Post Magazine: Americans' Consuming Passion
April Witt
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 15, 2003; 1:00 p.m ET
Deny it, if you will. Rail against unchecked materialism. Pray for
the soul of a nation more likely to shop than to vote, volunteer, join a
civic organization or place a weekly donation in the collection plate at a
house of worship. But consumerism has beat out both religion and politics
as the path millions of Americans follow to find purpose, meaning, order
and transcendent exaltation in their lives.
Post staff writer April Witt, whose cover story, 'Cameron Diaz Has My Sandals, and I Want Them Back' appeared in Sunday's Washington Post Magazine, was online Monday, Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. ET to field questions and comments about the article and
Americans' penchant for buying their way to happiness.
Witt is a Magazine staff writer.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
April Witt:
Attention shoppers! In this marketplace of ideas, passions appear to be running high in the aisles. There are dozens of questions posted. I can’t type fast enough to get to them all. But I’ll get to as many of them as I can.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
I hope you provided smelling salts and a warning to Michelle Singletary just in case she thought she wanted to read your story about such spendthrifts! She was probably screeching in horror!
But seriously...what was the impetus behind the story and how were you able to persaude Jamie Gavigan, Faraz Siraj, and Christine Kelley Cimko to so willingly talk about their finances and purchases? Thanks.
April Witt:
My inspiration was simple. I spent several months reporting from Afghanistan earlier this year. Upon re-entry to this culture I was most struck by the widespread consumerism and how it appeared to be a dominant belief system in the culture.
Jamie, Faraz and Christine were very generous to let all of us peek into their consuming lives. They are all three smart and knew that some readers would not approve of their choices. But people who judge them, might do well to examine their own shopping lives. I know people who fancy themselves unmaterialistic souls who carry copies of Walden Pond in their backpacks when they go out to commune with nature. But they are not any more immune to consumerism than Jamie, Faraz, and Christine. They just buy L.L. Bean hiking boots and Gortex jackets instead of Manolo Blahnik evening sandals.
_______________________
Burke, Va.:
Why do brand names make us feel different? My husband just bought a $675 Burberry coat at Nordstrom Rack for $240. It looks to me like any other coat. But the fact that it has that distinctive plaid (inside where you can't see when he's wearing it) made the purchase special. Why do I think like that? I think had it been a no name coat at $240, it would have been too expensive. But not only do I feel like we got a great deal, I feel like we made a special purchase. Why would a label do that to me? Why does it do it to such extremes with people like in this article?
April Witt: I’m not sure why a label would mean that much to you, but I know you are not alone. People who study high-end consumption for a living tell me that brands function the way family crests did in an earlier time. They are, for many people, status symbols. They telegraph to others who you think you are and how you expect to be treated.
If this is true, maybe your husband should be wearing that new raincoat inside out just so people know he thinks he’s a suburban lord, not a serf.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
I found it interesting that you mentioned that the shoppers in your article pay off their credit card bills each month. So, they are buying what they can afford.
I'm also wondering what is lacking from their lives that they need the $2000 shoes and the $900 handbag, and that they feel the need to compete with Hollywood stars.
April Witt: I purposely selected shoppers who did not spend themselves into financial ruin. If
I’d interviewed people who had shopping compulsions that drove them to spend their rent money on silk ties and Italian loafers, it wouldn’t be very interesting to me and it would be too easy for readers to dismiss them. I’m much more interested in what Jamie, Christine and Faraz reflect about the broader culture. For the same reason I also selected people who functioned pretty darn well in life, had families, friends and successful careers. You may disagree with their choices, but they would tell you that the things they buy add entertainment and excitement to their full and functioning lives.
_______________________
Warrenton, Va.:
Am I supposed to sympathize or feel revolted? Why does a middle class adult think they can afford to dress like Sarah Jessica Parker? Aren't we really talking about adults that cannot separate TV from reality?
April Witt: I would never tell you how you are supposed to feel. I tried to convey these people’s lives, not judge them. I was hoping the story would make readers think about their own lives. The people I interviewed are not adults who cannot separate TV from reality. I think they are creating they are creating their own realities. Most people do, one way or another.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
Where on earth does Jamie wear all these clothes? Certainly not to work, and with a young son, I imagine she doesn't have the social life she once did. Is it owning for the sake of owning? Does she just sit at home and look at this stuff? And once she wears a $4,000 outfit somewhere, does she ever wear it again?
April Witt: I certainly was trying to examine what real pleasure, if any, people took from the expensive objects they bought. I wondered if the satisfaction was fleeting or elusive. Jamie, for example, convinced me that she really does get satisfaction from the things she buys. She likes opening her closet doors and seeing all the pretty things. She likes wearing her designer duds and knowing she looks special. So, for her at least, the system works. The Republic stands -- on four-inch stilleto heels.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
I don't really understand what the wider implications of your article are supposed to be.
So some moderately wealthy people in Northwest DC spend money as though they were filthy rich instead of making real human relationships. Sounds like a problem for a therapist.
The article certainly doesn't convince me that this is a problem exists across income levels, geographical locations, or in fact anywhere except the upper-class residents of New York and DC.
April Witt: Actually, consumerism is pretty widespread across race, class and ethnicity in America. I remember standing in line at a T.J. Maxx, where I was buying sheets and towels, and noticing that everyone around me, including a man weather-beaten from a life of physical labor, seemed to be wearing a Ralph Lauren logo. It was a nightmare vision of America.
Ask a single mother who is earning minimum wage scrubbing toilets if her teenagers want to wear the same namebrands as the rich kids do.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
Did you uncover anything about men's great attraction to women wearing sensuous and sexy steletto high heel shoes? I would like to hear more about this. Thank you.
April Witt: Gee, I never thought to research that. Is that gap in my reporting? If you figure that one out, let us all know. In the meantime, I'll keep wearing sensible flats.
_______________________
Columbia, Md.:
April: I'm sure many will criticize the choices of the subjects of your article, but everyone finds what makes them happy, and as long as those activities do not hurt anyone, to each his own. Who’s to say writing poetry, knitting, being a tennis player or watching football are more worthwhile endeavors than being a shopaholic. Maybe feeding the homeless sounds better, but who knows, maybe unlimited consumerism leads to a better economy, and allows the homeless to get jobs. I think there’s a little Jamie Gavigan in all of us, and some of us fight it better than others. What hit home with me is that there were two photos of Jamie, and it was the second one where she was working in jeans that caused me to catch my breath and think, “Wow, she’s really beautiful.” Were the photos chosen intentionally to make that point?
April Witt: I believe the photos were selected to show Jamie's ordinary, every-day life as opposed to the glamorous life she feels she attains through shopping.
_______________________
Bethesda, Md.:
Do you have any tips for folks who are trying to break away from consumerism? I've been trying to follow the "simplify your life" information out there, but I have to admit, when I see Sale and Discount signs, I tend to go a little nuts.
I have found that donating items makes me feel just as good as purchasing new items, so that's a baby step in the right direction.
April Witt: Do you, per chance, subscribe to any of those magazines selling a simplified lifestyle? I picked up some of those while reporting this story and was amused to see that they just seem to be selling simpler merchandise. Not simple as in hand-cracked washing machines. Simple as in sleek and clean-lined. One had an extensive spread on making your closet beautiful and organized. They weren't advocating giving extra clothes to the poor. They seemed to be advocating getting more beautiful fittings for the stuff you own.
_______________________
Fairfax, Va.:
Your article is an excellent example of why many nations hate America. Maybe Jaime makes donations to charity that were not mentioned in the article. For people living in the third world and developing nations, it is hard to understand how someone could spend all that money on frivilous items when people cannot feed and clothe themselves. I'm not even talking about third world nations in Africa, but even the Former Soviet Union where some areas lack heat in the winter, and even our own back yard.
April Witt: When I first started reporting this story my unofficial working title was "Why do they hate us?" So I get your point. But our malls are filled with people from other countries - some of them fully-veiled traditional Muslim women - who are buying our luxury goods. Is it possible that we're doing a better job of marketing our designer togs than our political ideals?
_______________________
The Poor Side of Town:
First of all, thanks for the article you wrote. It was very well written, in addition to being thought provoking, and has provided much fodder for conversation in the 24 hours since I read it.
Second -- and this comes from someone who is committed to a simple lifestyle -- I was fascinated by all three people in the story, particularly Jamie. I was impressed with her work ethic (evidenced by the fact that she likes to have her son watch her working) and by the fact that she lives out her priorities. She spends money on what she deems important, and seems comfortable with that. And despite spending gobs of money on what can only be considered luxury purchases, she's not in debt. Which is more than most Americans -- including me -- can say.
I don't agree with her priorities (or those of the other people profiled) for one minute. But I thorougly enjoyed this glimpse into "how the other half lives."
April Witt: Thanks.
_______________________
Fairfax, Va.:
This is truly one of the saddest, most pathetic stories I have ever read. The incredible waste of effort, time, and money in the pursuit of overpriced nonsense is nauseating.
Please, devote your time to covering people who are actually contributing something positive to the world, instead of giving time to those who foolishly creating lives bereft of meaning.
Thank you. - Jenny
April Witt: Thanks for sharing.
_______________________
Great Falls, Va.:
There are a couple times that I've dated women when I've felt that I will hear this huge sucking sound as she empties my bank account after we marry. Any telltale signs for spotting these people so that we can avoid this situation?
April Witt: Join a bird-watching club.
_______________________
I disagree:
April, you say you're not passing your own judgment but it sure sounds like you are. In this chat, you seem to be defending the people you wrote about and urging us to all look at ourselves instead. Well, I've looked at myself and while I like to shop, I make reasonable decisions and don't feel driven to buy Manolo Blahnik. There's a big difference, and I agree with the posters who said that obviously there's something missing in these people's lives, hearts, souls, or brains.
April Witt: I'm just trying hard not to judge people, something I find worthwhile to attempt in life as well as journalism. I'm defending people's right to make their own choices. I miss the communal, non-materialistic life I witnessed in Afghanistan. But I sure don't miss the lack of freedom there. The Taliban judged women's shoe choices. I don't care to.
_______________________
Baltimore, Md.:
There seems to be an underlying premise (among some readers) that the acquisition of luxury goods is inherently violating the spirit of seeking meaning in one's life. Would you say that your article attempts to shed light on the issue that most people think the two are mutually exclusive? For instance, some of the wealthiest people in the world are also the biggest (individual) donors to the needy. Some of the affluent socialites arrange fund-raising galas that benefit the needy.
April Witt: I do think some readers who criticized the shoppers I wrote about assume that buying luxury goods and seeking meaning in your life are mutually exclusive enterprises. I wonder if these people have ever visited the Smithsonian? Objects have great meaning in every culture. Ancient clay pots have meaning, and tell tales about the lives led by the people who made and used them. Diamond-encrusted jewelry has meaning in the cultures that create them. In this story, I was trying to examine some of the objects people value and ask what that says about our culture. I don't don't pretend to have the answers. I just get to ask the questions. That's why I think I have such a great job.
_______________________
Bethesda, Md.:
So how do we end it?
It used to be that wars served to temper the urge for frivolity throughout history. But thanks to nonstop media coverage, we've even become disassociated with war. I don't see a way to slow the trend of consumerism, even while we, as a nation, become poorer and more credit-laden for it.
April Witt: Thanks everybody for your comments. It's been interesting.
_______________________
Lots of angry posters here:
Great story. I think a lot of people are defensive because it hit a nerve. Yes, we may not covet Manolo Blahnicks, but how about that Le Creuset stock pot, or that $150 pair of Nikes? Most, if not all of us, are a bit more like Jaime than we care to admit.
April Witt: I wonder if all those angry posters have decided to personally knit their Christmas gifts this year. The rest of you may hope so. That means more parking space available at the mall.
_______________________
| 
