consumer awareness

I ride my bike around town as much as possible—by the end of summer my calves will be bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. I also try to buy my produce at the farmer’s market and to support local businesses as much as I can. I buy modal cotton and other more sustainable textiles like hemp; I recycle and have a compost heap. With that said, however virtuously I attempt to live, I am still a big time consumer. I have heard the word “consumer” bantered around quite a bit lately, with fingers being pointed at the oil consumers and overzealous expensive shoe addict consumers and Mr. Biggest-house-on-the-block consumers, and the label has become an ugly, heavily connotative one. My belief is that no matter how much or little we consume and no matter where we point the finger, all living beings are consumers. To take away the negative connotation on this state of life imposed by birth humans must simply become aware consumers.

With the context of my rant set I would like to explain that I have been trying to observe my own reactions to advertising, specifically television commercials. I wouldn’t say that I watch an exorbitant amount of television myself, I would much rather read a book, but a good portion of my day is set to the soundtrack of Sports Center. (Once you know me even a little bit this should be funny in the heavily ironic sort of way). There have been a few commercials within the last month or so that have stuck with me—one of which I don’t even remember the product to (insurance or a travel agency or something?)! I just think it’s cute the way the little girl loves her daddy in the commercial. Another one was the Hulu.com commercial with Alec Baldwin—I was sideswiped by 30 Rock and have been on an Alec Baldwin kick ever since. The commercial I want to focus on however is a Verizon Hub commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geHh9y28drg is a link to the specific commercial, but you could probably find it right from youtube easily as well. I just did a basic google search and found it that way too. The first time I saw this commercial I said, “Awww, how cute! That hub thing is really cool!” My friends cracked up. See, I already have Verizon, but I’m unhappy with their service. That product, in conjunction with the “super cute” commercial, almost convinced me to stay with Verizon. It got me, so to speak. I don’t need to spend money on a new phone and I have no need for any type of fancy high tech gadget, however…….

Why did this commercial make me feel good? The kitchen setting is light and airy with expensive, stainless steel appliances. Light colors in combination with what is a dream kitchen for many, implies security and safety. There’s a French press partially full of coffee and dishes on the counter which implies that despite the wealth, the character on the screen is still relatable. He still loads his dishwasher from the front and shaves his face in front of the mirror every day. I think that the intimacy implied by the character “sending his wife a new route” while he drank orange juice from their carton was the part that got me, along with the cheesy background music. The commercial is set to the apparently new pop classic, “I am yours” by Jason Mraz. I didn’t know that until I looked it up, but the song still made me a little gushy. I drive myself crazy—why do I have to go and be a girl all the time?

I also like things to be ordered; as much as I want to be a hostel hopping, rinse-her-underwear-in-Woolite-every-few day’s kind of gal, I just can’t. I like to plan ahead and see where I am at all times. Yes, I do know that this is impractical, especially for an aspiring travel journalist….or really for a human being for that matter. I am working on it, although I doubt I will ever be anything other than a buy-a-new-pack-if-there’s-no-washer kind of girl. Having a schedule with a route and a house full of nice stuff and someone to forget to pack your umbrella….that is what U.S. American culture has raised me to think of as the state of fulfillment. I am aware of this, I am also aware that I don’t really need all of that stuff to feel secure. I have been comfortable and safe my entire life and I am still an insecure basket case. Security is something only I can provide for myself. As such I will continue to enjoy the soppiness of the commercial, but I will not let myself be sucked into their fantasy world that they are peddling. By being aware of how the commercial makes me feel, I can do my part to really ascertain whether I need a product, or if I am just being a girl. Most things, whether I understand how the commercial makes me feel or not, I don’t need.