Stay Free!: The Book

Ad Nauseum is a brand new book about consumer culture from my friends at the Stay Free!. It's a collection of new items along with material from their fantastic and sadly defunct Stay Free! Magazine, which was a consistently smart & funny critique of marketing/advertising. Find out more HERE.

Mass consumption visualized.

Artist Chris Jordan talks about his large scale photographs documenting and visualizing our mass consumer culture...

Chris Jordan at Gel 2007 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Made in China

Not long ago, Sara Bongiorni wrote a book about trying to live without using anything manufactured in China called "A year without `Made in China'" not so much as an idealistic stance against fair-trade, job loss or trade deficits, but just to see if it could be done.

In this short film, independent filmmaker Prajna Core explores the same theme through a fast-paced collage of items Made in China found around Prajna's home.

I Melt For No One?

Am I the only one that finds this deeply disturbing on many levels?

News Roundup

Here are a bunch of news stories I've been meaning to post about for a while...

From the New York Times (thanks Kris):

Wal-Mart's social manifesto?

"Rethinking The Meat-Guzzler." [graphic left]

From the Wall Street Journal (thanks Mica):

Greewashing ads scrutinized by world.

From the Christian Science Monitor:

"Legless artist documents the world in 32,000 stares"

From Ode Magazine:

Solar cooking in Bhutan

Green Travel Special Report

Illustrated Obsessive Consumption

Artist Kate Bingaman-Burt has been documenting her consumer purchases with a lovely daily illustration for several years. You can keep track of them all on her blog Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today.

Thanks Mica!

Theater of Democracy

One of my clients, The Foundry Theatre, is producing an intriguing experimental play about democracy and consumerism titled Democracy In America (a reference to the classic de Tocqueville work). Since November 26th they've been allowing the public to determine every aspect of the show (from lighting cues to plotlines) by purchasing them. The market closes on February 14th after which they will create a show from what they've been given and present it starting April 1st, 2008 at P.S.122 in NYC. Find out more about the show (or take part) at BuyDemocracy.com.

The Story of Stuff

The Story of Stuff, created by folks at Free Range Studios, is an entertaining 20 minute lecture on consumption by Annie Leonard, who spent 10 years studying where stuff comes from and where it goes. Leonard explains the problems of a linear production system in clear language with simple graphics that make the issues easy to understand, now if only it reaches beyond the already informed audiences that will most likely encounter it first. Watch or download it from the resource filled website created by HERE.

The link between low self-esteem and materialism.

A recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research finds a direct relationship between self-esteem and materialism in children and adolescents. From a recent Science Daily article:

Lan Nguyen Chaplin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Deborah Roedder John (University of Minnesota) show that the relationship appears to more than just a correlation, but a causal relationship -- low self esteem causes increased materialism and raising self esteem decreases materialism.

They found that even a simple gesture to raise self esteem dramatically decreased materialism, which provides a way to cope with insecurity: "By the time children reach early adolescence, and experience a decline in self-esteem, the stage is set for the use of material possessions as a coping strategy for feelings of low self-worth," they write.

Read more HERE.

Thanks Stephanie!

What Would Jesus Buy?

Just in time for the holidays, What Would Jesus Buy is a documentary about Reverand Billy's radical anti-consumerism campaign from Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame...


via Word Soup

The truth about Ronald McDonald.

This image has been around for a while, but I just ran into it the other day, and it's satisfying to me on so many levels. I wonder what Miss McDonald has been up to this last couple of years.

via DieYoungAndSaveYourself

Shopdropping: Call for Entries

Ryan Watkins-Hughes from Shopdropping.net sends this Call for Entries (too bad I'm too old to participate!)...

SHOPDROPPING.NET is currently seeking 20 artists in their twenties for
a new project that will consist of an upcoming book and exhibition. 20/20
will profile each artist and copies of the limited edition book will
be shopdropped into bookstores throughout the world.

In the spirit of shopdropping, we are seeking artists who are
exploring new forms and pushing boundaries within their field. Bands
and musicians with hard to define genres, Internet filmmakers and
compulsive bloggers, curators and gallerists working out of their
homes, post-vinyl dj's and digital vj's, actors and writers working
outside of film, theater, and television, artist collectives, culture
jammers, and other hard-to-define creative minds are in demand.

To be considered for this project please submit examples of your work
via web link to:

submissions AT shopdropping.net

DO NOT send jpgs, mp3s, or other file types directly. Links only please.

Please repost this information and pass it along to anyone who may be
interested. A deadline will be announced soon.

For additional information please see:

http://www.shopdropping.net
http://www.shopdropping.net/2020.html

Ikea Sleepover Party?

In some kind of creepy ultimate consumerist fantasy the Ikea flagship store in Oslo has opened a hostel in it's warehouse for shoppers who just can't leave. There's even a bridal suite. Read the details in The Guardian.

via Boing Boing

NYC 2057AD

According to designer/director Stephen W. Brandt's short animated film "nyc 2057ad" the future of dating will be determined by your personal corporate sponsor. Watch it here.

News Roundup

A few more great stories from the Christian Science Monitor:

• The Donkey Health and Welfare Project helps the often under appreciated pack animal in Ethiopia.
• Chocolate, yet another product that fuels war in Africa.
• "Can 'Green Chic' save the planet?"

About the Monitor

Czech Dream

What happens when you trick a city into thinking you're building the first big box store in the region? Apparently you get that the crap beat out of you. At least that's what happens to the people behind the documentary Czech Dream (which is now playing in select US cities). Color me intrigued to find out the whole story...



via Stay Free

Shameless Commercialism part II

If you enjoy the site, you'll love the shirt! I've made a new Another Limited Rebellion T-shirt (and mug) from the lovely calligraphy created for me in Istanbul. And hey, I get a whopping $2 dollars if you buy one, so just consider it an over-sized tip jar if you like. You can get 'em here.

And you can still get an old school ALR tee here.

Community Supported Consumptiton

SustainLane is a new community based online directory of green products and services, where you can search for reviews and/or add your own. While still in it's early stages (a query for Sun Screen pulled up only 3 items), it has the potential to be a great resource for folks who want to know more before they shop.

The folks behind SustainLane also provide sustainability rankings for the 50 biggest US cities; as well as government focused site; and even an animated series called The UnSustainables.

Gap's "For Kids By Kids" on Onion News Network

Gap Unveils New 'For Kids By Kids' Clothing Line

Fuck Shopping

My Dads Strip Club [sic] makes no bones about their politics. The home page for this performance/activism group says "Fuck Shopping" and the site records amusing anti-consumerist actions done by them across the UK and Finland. The entry for a recent action called Fuck Coke features a video of people simulating sex with vending machines with the lovely strap-on Coke bottle shown left.

via Sum1

Visualizing Mass Consumption

I love the striking works of Chris Jordan which document the mass quantities of goods that make up our consumer culture. His most recent series, Running The Numbers, consists of giant stylized depictions of various quantities (pictured: "Cell Phones", which shows the number of cell phones retired every day in the US [426,000] and a detail view of the same image). His earlier series Intolerable Beauty is made up of actual landscapes of consumer items. All of his work can be seen on his site here.

Thanks Mim!

Hearst Gets Greener

Hearst made quite a statement last year with the opening of it's entirely green NYC headquarters.
This week they have announced a new consumer website which will be entirely focused on earth-friendly living called The Daily Green (link).

The Daily Green will be a one-stop Web destination where the fast-growing community of green consumers can find each other and everything they need to know to embrace a more energy-conscious, natural foods-oriented and environment-friendly lifestyle.

The Daily Green will feature daily eco-tips; the day’s key national and international environmental news; advice on how to enjoy a more sustainable life with smart energy and product choices; delicious recipes for meals and school lunches that are more hormone- and pesticide-free, compassionately raised and “as local-as-available”; and ideas for creating a more toxin-free home. While content will be an important element of The Daily Green, it is the community of followers of the green movement that will inform the sensibility of the site. For example, Weird Weather Watch, a user-generated photoblog of climate change snapped by backyard environmentalists and camera phone climatologists will be an important feature, as will user-submitted recipes and tips. In addition, the site will give a voice to the leaders of the country’s most important environmental organizations through blog postings and site links.

The beta version will launch on Earth Day, April 22 2007. Check back here for further investigation at that time!

Until then you can go read
more about the Hearst Tower (Link)

The Counterfeit Crochet Project

As a commentary on mass produced consumer goods the Counterfeit Crochet Project encourages crafty folks to make handmade versions of high fashion handbags. The results are being displayed on CCP creator Stephanie Syjuco's blog Anti-Factory.

via Veer

Solar Powered Bible

I'm at a bit of a loss on this solar powered item:

If you have ever wanted to read the Bible from cover to cover but found yourself without the time necessary to sit and read, your prayers have been answered. Our Talking Bible allows you to simply push a button and listen to a pleasant human voice read the complete Bible both Old and New Testaments, or to go to a specific book and chapter to hear a specific verse.

Imagine listening to the Bible as you meditate, sew, garden, relax...and it's a God send for the vision impaired. Powering this Bible is easy as well as all you need to do is place it near a light source and it recharges.

I guess I'm glad that they've recognizing the need to shift away from the old global warming inducing fossil fuel powered bibles.

Regulated Green

The book It's Easy Being Green includes this handy list of "green" terms to help consumers parse real environmental benefit from mere greenwashing on product lables:

Defined and Regulated
Green Seal
Animal Care Certified (eggs)**
Dolphin-safe
Free Farmed (dairy products, eggs, poultry, meat)
Organic --- Certified
NutriClean
Transitional (farm)
Green-e (re: energy/power)
Totally Chlorine-Free-Certified
Sustainable Forestry-Certified
Energy Star Rated
Wildcrafted or Wildharvested-Certified

Defined and Unregulated
Biodegradeable
Recyclable
Recycled
Cage Free
GMO Free or GE Free
No Antibiotics Used or Raised Without Antibiotics
Natural (meat and poultry)
CFC Free
Ozone Safe or Ozone Friendly
Recycled
CFC Free (personal-care products)
Low Emissions Vehicles

Undefined and Unregulated
Green
Natural
No Hormones Administered
Pesticide Free, No Pesticide Residue
rBGH Free or rBST Free (dairy)
Clean (re: energy/power)
Green ((re: energy/power)
Renewable (re: energy/power)
Chemical Free
Chlorine Free
No or Low VOCs
Nontoxic
Phosphate Free
Tree Free
Energy Efficient
Refurbished or Remanufactured
Recyclable
Fluoride Free
Recycled
Wildcrafted or Wildharvested -Uncertified
Fuel Efficient
Composite

Attribute
Reclaimed or recovered
Reusable
Used
Solar Powered
Biodiesel
Electric
Fuel Cell Powered
Hybrid
Reclaimed, Recovered or Salvaged

Pending
Free Range, Free Roaming or Pasture Raised (beef, pork)
Grass Fed
No Hormones Administered (beef)
LCD (Appliances, Home Electronics and Lighting)

Alert:
**Beware of "Animal Care Certified." This label is sponsored by the United Egg Producers, who allow hens to be caged in an area smaller than a sheet of copy paper for their entire lives.

via Care2, thanks Melinda!

Better Thinking, the magazine.

The folks who brought you the perfect T-shirt, Better Thinking are now trying their hand at making the perfect magazine. The 1st online issue, with it's easily digestible stories on sustainable businesses and products is free so they're off to a good start. Read it here.