Haha, this is Katie's (Daniel's coworker's) status today on Gchat. Yeah, that's pretty fucking flagrant. They could've just not advertised or promoted any sales whatsoever if they really wanted to cut down on waste or whatever. In fact, they could do a lot more things then that to become more eco-friendly. I think what I have the biggest problem with (and what South Park inevitably targets quite a bit) are the people who are so morally smug that they like to SHOW that they do good (and again, like always, "good" is one of the most incredibly subjective words out there) more then they actually care about doing good. Frankly, I hate people who are obsessed with saving the wildlife or the earth, but are mean to their fellow human beings or are just douchebags.
To me, there is more good being done by being kind to one another and helping others out in everyday life then there is in doing the same abstract do-good things promoted by something like this Patagonia ad. To me, I'm doing more good by making someone smile or laugh then by attempting to save the environment of a world that I already see as pretty doomed myself.
And anyways, if you really wanted to talk about saving the environment, the real killer isn't what we do to it as much as it is the simple fact that THERE ARE TOO MANY HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH (and there are more and more every second). If you really wanted to do something, don't have fucking kids. To me (and I'm sure I will be guilty of this too, so I'm not pointing any fingers), it is more selfish to have children (especially more than one) than it is to throw trash on the ground. Really, creating another human being to spend almost a century on this planet is using up so many more resources than driving around in your car or purchasing jackets from Patagonia.com ever will. I have never really understood why the whole environmental debate isn't focused more around birth control, other then for some reason it is almost a taboo topic to talk about maybe trying to not have as many kids. I guess it's just such a fundamental part of human (or just organism) instinct to want to reproduce and carry on the race that it's something that we can't really confront, but honestly all the fucking little environmental things that people feel relieves them of their white guilt really DON'T MEAN SHIT when our world has 25 billion people in it, which it almost surely will. I just am completely cynical about this whole thing, but I really couldn't care less, because I will be dead. I don't care if this makes me seem like an asshole, because just think about it--the world will be a completely different place if the population keeps growing at its current pace (and why wouldn't it? Nuclear war? Will that make the world any better off?). Eventually there will be a growth ceiling to the population, but by then the resources of the world will inevitably be so stripped anyways that we will have basically robbed the Earth of anything that makes it unique from something like Mercury or Mars. So I find all this environmental hubbub to be a case of too little, too late, and a way to try to make oneself feel better.
To me, my time is better spent being a kind and conscientious person towards others, because that is something I truly can control.
Well, you certainly took the liberty of running wild with your tangent now, didn't ya? I obviously greatly appreciated the rambunctiously in-your-face nihilistic attitude the rant took, let's be honest.
Firstly, yes, as the Gawker writer (sigh, how I'd love to work at the Gawker headquarters some day, writing snarkily mean-spirited posts such as this) so aptly described, this advertising strategy is, I feel, the best modern example of sanctimonious promotion. As you noted, why have any advertisement at all? Doesn't that completely nullify the good act itself.. by finding a loophole for even more publicity for your company during the upcoming holiday season? And, if you know the average Patagonia shopper and the average Patagonia product, "this jacket" in which they were forbidding you to purchase, actually happens to be one of their cheaper items for sale. You don't see them telling you not to buy their upper-end items, do you?
And yes, of course we consume too much... OF COURSE we do. We all know that by now. If you don't know that you're either a 90-year-old with Alzheimer's or a completely right-winged, capitalistic, conservative, ostentatious spender who thinks it's your duty to purchase goods in order to stimulate the American economy during times of trouble when the godforsaken liberals are running the show. If you're one of the latter, please refrain from reading this blog... for a variety of reasons.
In essence, I do agree with you that the most important thing we have control over as human beings is our interpersonal interactions. Though I may not agree with your specifically Edward-esque brand of a "don't give a shit" attitude regarding the bleak future of mankind, I do agree that a single fucking cyber Monday advertisement isn't going to do diddly squat to solve that future.
Great moments in ranting history indeed. I can't say I disagree with much of it, although I do consider certain aspects of valuing the environment important (being a freeekin tree dry-humper-er I mean, hugger).
But first off, any clothing company trying to get consumers and presumably their own customers to pledge that they won't buy their shit doesn't seem even remotely right. If anyone at that company cared about not putting more waste into the environment, why aren't they working for a recycling plant not a fucking CLOTHING COMPANY. I'm sure you could go pretty far with the clothes we've already created in the entire world. New styles be damned. Just sayin'.
Regarding the "go green" movement, that's all very much white guilt and making oneself feel better about oneself. I'm not going to pretend that I'm as free as Edward in not having a part in such guilt or self-back-patting, BUT I do think the movement as a whole is pretty much too little too late. It's also pretty delusional in a lot of respects, not to mention distracting from more important ways to concentrate gigantic efforts - birth control, yes, as well as helping out the babies turned people that have already been created.
The real environmental movement should be dedicated to your own immediate living space. Don't pick up trash from your neighborhood because it's helping reduce the amount of trash in the world; pick it up because it makes your neighborhood look shitty and you don't like to live in a shitty place. Common sense seems to be the enemy of any marketed idea of progress these days. If you go further, instead of calculating your carbon footprint and trying to find the best way to purchase recycled content rugs or something, help restore old, broken, and boarded up houses; revitalize vacant lots that are surrounded by barbed wire, so that your immediate environment is suddenly a much safer place and more accessible to its inhabitants. I guess the people looking at the ads in Patagonia aren't really surrounded by barbed wire, but the point is still that your immediate environment, whatever you are affected by and in turn leave your own impact, that is the environment that most needs you.
To agree with Edward, I would even say that the people you are in contact with the most count as being a part of your immediate environment, deserve care far more than some pledge jack-off drive on Patagonia's website. Basically, I feel like people should get their heads out of their asses with the global environmental problems (I think we are a bit fucked in the long run, and yes mostly due to our population and then our habits, but we could definitely either end the Earth slower or faster depending on larger things at work), unless those individuals are actually giant governments and corporations that can actually change entire ecosystems with the click of a button, because simple human decency to the people and resources around you go so much farther in making you happy regardless of the earth's fate then pledging a fart to Patagonia.
Haha, this is Katie's (Daniel's coworker's) status today on Gchat. Yeah, that's pretty fucking flagrant. They could've just not advertised or promoted any sales whatsoever if they really wanted to cut down on waste or whatever. In fact, they could do a lot more things then that to become more eco-friendly. I think what I have the biggest problem with (and what South Park inevitably targets quite a bit) are the people who are so morally smug that they like to SHOW that they do good (and again, like always, "good" is one of the most incredibly subjective words out there) more then they actually care about doing good. Frankly, I hate people who are obsessed with saving the wildlife or the earth, but are mean to their fellow human beings or are just douchebags.
ReplyDeleteTo me, there is more good being done by being kind to one another and helping others out in everyday life then there is in doing the same abstract do-good things promoted by something like this Patagonia ad. To me, I'm doing more good by making someone smile or laugh then by attempting to save the environment of a world that I already see as pretty doomed myself.
And anyways, if you really wanted to talk about saving the environment, the real killer isn't what we do to it as much as it is the simple fact that THERE ARE TOO MANY HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH (and there are more and more every second). If you really wanted to do something, don't have fucking kids. To me (and I'm sure I will be guilty of this too, so I'm not pointing any fingers), it is more selfish to have children (especially more than one) than it is to throw trash on the ground. Really, creating another human being to spend almost a century on this planet is using up so many more resources than driving around in your car or purchasing jackets from Patagonia.com ever will. I have never really understood why the whole environmental debate isn't focused more around birth control, other then for some reason it is almost a taboo topic to talk about maybe trying to not have as many kids. I guess it's just such a fundamental part of human (or just organism) instinct to want to reproduce and carry on the race that it's something that we can't really confront, but honestly all the fucking little environmental things that people feel relieves them of their white guilt really DON'T MEAN SHIT when our world has 25 billion people in it, which it almost surely will. I just am completely cynical about this whole thing, but I really couldn't care less, because I will be dead. I don't care if this makes me seem like an asshole, because just think about it--the world will be a completely different place if the population keeps growing at its current pace (and why wouldn't it? Nuclear war? Will that make the world any better off?). Eventually there will be a growth ceiling to the population, but by then the resources of the world will inevitably be so stripped anyways that we will have basically robbed the Earth of anything that makes it unique from something like Mercury or Mars. So I find all this environmental hubbub to be a case of too little, too late, and a way to try to make oneself feel better.
To me, my time is better spent being a kind and conscientious person towards others, because that is something I truly can control.
Well, you certainly took the liberty of running wild with your tangent now, didn't ya? I obviously greatly appreciated the rambunctiously in-your-face nihilistic attitude the rant took, let's be honest.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, yes, as the Gawker writer (sigh, how I'd love to work at the Gawker headquarters some day, writing snarkily mean-spirited posts such as this) so aptly described, this advertising strategy is, I feel, the best modern example of sanctimonious promotion. As you noted, why have any advertisement at all? Doesn't that completely nullify the good act itself.. by finding a loophole for even more publicity for your company during the upcoming holiday season? And, if you know the average Patagonia shopper and the average Patagonia product, "this jacket" in which they were forbidding you to purchase, actually happens to be one of their cheaper items for sale. You don't see them telling you not to buy their upper-end items, do you?
And yes, of course we consume too much... OF COURSE we do. We all know that by now. If you don't know that you're either a 90-year-old with Alzheimer's or a completely right-winged, capitalistic, conservative, ostentatious spender who thinks it's your duty to purchase goods in order to stimulate the American economy during times of trouble when the godforsaken liberals are running the show. If you're one of the latter, please refrain from reading this blog... for a variety of reasons.
In essence, I do agree with you that the most important thing we have control over as human beings is our interpersonal interactions. Though I may not agree with your specifically Edward-esque brand of a "don't give a shit" attitude regarding the bleak future of mankind, I do agree that a single fucking cyber Monday advertisement isn't going to do diddly squat to solve that future.
Haha, I wouldn't say that's specifically Edward-esque. I call it realism!
ReplyDeleteGreat moments in ranting history indeed. I can't say I disagree with much of it, although I do consider certain aspects of valuing the environment important (being a freeekin tree dry-humper-er I mean, hugger).
ReplyDeleteBut first off, any clothing company trying to get consumers and presumably their own customers to pledge that they won't buy their shit doesn't seem even remotely right. If anyone at that company cared about not putting more waste into the environment, why aren't they working for a recycling plant not a fucking CLOTHING COMPANY. I'm sure you could go pretty far with the clothes we've already created in the entire world. New styles be damned. Just sayin'.
Regarding the "go green" movement, that's all very much white guilt and making oneself feel better about oneself. I'm not going to pretend that I'm as free as Edward in not having a part in such guilt or self-back-patting, BUT I do think the movement as a whole is pretty much too little too late. It's also pretty delusional in a lot of respects, not to mention distracting from more important ways to concentrate gigantic efforts - birth control, yes, as well as helping out the babies turned people that have already been created.
The real environmental movement should be dedicated to your own immediate living space. Don't pick up trash from your neighborhood because it's helping reduce the amount of trash in the world; pick it up because it makes your neighborhood look shitty and you don't like to live in a shitty place. Common sense seems to be the enemy of any marketed idea of progress these days. If you go further, instead of calculating your carbon footprint and trying to find the best way to purchase recycled content rugs or something, help restore old, broken, and boarded up houses; revitalize vacant lots that are surrounded by barbed wire, so that your immediate environment is suddenly a much safer place and more accessible to its inhabitants. I guess the people looking at the ads in Patagonia aren't really surrounded by barbed wire, but the point is still that your immediate environment, whatever you are affected by and in turn leave your own impact, that is the environment that most needs you.
To agree with Edward, I would even say that the people you are in contact with the most count as being a part of your immediate environment, deserve care far more than some pledge jack-off drive on Patagonia's website. Basically, I feel like people should get their heads out of their asses with the global environmental problems (I think we are a bit fucked in the long run, and yes mostly due to our population and then our habits, but we could definitely either end the Earth slower or faster depending on larger things at work), unless those individuals are actually giant governments and corporations that can actually change entire ecosystems with the click of a button, because simple human decency to the people and resources around you go so much farther in making you happy regardless of the earth's fate then pledging a fart to Patagonia.