Sims 3 will be released.  But never fear, all of the Sims 2 games, as well as the complete set of Sims 1 games, are available at any store, including Wal-Mart, Target, Circuit City, and Amazon.com.