I have just read this Post called “The Upside of Useless Stuff”. I think this is just a summary of the full article published on Harvard Business Review, also related to a book published by Dan Ariely. You can Check it here. I didn’t read the full article, because I would have to pay, but I think the main idea is clear on the summary. So I decided to post something about the topic.

The idea here is that marketing and useless shit are good for the economy, because they makes us want to buy some of that shit and work to have it, increasing our productivity and making us work harder and harder, to produce more and more. Way beyond what the society really needs. And more importantly, way beyond what the planet can take. Obviously, the last part wasn’t stated on the article.  He made up this example:

Imagine that I started a business selling beautiful bottles of air for $10. I’d call them Respirer (ress-pire-AY—it’s French!). My advertisements would laud Respirer’s purity, evoking bracing mountain air. (Fewer than 10 parts per trillion of particulate in every bottle!) Celebrities would endorse Respirer’s rejuvenating effects. (Kate Winslet starts every day with Respirer!) In a matter of months, department stores would be selling out, and spas would brag that their saunas piped in pure Respirer air.

Respirer would be a runaway hit. Of course, it would be just air, and in most places you could get all the reasonably high-quality air you wanted free. So how could this clearly useless product have a beneficial effect on the economy? It would motivate people. By hyping Respirer, I’d give consumers something to want, and in order to be able to afford it, they’d have to work—to be productive.

This argument really reminds me of a wonderful song that really speaks for itself. I Will leave it here, hope you can understand Spanish.

SKA-P CONSUMO GUSTO

Back to the comment, why wouldn’t I present you some real bullshit? (I didn’t need to go that far, this was all from the same site. And believe me,  I didn’t made up those descriptions just for fun, they were actually there!)

100 Dollar Bill Printed Napkins Tissues Burn through fat stacks like it’s nothing when you set the dinner table with the hundred dollar bill napkins. Each napkin comes emblazoned with a hundred dollar bill graphic, so the financially challenged can feel like the rich while they eat their Ramen Noodles. 5.90$

 

 

Finger Plates Dinner parties are great – but how are you supposed to hold onto all that free finger food while still chugging down fancy wine? The answer are these genius finger plates that are great for holding onto h’orderves while still being able to hold your drink. 10$

 

 

 

Bubble Wrap Suit Prepare for space travel and pledge your allegiance to ZOLTAN! with the bubble wrap suit. Inspired by the space suits from “Dude Where’s My Car?”, this plastic suit envelops you from head to toe in bubble wrap that you’ll be hard pressed to not pop. 21.99$

 

 

 

LED Color Changing Showerhead Turn your morning showers into a fun psychedelic experience with the color changing shower head. Requiring no batteries or power, this unique shower head uses water pressure powered LED lights to transform the water into a cornucopia of color. 39.99$

 

 

Zombie Survival Kit! Improve your slim chances of survival once the virus takes over humanity by equipping yourself with this zombie apocalypse survival kit. It comes with everything from flashlights to waterproof matches in addition to informative life-saving literature. 125.00$

 

 

Motorized drink Cooler Don’t let a DUI license suspension stop you from enjoying the freedom of cruising around while drinking – with the motorized cooler scooter you can stay mobile while keeping your freedom fighting beers as cold as the rockies. ‘Murica salutes you.
799.99$

The same goes for the fever around this.

Etc…Etc…Etc…

Productivity, ah?! Look, I’m not trying to say that there is no logic behind the argument, I can see where they are coming from within the principles of the capitalist system, but the question is: Is that the society that we want?  A society that relies on manipulative means to convince you that you need something worthless to make you happy and where happiness is basically defined as having enough money to buy enough crap. The point is you will never be satisfied! You will always want more and more, because you are a human being. You are way more complex than simple materialism! You have other kinds of desires and aspirations that need to be full field to make you feel happy or even just kind of happy.

Capitalists will also tell you that a society with equal distributions of income won’t work, because we are some lazy ass bitches that need an incentive to work.  And to work harder and more productively, we need to believe that we are able to climb the stairs of success and get a better job, with a better wage, to increase our living standards. So apparently, if don’t have that incentive, we will not work and starve to death! Simply because we are so selfish that we would refuse to work for the good of others and everyone would live miserably…Really?! Is that what you think? Yes! Yes, I Know the URSS and Stalin and China… North Korea… etc… etc…Those are oppressive systems ruled by an elite, just like capitalism. I’m talking about something else… Came on, try to thing outside the box!

I known it might be hard, but try to free your mind from the chains of capitalism and imagine another world, where people behave and think guided by principles like equality and common good, instead of individuality and profit. Yes! Yes, I also know that I’m utopian… But remember, those principles were taught to you. You can be taught something else! Is that so hard to imagine?! A world where people can work for the common good?! And you might say: Oh! But then some assholes would just do nothing and rely on the work of others, that wouldn’t work! Well first, you still thinking capitalism. Yes, those fucking chains are strong. Second, isn’t that what they are already doing? Those assholes who fill their pockets with your money, in exchange for worthless bullshit that you don’t need?!

He also said:

“We are Good by Nature but Corrupted by Society”

So, let us be corrupted the right way!