You Shouldn't Have; No, Really, You Shouldn't Have - December 18, 2007

 

When getting a gift, we're often told, "It's the thought that counts," suggesting that it doesn't matter what we buy, as long as we buy something. Well, if Reverend Billy has anything to say about it, we won't be buying anything. "Reverend Billy" is the nom du theatre of performance artist Bill Talen, who founded the Church of Stop Shopping. His gospel of anti-consumerism became serious when he attacked a certain mouse-headed corporation for its "Disneyfication" of New York's Times Square, and Starbucks for driving out small local businesses in the name of creating a "fake Bohemia." It's not that Billy is anti-capitalist; instead, he stands for a "real human experience" and against corporations that seek to homogenize or erase the uniqueness of small mom 'n' pop stores in the name of efficiency and profit. So before you make that last-minute rush to the mall this week, ask yourself if you're doing all that shopping just for shopping's sake. And pause to think if your purchase will be the one that brings on the Shopocalypse. Suggested Sites... Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping - songs, interventions, and help for the shopaholic in your life. What Would Jesus Buy? - official site for the documentary about Billy's work. Is it heresy to buy a ticket? Stay Away From the Mall, Say Hallelujah! - even the capitalists at Money Magazine have to agree with Billy sometimes. Reverend Billy Preaches on Shopocolypse Tour of the Country - repent while there's still time, consumers! The Stop Shopping Monitor - blog detailing daily actions and works by the Church.