consumerism
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The Price of the Holidays, When Cheer Meets Consumption
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In our culture, Christmas celebration seems to be a time of festive decadence, splurging on shopping, decorations, and treats — the entire Home Alone package. Yet, our corporate culture is partly responsible for crafting such an impression. Holiday films and advertisements play a role in supplanting this image, the excessive department store shopping in Elf and the always perfect Hallmark Christmas movie. During each holiday season, corporations and the media become giddy, raising profit margins and eagerly waiting to capture the glitz, glamour and financial success the celebration of Christmas has to offer.…
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‘Tis the Season to Consume
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If you ever want to experience true madness, just go shopping during the holiday season. Flocking through crowds in the mall, fighting over deals is nothing short of an Olympic sport. Online shopping is also a frenzy, with occasions like Cyber Monday causing flash sales that have caused popular sites to crash. In the spirit…
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The pressure to consume and why thrifting isn’t as great as we think
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As I’ve moved past my dreadful teenage years of fashion and started to care about my personal style more and more, I’ve also begun to realize that having a decent-sized wardrobe is incredibly wasteful and ethically concerning. The amount of clothes I’ve felt the need to buy based on passing urges is ridiculous. I’ve bought…
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Editorial: Think before you buy
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In a capitalist culture, our economy succeeds based on supply and demand. In order for it to thrive, stores need to sell and people need to purchase. In North America, we are incredibly lucky to live with the privilege of nearly instantaneous accessibility to all the things we need and want. Need groceries but don’t…
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Feminist poetry slam emphasizes the importance of an inclusive agenda
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“Understand that the poets are giving all that they’ve got. There’s going to be blood, but that’s okay,” Samantha Estoesta, University of Waterloo alumna and former executive director of LSPRIG, said on March 6 during a poetry slam at the University of Waterloo’s pub, The Bombshelter. “Spoken word, as a medium, is meant to be…
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University consumerism culture is an eye-opening example of cultural influence
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“I’m so out of touch with backpacks,” said The Cord’s own Arts & Life editor, Manjot Bhullar. Decontextualized, it’s an odd concern. But within the hyper-superficial, brand-powered environment of youth culture, everything a person uses to represent themselves is heavily calculated and therefore extremely susceptible to branding. This article began as a guide to white…
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