[Imc] buy nothing day +

[John Wason]

At 03:32 PM 11/22/2001 -0600, jacobs wrote:

>Hey all, this seems like a great idea. Resist the temptation to shop for 
>victory on the day after thanksgiving. Pass it on!!
>
>Peace,
>
>James Jacobs

I can easily resist the temptation to shop on the day after Thanksgiving.
I've been resisting it for years.  But 'fanclubbing' seems like a really
stupid idea to me.  Repetitively buying products and then immediately
returning them?  The only effect that would have would be to make it more
difficult to legitimately return a product in the future.  Better to just
write the company a letter and say that you're not shopping at their store
due to their exploitation of workers, etc.

Just my $0.02.

John



>>Saturday 24th November is Buy Nothing Day (Friday the 23rd in US)
>>
>>We are a culture jamming group planning an action next Saturday 24 November
>>(23 November in North America) on Buy Nothing Day. We need your help!
>>
>>We are going shopping we want you shop too! We say don't buy nothing ....BUY
>>EVERYTHING.....and then return it telling the shop why you are 'not
>>satisifed' with their lousy product.  Many stores have returns policies
>>proclaiming they'll gladly return your money if you are not completely
>>satisfied.=20
>>
>>This is happening globally so you can fake-shop wherever you live. Adbusters
>>are fully behind us, see the page on their web-site about us and we are
>>featured us in the next magazine.
>>
>>Fanclub is on the main Adbusters Buy Nothing Day page. (On
>>http://adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd/ under UPDATES.)
>>
>>You can get more info from our website http://www.fanclubbers.org
>>
>>We want people to do stuff in other cities off their own back. Maybe you can
>>support us in some way to make this a great day out shopping!
>>
>>Get in touch let us know if you are up for it, tell your friends, spread
the word
>>
>>FC
>>
>>
>>
>>Fanclubbing - Anti-shopping as art
>>
>>In this time of hysteria and constant paranoia, when America as being
>>continually told that the patriotic duty of every citizen is to stimulate
>>the economy by "shopping for victory". It's cheering to see that one
>>enterprising bunch of artists is heeding that call in a way that makes at
>>least as much sense as our leaders' call to shop 'til you drop.
>>
>>Fanclub are artists charged with a sense of mischief and a mission to throw
>>a spanner in the consumerist machine. Fanclub have taken a fresh look at
>>shopping and invested it with all the thrills you got way back when you
>>shoplifted as a teenager; but this time, it's legal.
>>
>>They call their version of shopping fanclubbing and they propose you try it
>>out as part of the activities for Buy Nothing Day, an annual worldwide day
>>of anti-consumption, which takes place on November 23rd.
>>
>>Going shopping on Buy Nothing Day. Surely now: isn't that a bit
>>contradictory? Well here's the catch. Fanclubbing involves going shopping at
>>a store with a 'no-questions-asked' guarantee, buying an object, and
>>immediately returning it for a refund. Then he or she turns right around and
>>repeats the transactions again and again so on and so forth, ad nauseum. All
>>this time, the store grits its teeth, and gets its guarantee tested to
>>destruction.
>>
>>What Fanclub wish you to do is get out there and do it yourself. Get out
>>there and shop in circles and create your own anti-consumerist culture-jam
>>for Buy Nothing Day. Tills will ring, yet not a penny will be spent, while
>>shutters click and video cameras record the confusion as fanclubbing happens
>>en masse. The results of this will be exhibited on the Internet as an
>>example of what happens when we stop shopping and start playing.
>>
>>So is it a prank or is it art? Fanclub don't really care how you view it 
>>as long as you think about the nature of consumption. Fanclub want to wipe
>>the smile off the caring face of global capitalism and show a glimpse of its
>>real nature.
>>
>>Behind the smiles, the 'no quibble' guarantees and the dead-fish stare of
>>customer care lies the truth of a beast that exploits. A beast that doesn't
>>like the taste of its own medicine. Fanclub want to use the ingenuity and
>>humour of the individual to prise open a chink in global commerce's armour.
>>
>>But Fanclub doesn't want you to stop there. They want to see customization,
>>adaptation fitting fanclubbing to your own needs.
>>
>>Want to make a point about sweatshop labour? Then go round and round with
>>Nike products. Want to make a point about the mindlessness of entertainment?
>>Buy a television and take it back tell them you don=B9t like the programmes.
>>Fast food get your goat? Try eating your Big Mac and then returning it to
>>McDonalds.
>>
>>Or do you just feel like having a laugh? Do it in costume. Enlist your
>>friends.
>>
>>Be your own Fanclub.
>>---------------------------------------------------------
>>FANCLUB's webpage: www.fanclubbers.org
>
>
>http://www.eco-action.org/infoshops