Pink and Programmed
An Artist's Rage Against Consumer Culture and the Myths of Holiday Tradition
As with everything American, we take designated holidays beyond their original intent. It has become an opportunity to manipulate the public into buying things they really don’t need, all in the name of showing appreciation for the holiday flavor of the month.
Do we need reminders to acknowledge our mothers and fathers? Do we need reminders to tell our loved ones we care about them, or is Valentine’s Day it? Do we need a holiday to remind us to be thankful for all we have, while marketing ignores those who have little? Don’t get me started on that December holiday that leads to diminished funds for months. What the hell is wrong with us?
Americans spend an obscene amount of money on the accouterments that accompany each holiday. In the name of American capitalism, we are to spend our hard-earned money on economic growth that, lately, does not benefit us.
People are going broke to ensure their loved ones have a good holiday, and for what? So that large corporations can make their investors happy at the expense of the regular consumer, most of whom live paycheck to paycheck. Why does love have to involve material possessions or financial transactions?
Is it not enough to be with family and/or friends, share good food, conversation, laughter, music, art, dance, and love? There is no need for all the plastic trappings to make that happen. None. Zero. Zilch.
Why not create things from what we already have available? Items or skills we can repurpose, recycle, reuse, regift, and share with the people we know, and even those we don’t. What an admirable way to create community amidst the desolate and individualistic culture we have advocated for decades.
As an artist, I see flaws in the existing capitalist state because it pits the haves against those who have little, and it’s not very creative, giving, or compassionate. A constant competition to keep up with the Joneses, which will never happen in this era of billionaires.
Money is the root of so much evil and greed, proof positive of what has been happening in our country since its inception. You don’t have to dig too deep into our history for examples, or simply look to the current situation in these United States, with oligarch behaviors running amok.
I recently nixed my Amazon account. Initially, I panicked a little because I had grown accustomed to receiving what I want and need immediately. Why is that? Will I suffer if that item arrives tomorrow or a week from tomorrow? Or how about never, because I probably don’t need it anyway.
Online shopping has become a crutch for many, including myself. Ease and immediacy have become an addiction. Amazon is a monster manipulator of the American public. Its tenacles are everywhere. Behemoth retail corporations such as Walmart have shuttered many small, family owned businesses because cheap and fast has become the American way. Well, cheap and fast has replaced thoughtful and deliberate purchasing, and it's also jamming up the landfills faster than ever.
I will happily pay more at a local shop that employs and supports local people and their families. I’ll gladly wait if that item needs to be ordered, but won’t arrive for weeks. Immediacy is a false narrative created by the big companies to snatch our hard earned dollars, and is a major mind game caging us in our shopping and convenience addictions.
I have had a fraught relationship with the world of retail market manipulation for years. It all started when my daughter was born, and my choices were pink, bright pink, soft pink, neon pink, well, you get the picture. As an artist, the lack of color choices for clothing or any decorative item for my child was infuriating.
I was being manipulated into thinking pink whenever it came to my daughter. I resisted and made it known to others who would listen that pink was not an option for my child. It’s not that I disliked the color (even though I stated often that I did to drive home the point), but rather that I was told I must like it for my daughter’s sake.
We all know, but often deny, that there is a deep and dark side to convenience and holiday spending (or any spending). We have grown accustomed to believing that giving means forking over our hard earned funds on “stuff”. The notion or tradition that showing love and appreciation is mired in the amount of money we spend on someone or the quantity of items given continues to be a sad and shallow mindset.
I have the good fortune of working on occasion in one of the galleries where I display my work. When people are seeking a unique gift crafted by an artist, it's clear their intention is to find something the recipient will truly enjoy. There is thoughtful deliberation taking place when art or craft is involved.
Unlike my experience working at a JCPenney during the holidays in high school, when a husband would come in looking for something, anything, for his spouse. He had no idea what her size or favorite color was. But, hey, what’s on sale? Or the person who buys something they like, but is not what the recipient would want. I did this with a high school boyfriend and was embarrassed that he never acknowledged what I gave him. On the other side of that giving coin, my mother bought me a sweater one holiday. The color wasn’t something I would have ever worn. I was dismayed that she didn’t know me well enough to make a different choice.
Mindless purchasing for ourselves and others is something we all do on occasion and regret. Similar to the ads that try to reel us in, just because we liked a post on social media. It becomes a game of whack-a-mole, difficult to avoid if we are not paying attention. It’s exhausting.
My advice as a creative: let's share our talents, our love of words, music, art, our creativity, our sense of adventure, and our thoughtfulness, and offer them to those we care about whenever it feels right. Avoid the prescribed or programmed holidays, spread your gifts beyond the traditional boundaries marked by the calendar.
Thank you for reading and following my work. Help your local artisans and shop owners throughout the year. Take items you no longer want or need to the local second hand stores, Goodwill, or Habitat for Humanity instead of the landfill.
Michelle Lindblom - An Artist’s Journey