# Consumer culture and you: What qualifies as consoomerism and what doesnt?



## AdmiralRenae (Apr 19, 2021)

To prevent the thread from being derailed: I have created a thread on what is and isn't consoomerism.

So yea.

Original thread:

https://kiwifarms.net/threads/consoomers-consoomer-culture.85636/


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## Ita Mori (Apr 20, 2021)

If you:
- Don't need it.
- Won't use it to make money.
- Got "hyped" for it.
- Want it on a whim.
- Have no practical use for it.
- Already know you're going to replace it with a newer model as soon as it's available even if your current item works perfectly well or even exceeds expectations.
- Feel buying it gives you a sense of belonging to a certain group or society.
- Use your purchases as a replacement for a lack of personality.
- Will not genuinely cherish your purchase.

You're consooming.


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## Weed Eater (Apr 20, 2021)

Ita Mori said:


> If you:
> - Don't need it.
> - Won't use it to make money.
> - Got "hyped" for it.
> ...


Is the Kiwi Coin under the "consoomer" target then?


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## Rusty Crab (Apr 20, 2021)

I disagree with most of the above because then basically any hobby and every hobby gets classified as consoomerism.

_Except for the last two._

Product consumption as a substitute for personality is a problem. Fanboyism is another big one. Apple users are especially prone to this. There's a few Apple consumers that can actually justify the purchase of such a product... but the vast majority are unironic consoomers that have been duped by marketing and now consooming product has become a significant part of their identity.


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## Ita Mori (Apr 20, 2021)

Weed Eater said:


> Is the Kiwi Coin under the "consoomer" target then?


Are you going to cherish it? Did you buy it just for the coin or to help support the forums and the coin is simply a perk?
If you have a motive, it can be argued it's not consooming. You can only buy so many anime toys and funko pops before you run out of genuine excuses.


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## Weed Eater (Apr 20, 2021)

Ita Mori said:


> Are you going to cherish it? Did you buy it just for the coin or to help support the forums and the coin is simply a perk?
> If you have a motive, it can be argued it's not consooming. You can only buy so many anime toys and funko pops before you run out of genuine excuses.


Good reasonings indeed. You can only get so much enjoyment out of plastic vs. knowing you supported a small site.


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## verissimus (Apr 20, 2021)

Here's an example of consumerism






The opposite I suppose would be to avoid brands as much as possible.


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## I Love Beef (Apr 20, 2021)

Consuume is rooted mainly out of an impersonal and egotistic need than anything meaningful, be it personal or monetary.

As shown with @verissimus's example, consuum is based solely on trends only because they're popular than anything you find meaningfully interesting and think that they'll make you popular. Another is thinking that if you throw money at something, that gives you an entitled position to have any say in where that product's creators and producers go simply because you own something they made in some fucky consumer-producer psychosis based relationship that doesn't even exist nor anyone fucking cares about.

I admit, this shit is a very slippery slope. New shit produced in the world is especially suspect to this, obviously because the corporate and consumerist based society we engage in is beginning to show more and more of its flaws on just about every level. But a difference is that if I don't see you jerking your dick because you feel better than anyone else online or in real life because you own something, it's perhaps none of my fucking business and I should just hope for the best.


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## Flip: Draw 2 (Apr 20, 2021)

Like @Rusty Crab said, It's difficult to differentiate between a CONSOOMER and a hobbyist/collector. A consoomer collects funko pops but what differentiates that from say, a coin collector? (very boomer, I know)
I took a shower and here's what I came up with. If what you're buying has all 3 qualities listed it counts as consooming.

1. No meaningful interaction: The product cannot be played with or interacted with even if marketed as a toy.
2. No "Hunt": There is no sort of way to  procure said item outside of merely buying one outright either from someone that has it or directly from the producer.
3. No substantial return on investment: The product is either not a meaningful upgrade over past installments or not a meaningful addition to the current collection.

The first category eliminates most hobbyists such as Warhammer players who despite paying hundreds for cheap plastic they do get meaningful interaction with said product. The second category rules out "rare thing" collectors such as card and coin collectors as their hobby does involve hunting down things that are rare. The third criteria simply excludes people who buy expansions to their hobby and includes people who buy every new phone every year with minimal difference.

Funko pop collectors check all three boxes. Firstly, you can't really play with a Funko so strike one.  Every rare Funko pop's value comes solely from a limited release at either events or as fucking Hot Topic employee gifts so there's not a "hunt" outside of finding an Ebay seller that happens to have one so strike two. Finally, buying more Funkos doesn't actually improve your collection. You just have another same-face funko whose price is a bit higher than the others. The more you buy, the quicker they lose value until they lose all their individuality and simply become another brick in "the wall."


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## Ughubughughughughughghlug (Apr 20, 2021)

Ita Mori said:


> If you:
> - Won't use it to make money.
> 
> You're consooming.


If you aren't buying things to make even more money to buy more things, you are consoomer


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## Thiletonomics (Apr 20, 2021)

Ita Mori said:


> If you:
> - Don't need it.
> - Won't use it to make money.
> - Got "hyped" for it.
> ...



Those points scarily fit some Tesla fans, who don't hesitate to give Uncle Elon more of their hard earned money, to buy a third or more Tesla, just because it's a Tesla. Although the last part wouldn't apply for the most diehard of Tesla fanboys.


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## Uncle Warren (Apr 20, 2021)

Weed Eater said:


> Is the Kiwi Coin under the "consoomer" target then?


There's a bit of value with holding pure silver. If somehow the price skyrockets you can sell it for profit.


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## The Last Stand (Apr 20, 2021)

I would say consoom culture would be buying something associated with a brand regardless of quality or worth, no questions asked.

Almost like being religiously attached to said brand or franchise.


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## Marissa Moira (Apr 20, 2021)

Thiletonomics said:


> Those points scarily fit some Tesla fans, who don't hesitate to give Uncle Elon more of their hard earned money, to buy a third or more Tesla, just because it's a Tesla. Although the last part wouldn't apply for the most diehard of Tesla fanboys.


If i don't buy car I don't get moon rocket trip, simple as.


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## Ita Mori (Apr 20, 2021)

Ughubughughughughughghlug said:


> If you aren't buying things to make even more money to buy more things, you are consoomer


You realize it's a collective list, right?


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## Pixy (Apr 20, 2021)

Being a consoomer would be buying a dud product that develops issues early on, and then moaning about it while continuing to use said product, rather than exercising their consumer rights.

To some extent, I would say most people are consoomers because of that alone. If you aren't making use of your consumer rights and guarantees and instead accepting whatever excuses the company/store tells you, or worse yet - just buying something new, you're already kowtowing to them. Admittedly, most people aren't aware of consumer law, which is something companies and retailers would prefer to remain the status quo.


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## Dom Cruise (Apr 20, 2021)

It's only a serious problem if you think that's all there is to life, if you never think deeper thoughts about philosophy, Religion, the meaning of life, the big question of "why are we here"?

If you're just happy as a clam with a pure consumerist lifestyle and you have no real curiosity about anything else or you react with hostility towards anything deeper than that then it's a real problem.

I also think it depends on what your consuming, if all your pop culture type interests are 100% normie shit with nothing weirder, more thought provoking or simply less mainstream that interests you then it's also a problem, everyone should have at least one interest that is a little weird or isn't totally mainstream than literally consuming nothing but mainstream media, sports, etc.

In other words anyone that's afraid of a little deepness or weirdness needs more curiosity.


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## Lone MacReady (Apr 20, 2021)

Samworth Hydington has already given the knockout lesson on CONSOOMERs.


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## Cabelaz (Apr 20, 2021)

Back in the day my friends called me a consoomer for buying a bunch of expensive CSGO skins but I made $4000 profit off them so who's laughing now


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## John Titor (Apr 20, 2021)

I define it as having undying brand loyalty or someone letting their excess purchases override their life. I knew someone who bought expensive guns and then whined about how broke they were. I also _know_ they were not bought for self-defense.


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## KingCoelacanth (Apr 20, 2021)

When you buy something from [brand] for the sole purpose of showing loyalty to [brand].
This includes sports fans and apple fans in addition to the typical nerd consoomer.


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## John Titor (Apr 20, 2021)

I knew this topic felt familiar because it was what that Walmart episode was about.


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## Samson Pumpkin Jr. (Apr 20, 2021)

saying something is consumer culture or not is a meaningless distinction. This idea is a very recent and modern development to describe a very specific type of soy-filled person. The consoomers are hobbyists, the same as bird watchers or hobbyist scientists. What has happened is that the corporations found a way to profit off of people's desire to have hobbies.

The best way to define consumer culture IMO is if 2 rules apply to the hobby: (1) The hobby primarily involves buying products from a corporation (2) The hobbyist gets hyped for or buys the product with joy, has some emotional response to the product and is emotionally/irrationally attached to it especially if the product has some story that you can be invested into (i.e. marvel).


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## Save Goober (Apr 20, 2021)

I think anything where people make buying products too much of their identity or a large source of emotional gratification are consoomers. So it's a really broad definition, but coin collectors and people who collect unique vintage items can very easily be consoomers.

But really, I would ask people: what are trying to get out of asking if something is too consoomer or not? Just try to evaluate your own behavior and your attachment to your purchases and collections. Are you feeling too overly invested? Are you in a cycle of buying a product and getting excited for next product? Even by my own definition I have consoomer tendencies, I just try to recognize them and minimize them. Buying product and getting excited for next product is a very real cycle and I think it's an unhealthy behavior. That's probably the biggest sign of a consoomer, if you buy a couple of figurines and then move on with your life then you are probably not a consoomer.


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## Positron (Apr 20, 2021)

It may not be a definition but a big characteristic of a consoomer is that they grossly exaggerate the significance of the product they buy.  No stamp collector is going to claim that stamps changed the world, or that a particular stamp ushered a new epoch of graphic design.  Contrast that with Kevin Allred, who considers Beyoncé a mover shaker in politics, a master strategist, and a creative genius; and MovieBob, who think the nameless scriptwriters for MCU flicks are comparable to Sophocles and Shakespeare.


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## Vapid_Idiot (Apr 20, 2021)

When you neglect your friends, family, and personal responsibilities to engage in any type of consumerism.
Like faggot twitch streamers who scream at their infant children because they are hypnotized by Call of Duty.
Or thots who dont pay their electric bills because they blew all of their money on fast food and Jeffree Star makeup.
Being a consumer is fine, there is nothing wrong with it. We all do it. But if you would rather buy Anime Blu-Rays you will never watch instead of saving that money in a savings account, you are being a irresponsible consumer. And yes, that last example is a jab at myself. I'm staring at my RWBY blu ray as its still in its cellophane wrapper because im a fucking autist.


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## The best and greatest (Apr 20, 2021)

Ita Mori said:


> If you:
> - Don't need it.


Needs don't exist because on a fundamental level all needs precipitate from egoistic want. 


Ita Mori said:


> - Won't use it to make money.


What if you're a turdball like Phil or Moviebawb or  Jim Sterling and you make your money by consooming and championing consoomption as a lifestyle?


Ita Mori said:


> - Got "hyped" for it.


What if what I'm hyped for can be used to make money?


Ita Mori said:


> - Want it on a whim.


What if it can be used to make money? These qualifiers are all super-contradictory.


Ita Mori said:


> - Have no practical use for it.


I feel like "Could be used to make money/Don't need it" Falls under this, making their inclusion in this list redundant.

The rest of your list is fine.


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## Ita Mori (Apr 20, 2021)

The best and greatest said:


> Needs don't exist because on a fundamental level all needs precipitate from egoistic want.
> 
> What if you're a turdball like Phil or Moviebawb or  Jim Sterling and you make your money by consooming and championing consoomption as a lifestyle?
> 
> ...


It's meant to be a collective list of symptoms. Ticking 1-2 isn't making you a consoomer, ticking more than half should worry you.


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## Honka Honka Burning Love (Apr 20, 2021)

Dom Cruise said:


> It's only a serious problem if you think that's all there is to life, if you never think deeper thoughts about philosophy, Religion, the meaning of life, the big question of "why are we here"?


What if you considered those things and decided "I don't want to know" cause honestly none of that shit has ever made me any happier.


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## starborn427614 (Apr 20, 2021)

Buying stuff just for the sake of buying it. Take Amiibo for example: I just like buying ones that appeal to me personally, I don't really need every single character in Smash and their tiny counterpart.


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## AdmiralRenae (Apr 22, 2021)

starborn427614 said:


> Buying stuff just for the sake of buying it. Take Amiibo for example: I just like buying ones that appeal to me personally, I don't really need every single character in Smash and their tiny counterpart.


IMHO It is okay to buy a few trinket anime figures/funkos but if it gets to the point where you have a collection, your consooming


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## Spunt (Apr 22, 2021)

John Titor said:


> I define it as having undying brand loyalty or someone letting their excess purchases override their life. I knew someone who bought expensive guns and then whined about how broke they were. I also _know_ they were not bought for self-defense.





KingCoelacanth said:


> When you buy something from [brand] for the sole purpose of showing loyalty to [brand].
> This includes sports fans and apple fans in addition to the typical nerd consoomer.



I think that brand loyalty is the major signifier, along with a desire to show everyone else what you bought for social clout. I think that's the case whether it's a practical or a decorative item. You're using branding to say things about yourself, as a substitute for a personality. You and your shithead consoomer friends buy items to make statements about your values, based on that brand's marketing team's ideas of what values those products represent. It's a kind of laziness, letting the marketing teams of massive corporations define your values for you. That's what makes it so obnoxious, hoping that the perceived coolness or popularity of a brand will apply to you too if you show everyone you've bought one.

That's the other big thing that defines consoomerism - the urge to show other people what you have in the belief that owning those brands makes you a better person somehow. Especially if it's something expensive, that makes it a flex as well. Marxists have a phrase for this - "conspicuous consumption" - deliberately making wasteful purchases and showing them off just because you can. Ironically, as we all know, self-described Marxists are amongst the worst offenders for this.

While we tend to associate consoomerism with loyalty to major brands and big corporations, it can definitely apply to small companies as well. The hipster mindset that buying and showing off obscure or unusual things makes you more cool and interesting than having more common things is also its own little corner of consoomerism. I play guitar, and there's a whole cottage industry of "boutique" guitar pedals. Basically what these guys do is buy cheap electrical components from China, slap them together then put them in a "quirky" pedal, and charge a fortune for them. 90% of the time these pedals are no better, or even worse, than the cheaper, mainstream alternatives. But there's this little community of hipster assholes who like to show off their collections of shit "boutique" pedals because they're so exclusive and rare and they think they show what a free thinker they are (whereas it actually shows their lack of critical thinking skills). I'm sure there's similar shit in whatever your hobby is. People want the thing that other people don't have so they can show it off and flex on them, even if that thing isn't particularly good.

In summary:

>Buy a new laptop based on max specs for minimum outlay because you need to work away from the office? Not consoomer.
>Buy the latest MacBook Pro even though the one you already have is adequate for what you need so that everyone can see you have one at Starbucks? Consoomer.

>Buy some nice-looking, comfortable shoes for a specific purpose? Not consoomer.
>Buy the new Manolo Blahniks because OMG you HAVE to have them and then never wear them? Consoomer.

>Get a cat from a shelter because you want a furry, musical hot water bottle that never goes cold? Not consoomer.
>Get a fucking Caracal because Big Floppa memes are cool right now and everyone will be REALLY impressed that you have one? Consoomer.

>Go to see a film because it looks entertaining and the reviews say it's a good time? Not consoomer.
>Go to see the Ghostbusters reboot because you can post on Twitter that you saw it and seeing it means you Respect The Wahmens and it will own the Chuds, even though actually watching it is like attacking your genitals with a cheesegrater? Consoomer.


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## byuu (Apr 22, 2021)

ITT: Here is why buying useless shit for children pushed by large corporations doesn't make me a consoomer.


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## Unassuming Local Guy (Apr 22, 2021)

I think most points here can be distilled further into a simple litmus test.

Are you buying this item because buying it makes you happy, or because owning it will make you happy?

There's a subtle but incredibly important distinction between the two.  The former is consumerism.  The latter can be, but isn't necessarily.

Whether an item is "useful" or "necessary" is a subjective measure and ultimately meaningless.  But if someone is buying things just to buy things, that's textbook consumerism and is always unhealthy.  Similarly, if you're buying something to be happy right now with no regard for the future, it's consumerism.  If you're thinking about your future, it most likely is not.

One caveat to note about consumerism is that it's fine in small doses.  You could live life eating nothing but nutrient paste.  Eating anything else is consumerism by any definition I've ever heard.  Do you _need_ foods that taste good?  Really _need_ them to sustain your body?  No.  But it's also okay, because humans require a certain amount of immediate happiness to not eventually go insane.  Look to the future while taking care of the present.


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## BScCollateral (Apr 22, 2021)

Unassuming Local Guy said:


> One caveat to note about consumerism is that it's fine in small doses.



Yeah, like most mental issues, it comes down to abuse. 

I know a guy who talks too much about silent movies If he liked the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy as much as he likes Lon Cheney Sr., I believe I would kill him. It's not the same at all, but sometimes I wonder if there's any objective way to explain _why _there is a difference. 

I doubt it, but it is fun to wonder about.


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## Doinker Marmalade (Apr 22, 2021)

Weed Eater said:


> Is the Kiwi Coin under the "consoomer" target then?


Silver is silver, you{re buying it at a MASSIVE premium but given the hyper-inflation fears for the future, it might constitute a worthy investment.


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## FeatherPlucker (Apr 22, 2021)

Weed Eater said:


> Is the Kiwi Coin under the "consoomer" target then?


Should be a tax-deductible charitable donation to a worthy cause.


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## Weed Eater (Apr 22, 2021)

Boring Furfag said:


> Silver is silver, you{re buying it at a MASSIVE premium but given the hyper-inflation fears for the future, it might constitute a worthy investment.


It's a question I bring up only due to the influx of new users (including myself, rightfully) that may not have had a longer history on the site here. I could see a small few buying Kiwi Coins for the sake of exclusivity, regardless if it's silver. Either way I think it's a valid question to think about.


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## Niggernerd (Apr 22, 2021)

Gunpla isn't consoomerism its *PASSION
*


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## polyqueerandrosensual (Apr 22, 2021)

BScCollateral said:


> I know a guy who talks too much about silent movies



The pure irony.

Though I do notice that some consooming is more accepted than others among based individuals- especially collections of things owned by old conservative men, even if they have no use or value and just take up space.


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## Legoshi (Apr 23, 2021)

I'm a firm believer of the saying "buy cheap, buy twice." I _hate _buying poorly made, cheap shit, regardless of what it is. The fact that most woke lefty types who complain about environmental impacts are the ones who buy cheap non reusable products is absolute irony. Oh, and I forgot about the ones who go vegan because muh "environmentalism" but buy the latest IPhone and fashion trends before dumping them.

I'm not the most eco friendly person out there, but I like to buy refurbished and used things if I can. I plan on buying more refurbished electronics in the future.

When it comes to photography, camera technology doesn't nearly become as obsolete as computers and smart devices. Many of the upgraded models are almost exactly the same as the previous ones and it's a good idea to wait for a few years when the price lowers. In fact, many cameras and lenses are still supported years after their releases. I love buying second hand cameras and lenses and most of my gear is second hand now. I usually use most of my gear for my career. I also love older cameras and lenses too but I want to be careful with the money I have now and show some appreciation for what I already have.


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## Billy Beer (May 18, 2021)

If you can't explain in detail why you need that product, you've fallen for marketing. 

Here's a little psychological trick if you're ever unsure: Ask yourself if you can smell bacon, or imagine what you had for breakfast. picture it, remember the taste and smell. (this is a mental pallet cleanser to stop the compliance and marketing officials from selling you shit that you don't need) 

Then think about if you need that product again


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## Interchanger (May 19, 2021)

I live a life mostly opposite a consumer, newest electronic good I got was a phone. And it was a cheep phone not even over a hundred. And the only reason I bought it was the audio jack on the old one broke and the screen had been cracked badly for about a year. New phone is great, can actually run some games on it which is nice.


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## Thiletonomics (May 20, 2021)

When it comes to cars, given how in most cases, they are an necessity for people, at what point does a car purchase turn into consoomerism? Some example questions would be:

-Would leasing a luxury car, and then leasing another one once the lease is up, and repeat, is consoomerism, or just wanting to have that new car smell every 3 years, plus not having to deal with maintenance hassles (especially with German luxury cars) that come after the warranty expires?

-Let's say that a car that you like very much gets totaled in an accident, and completely written off. Buying a new car of the same model wouldn't be consoomerism at all, or would it?

-Is buying a car that's on the expensive side in general, i.e. luxury cars, instead of the cheapest brands, i.e. Mitsubishi, or a good-conditioned used car, considered consoomerism at all?

-Would switching from an ICE-powered car, to an EV, be consoomerism?

-The only thing that I can think of that would be consoomerism is if you buy a new car, and it has so many issues to the point that the car is declared a lemon, the dealer buys the car back, and then you buy the same brand, or flat out same car again, i.e. a Tesla.


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## Haim Arlosoroff (May 20, 2021)

Lone MacReady said:


> Samworth Hydington has already given the knockout lesson on CONSOOMERs.


They have a _Firefly Cargo Crate_ STARTING AT $62.00/ Crate + Shipping.  This isn't Rick and Morty where everything is unique and yet blandly identical and simple because its an extended childhood helping to stagnate your life, until you're bitter and you want to punch nazis so you feel connected to something like a good democrat drone.  There were only _10 episodes_, how many shitty joke T-Shirts can there even be?  Imagine every month, 60$+ Loot Crate _plus the shipping_.  Exclusive Firefly collectibles, gear and shiny apparel?  Sign me up, there's no goddamn way I could be disappointed.  They had 10 episodes, this isn't star wars with (formerly) an extended universe.  How many crates before you start to get background set props that you can't even find in the show?

Loot Crates are the most consoomerist thing I can think of, they're literally gifting you things like you're a child on christmas day or having a birthday with friends.  But you don't have friends, or you wouldn't be buying things that act like surrogate friendships.  We're finding massive piles of beany babies that everyone forgot about, why do funko-pop collectors assume what they're doing is anything more than burning piles of money in the yard.  They're not going to value funko-pops, because they already know they don't value beany babies.  Men acting like boys, so they don't see themselves as adult failures.  For corporate profit, and nothing else.

People used to have culture, now they have stuff.  People used to tie dye their shirts, now we just buy them and never wear them.  I hate the commodification of things, women hire nannies so they can have kids and a career which other women also now need to as well in order to pay the bills because labor costs are through the floor because supply doubled when we hired the willing career woman.  People buy food because no woman (or man) can cook any more.  women are getting weighted blankets_ "scientifically proven to dramatically reduce stress & anxiety"_ instead of having a social circle and a man about the house.  Its like quick sand.  Pets instead of kids so you don't have to get nannies living a life that contains ever smaller life in it.  Just stuff, hoarding collections of surrogacies for having a life.

Nobody has families, and large friendship circles.  Nobody wants to own property and manage it unless its to rent it out so you can make money to spend money renting substitutions for having a life.  Whats the point?  Even the immigrants aren't having kids.  We're becoming a vast boring meaningless genetic death spiral.  We're min-maxing our checkbooks and our lifestyles on one side of the equation and then spending it on consoomerism.

Its one thing to vacation every year with your wife, that's living.  Buying products you don't value but collect anyway is sick.





Thiletonomics said:


> When it comes to cars, given how in most cases, they are an necessity for people, at what point does a car purchase turn into consoomerism?


When you start accessorizing and spending in excess of what you need, heated seats for your wife?  Not Consooming.  Heated Seats because the dealer told you to get them, made them sound not optional? Consooming.  Are you buying the product to buy the product?  Do you care about the difference?  If not, don't do it.  Don't.  Save your money.

Now things get complicated if you went with the model with the larger engine.  Did you need it?  Are you going to show it off to your friends?  If you didn't need it, and you actually don't show it off then its consooming.  If you got friends and your driving the big truck potentially to use it but also to show it off then it might be consooming but you shouldn't worry about it if it made a difference at least once and your friends didn't mock you for it.  Social signalling isn't consooming if the purchase had the social effect.  Wise hedging and buying the winch when you're off-roading it is smart, you'll find that out.  A decorative winch that doesn't function?  Imagine showing your friends that like it was a smart purchase.  Thats Consooming.

Expensive shit is sometimes not consooming if you're getting a social effect worth the cost, if you're getting a use out of it you couldn't with the cheaper option, or if your hedging against some misfortune which might befall you.  Consooming isn't bad once or twice, but like drinking to excess and losing the next day to it, you should try to keep it under control financially.  If its an addiction, which doesn't even bring you joy, you need help and you should confess it to a friend or loved one.


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## Piss! (May 20, 2021)

> The difference between collecting stuff as a hobby and being a cuck soyboy consoomer is simple: people who collect the same stuff as me are the based ones, who do it for smart reasons. Everyone else does it for stupid reasons.


There is not really a good way to divide the two.

My general rule is that I try not to buy stuff if I already have one of whatever the thing is that works fine. For example, I have a TV that's big enough for me and my wife to sit on the couch and watch from across the room. I figure I am good on buying a new TV for at least ten years, maybe twenty. And, hell, I only have this one because my friend gave it to me when he replaced it with a bigger one. Why did he need to do that? Go figure.


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## Lemmingwise (May 20, 2021)

Haim Arlosoroff said:


> I hate the commodification of things, women hire nannies so they can have kids


This has been happening for centuries though for those who can afford it.


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## Haim Arlosoroff (May 20, 2021)

Lemmingwise said:


> This has been happening for centuries though for those who can afford it.


From my point of view, Consoomerism has existed for centuries though for those who can afford it.  Its just that the middle class sometimes learns how to really act upper class.

Although, I meant full time nannies not "hired a baby-sitter once to go out on a friday night" nannies just to be clear.


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## ArnoldPalmer (May 20, 2021)

I can put this pretty simply. You might like looney tunes, but you probably don't have a room in your house dedicated only to Warner Bros. Memorabilia. You might enjoy NASCAR, but you probably don't fill all of the negative space on your garage walls with Dale Jr. stickers. You're probably also not one of those boomers who tries collecting every specimen of Coca-Cola bottle ever made.

That's the dividing line. When fandom becomes worship. The Coke can guy isn't a fan of the soft drink, he's a fan of the brand itself. That's what makes a consoomer.


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## Scarmiglione (May 20, 2021)

I see the big difference being the pursuit of an aesthetic or anaesthetic high. The anti-vital consoomer seeks distraction and escape from the world while the vital connoisseur wants to feel the world more deeply and intensely than he can at present through other pursuits. You can try to split hairs about degree of devotion, quality of product and so on, but the deciding factor of whether a person's interest in something is impressive or revolting is whether their engagement with it is a more or less human act. Is the viewer/reader/buyer/whatever trying to turn the finer and more interesting parts of his being off through his preferred practice, or is he trying to feed and stimulate it?

I spend more money on movies than i ever did on league of legends back in high school, but league is the consoomer practice. it's something i could only do as a means of hiding from the bullshit of school and people. the effect was anaesthetic, and would generally leave me feeling unsatisfied. The stimulation is simple to cover the unpleasant realities of life but doesn't come close to touching any deeper needs. the most it can offer you is a temporary high of virtual power over another miserable loser if you win. the holes in life aren't filled, only covered over for a while. Film on the other hand is this ongoing process of fascination and learning to me, there's appreciation of the tricks and techniques and strengths of the medium and how these are used to explore life in new ways. I'll pay to see something old in a cinema that i could see for free on a tv at home because it's a purer experience that let's me better get in contact with the sensations the artist wants me to appreciate in his work. Film is something i can appreciate in a spirit of true play and pure curiosity, not a tired and desperate pursuit of respite. when you look at the open mouth of a guy with a youtube channel unboxing a funko-pop you aren't seeing something childish. what's disgusting is how tired and haggard they are inside, that and the cargo-culted veneer of childishness they're unsuccessfully using to get away.

Star Wars wasn't cool in childhood because it was simple, you don't go back to that pure joy by turning your brain off and trying to psych yourself up into believing the luke skywalker action figure really is the coolest damn thing ever. Star Wars is cooler in childhood because the average child has more of the spirit of a true connoisseur than the average adult. Especially true before ipads became a thing. Star Wars was cool because it's damn cool and children are generally pretty good at liking what they like and disliking what they don't like. Look at how adults talk about star wars, perverse incentives everywhere, everyone concerned about how they look if they feel one way or another about the thing, it's sickening. Children didn't understand that a certain movie was either based or libtard, they just liked stuff that was cool.

A man full of vitality will seek experiences that make him feel more deeply than he does already, a beaten down degenerate slave-animal-creature will seek experiences that take the colour and feeling out of life so things remain bearable, pursue things that might grant some power or belonging, to make things more bearable, will seek joy and stimulation while having forgotten how to follow his own instincts and curiosity, shaping themselves into unbearable imitations of men having fun.

A consoomer is sort of like a poser, a word I really like that doesn't get used enough anymore.


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## Based Coffee Man (May 20, 2021)

IMO consoomerism is blindly buying things without much thought. Thing look cool. Buy thing. No research on the alternatives, product reviews, videos of the product if that is relevant, and so on. The internet is a valuable tool that people just abstain from using because the Amazon algorithm determined Product A is what they want. 

I won't tell people how to spend their money but you'd be surprised how much shit you wouldn't buy if you just sat on it for a day or two. Think about if you _really_ need/want it. Let go of FOMO.


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## Pissmaster (May 20, 2021)

Man, I've always hated consoomers since before the term even existed.  Its always been visible in Nintendo fan communities, with people posting outright resentment that Nintendo released a thing and now they *HAVE* to buy it.  Not want, _have_, because if they don't, they feel _lesser _than those that did, and therefore aren't _real_ fans.  It's a Keeping-Up-With-The-Joneses mentality, and I hate to admit it, but I fell for that shit hard for a lot longer than I should have.

Speaking of the differences between collectors and consoomers, I've thought about that quite a bit.  It largely comes down to whether or not you actually care about what you're buying.

I really like this post:


starborn427614 said:


> Buying stuff just for the sake of buying it. Take Amiibo for example: I just like buying ones that appeal to me personally, I don't really need every single character in Smash and their tiny counterpart.



I have an Amiibo collection too, and I stuck to just buying what I like.  When you're deciding whether or not to buy one, ask yourself:

Can I tell you anything interesting about this character that you couldn't just learn from skimming their wiki article?
Can I tell you anything interesting about this character's creation process?
Can I tell you any interesting personal anecdotes about this character, or a game they're in?
If the answer to even just one is a "yes", then go ahead and buy it.  If the answer is "no" across the board, then chances are, you're looking to buy it because of someone else's influence over you.  Maybe you've got a pie-in-the-sky idea of collecting them all.  Maybe you've got FOMO and you can't wait to get home and photograph it for the forum where 20 other guys are doing that, and you want your stickies.  Maybe you've got a deep-seeded fear that if you don't get up at the crack of dawn and wait outside of Target in the freezing cold to get your Wario toy, you're gonna see some hee-LARIOUS meme where someone positioned their Sonic amiibo right underneath Wario's ass, and now everyone else is doing their own variants, and you can't do one because you never bought Wario because you simply _aren't cool enough to hang out with the true Nintendo fans._

Speaking of which, fuck the people who keep all their Amiibos in boxes.  Congratulations, a wall in your home now looks like a well-stocked Walmart.  A consoomer home for a consoomer retard.

And while I'm at it, the most consoomer thing I ever hear in the world of video games is "I'm buying this just to show my support for it, in hopes they'll make a sequel".  I've seen this logic applied even when a sequel was bad, and yet, they still bought it in hopes that the franchise would somehow magically git gud again on the next one.  There are also the kind of idiots that buy multiple copies of the same game with no intention of playing them for that same reason.  Just try asking them to buy you a new copy - they'll never do it, they're just chasing the high of buying that game for themselves the first time. 

At that point, you're going beyond consooming.  That's hoarding.  You are coming up with flimsy reasons after the fact to justify buying a fourth copy of Bing Bing Wahoo.  Yar har fiddle dee dee, _you are a hoarder_.  

And if you're in that deep, you've got to back up and take a SERIOUS look at your life.  Something, or someone in your life is causing you stress and anxiety to the point where you're acting irrational and trying to bury your distress in the best way you know how.  

So, find that person causing all of your problems and *BEAT THE FUCKING SHIT OUT OF THEM*


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## VIPPER? (May 20, 2021)

The line is where you start form your identity around the brands you consoom. There is nothing wrong with buying stuff, even in buying shitty toys, or even buying lots of them from the same one producer. All that does is show they make good stuff (or at least stuff you want, if it doesn't satisfy some definition of "good")

The real niggatry is collecting shit becuase you like the brand, and not because you want the thing itself. Like with Amiibos, there's people who want them for the DLC it contains, people who want them because they want the figure, and people who collect them because it's Nintendo merch and they need Nintendo everything because their Nerd Cred is damaged if they don't have every Nintendo thing. It's the latter people who are the real retards.

Shoe collectors are another good example. I've met some who are absoultely niggerish about it and collect limited edition Nike shoes because they are Nike shoes, and a lot of their persona/identity rests on being ever so hood because no hood tranah boy doesn't have Nikes. But I've also met a couple who collect them because "lmao this shoe literally has blood in it"/"lmao this shoe literally gold" and so on. Both are retarded, but only the Nike fanboy who needs Nike in his life to justify his persona is the real Consoomer™ and the other guy just has shitty taste in home decor.


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## Gravityqueen4life (May 24, 2021)

nigga technology.  technology for niggas. basically un-nessecery tech made for lazy people who dont really need it.


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## Spunt (May 31, 2021)

Thiletonomics said:


> When it comes to cars, given how in most cases, they are an necessity for people, at what point does a car purchase turn into consoomerism? Some example questions would be:
> 
> -Would leasing a luxury car, and then leasing another one once the lease is up, and repeat, is consoomerism, or just wanting to have that new car smell every 3 years, plus not having to deal with maintenance hassles (especially with German luxury cars) that come after the warranty expires?
> 
> ...



Consooming is not necessarily about what you buy, but _why _you buy it. If you're buying a car because it would benefit you (you want an affordable car, a comfortable car, a fast car, a reliable car, a car that feels 'right' for you to drive) you're not a consoomer. If your purchasing decision is about _what other people will think_ about the car you drive, that's consoomerism. If you buy an Overfinch Range Rover, a Hummer H2 or a Merc G-Wagon because you enjoy the ownership/driving experience of those cars, then you're not a consoomer. Of course almost nobody buys those kinds of cars for those reasons, they're really stupid fucking cars that aren't particularly good at anything except draining your bank account, people get them because famous rappers/sportsmen/drug dealers buy them and you think that you'll get trickle-down coolness from those people as a sort of cargo-cult cool, which is consoomerism in a nutshell.


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## Blasterman (Jun 7, 2021)

I would define it as any purchasing behavior which becomes compulsive OR involves a cargo-cult mentality.


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## Baby Cakes (Jul 8, 2021)

Obviously taking part in any "celebration" centered around major corporation sales (Prime Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc.) It's like any other culture you buy into.


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## ComedyEnjoyer (Jul 8, 2021)

If you buy it because you're mostly after the dopamine hit from the act of buying it and the hype/prestige/FOMO around the product rather than the utility of the product to you, even if that utility it just entertainment, you're consooming.


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## Baby Cakes (Jul 8, 2021)

I don't know the average Kiwi's opinion of Joe Rogan, but this video explains how corporations are taking advantage of "woke" culture. There's obvious overlap between "woke" brands and consoomers. No, purchasing X product does not make you a morally superior person.

Edit: This video is for you to share to people who haven't figured it out.


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