Baby Gucci and the Death of Self-Governance
Kerry Howley | April 7, 2008, 10:35am
Because nothing sells like contempt for other people's consumption choices, Pamela Paul has written a book called PARENTING, INC. How We Are Sold on $800 Strollers, Fetal Education, Baby Sign Language, Sleeping Coaches, Toddler Couture, and Diaper Wipe Warmers — And What It Means for Our Children. From Kate Zernike's New York Times review:
As Pamela Paul chronicles in her occasionally frightening account, “Parenting, Inc.,” my generation of parents has fallen into the grips of Big Baby. Pushed by a host of factors — the guilt and exhaustion of working parents, the dispersion of family networks that once passed knowledge from generation to generation, the pressure of admissions from preschool to college, and a culture that worships all things celebrity (including its offspring) — we are intimidated or bamboozled into buying all sorts of goods and services that we not only don’t need, but that may harm our children...
“It may sound like a leap to go from baby toys to the death of democracy, but it’s a valid concern,” she approvingly quotes a child advocate saying. “A democratic populace relies on people who know how to think critically, who are willing and able to take action.”
The pictured diamond-studded, democracy-killing faux nipple can be had for a mere $17,000.
Jonathan Hohensee | April 7, 2008, 12:41pm | #
One of my favorites along those lines are the folks at 2600 Magazine and their Off the Hook radio show, "the Libertarians just want the government to get weak enough for The Corporations to take over."
oops, I never actually posted the quotes;
"Even before you baby is born, a diaper arrives on your doorsteps, courtesy of Pampers. Once he opens his eyes, his childhood will be a whirlwind of logos and ads. School will be themed with endless commercials from sponsors. His heroes and role models will encourage him to buy products, By adolescence, he will have
lost most of his original thoughts and emotions; he will look for his cues from the marketers who have been with him from the beginning of his life to decide how is to look, act, and feel.
"We went to Costco to procure supplies for a big party. We had an extensive list to satisfy; grub, booze, etc. As we were navigating the crowded aisles, my stress was skyrocketing. Costco's massive excess - food, electronics and clothing - was in total contraction of how we want to lie our lives. All of these people pushing their overflowing carts and trailers about with blank expressions: it was depressing. Not to mention the awful choices we were making - paper plates, plastic cups and imported Mexican beer [wait, what?]. Every item on our list was irresponsible.
I was humiliated
No amount of justification -and we tried -could assuage my guilt when measured against my hypocritical regard for people with trophy homes and SUVs. Wrong is wrong, no matter to what degree. We need to do better."
"Six months ago...a friend showed me the undercover factory farm videos at Meat.org. They painted a different picture than the one I was taught by the "farmers" who visited us in the third grade and held a petting zoo so we could see the chickens pecking with their whole beaks still atached and pigs happily grunting and rooting in the stray. The farmers handed out coloring books and fun facts about where our food comes from.
BigAgra starts brainwashing from a young age; eat your meat, eat your meat, eat your meat. Every commercial break, a hamburger or meat sandwich. And milk? It does a body good. Got milk? Here's my favorite celebrity with milk on her face. She's smart. She's not going to get osteoporosis. I want to be smart too. Why would Seventeen Magazine lie to me?
I'm in my at the deceptions of corporations and big industries. They're poising the food supply, telling me what I have to consume and selling me my own identity. I didn't think marketing affected me. I didn't see how the messages were sinking in. Normalizing the abnormal
Justifying the absurd.
and, my favorite;
"Dear Adbusters,
I had the pleasure of reading the Big Ideas (Adbusters #75) by candlelight while spending a few days alone in the rainforest we're working to regenerate."
