The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need

http://www.mediaed.org

In this powerful new video, Juliet Schor scrutinizes what she calls "the new consumerism"--a national phenomenon of upscale spending that is shaped and reinforced by a commercially-driven media system. She argues that "keeping up with the Joneses" is no longer enough for middle and upper-middle class Americans, many of whom become burdened with debilitating debt as they seek to emulate materialistic TV lifestyles.

Drawing on her academic research, Schor explains the cultural forces that cause Americans to work longer hours and spend more than they can afford in order to participate in a consumption competition with others. The video illustrates with numerous examples how more and more products are being used as social communicators to demonstrate material success. The Overspent American challenges the inevitability of the consumer lifestyle by proposing alternatives to the work and spend cycle that has so many Americans feeling trapped and unfulfilled. The video draws attention to--and ultimately raises serious questions about--the costs (both financial and societal) of relentlessly searching for happiness and identity through consumption.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• MEF
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• Literacy
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• Mass
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• Sut
• Jhally
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• Schor
• Consumerism
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• Activism

[postformal]

"Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."

-Fight Club

[UcanbeGOD]

The things you own end up owning you.

[TheDR196]

anyone know where i can watch this without paying?

[rhocassiopeiae]

So once americans have fulfill their basic need, there was no longer a drive to keep working, and without work....the american economy will collapse? So the new drive was luxury. Luxury kept the monetary system going forward in America. So now people are juts realizing that they are working to get luxurries that they dont need, and some have lost that drive. Oh, so then, now we are being bankrupt out of our homes, so that we will have that drive to work again?

[chewbacca1010]

@mikeypoo911 I'm not contesting Warren's research, merely pointing out that this video here is merely a part of the larger whole. You claim that this video is easy conjecture and yet you're not even willing to look at it within its larger context, so tell me, why should anyone bother to listen to your recommendations?

[mikeypoo911]

@chewbacca1010

and warren's decades of research dont mean anything?

Go look at some data that shows what actual americans spend money on. The vast majority of it is housing, transportation, and taxes. not exactly discretionary spending. And housing prices have skyrocketed while income levels have not really changed much.

Honestly. Go watch elizabeth warrens lecture "death of the middle class".

[chewbacca1010]

@mikeypoo911 I hate to break it to you, but this is a snippet of a whole documentary which is in turn based on decades of Schor's research, so perhaps you ought to retract your final statement.

[jimbobanalbeats]

@msungs Ayn Rand was a sociopath.

[mikeypoo911]

I think its easy to point at consumerism and blame this american dream / consumer society for all of these problems of debt and forclosure etc etc. but the fact is people (adjusting for inflation) spend significantly LESS on goods than they did a generation ago. you guys should go watch the Elizabeth Warren lecture on the death of the middle class which is backed by 30 years of hard data and not easy conjecture.

[divinagoettel22]

i want to see this movie!! going to check out in webmovietube

[ThatSmartHotGuy]

@xMarucsFenixX That's probably why about 95% of teachers in the public school system suck so badly. All the people who would actually be good teachers are able to get much better jobs where they are payed more and are more greatly appreciated.