| BLOG 9: FREEBIE |
BACKGROUND
I recently read the article titled “So Your Kitchen is Tiny. So What?" by Mark Bittman. To sum up the article briefly, Bittman, a recipe cook book author, posted up a picture of his smaller than average 7 by 6 feet kitchen space on his blogging website. Overwhelmingly, responders stated how they were so surprised that someone, a well-practiced cook, could possibly tolerate and do work in such a tiny sized kitchen. Bittman’s rebuttals go in depth about how there are only a couple of necessities that he needs which include a stove, sink, refrigerator, and a couple of pots and pans. Furthermore, Bittman makes it known that he knows many great cooks that get by with even less supplies and appliances than he has in his kitchen!
Reading this article made me think about how consumers often feel like their products make them who they are; as if they can buy massive amounts of a certain product or brand and be virtually transformed into this idea/image that the product tries to advertise itself as. So, why do we consumers do it? Not only do we want to feel like someone else through the products we buy, but I believe that consumers forget that “less is more” because of what our peers and society consider to be the norm nowadays. All this spending becomes a huge problem because it leads to overconsumption. Sounds crazy? Let’s see if you agree after this blog!
WE TRY TO TYPECAST OURSELVES WITH POSSESSIONS
A lot of consumers purchase products because they know that they are being judged. Many people choose to buy expensive and showy things to try to associate themselves with those products. One example of this is when we buy clothes that promote a big clothing designer. A lot of consumers will go out and get apparel, accessories, and even shoes that are popular labels to try and typecast themselves to that brand. They want other people to associate them with having expensive taste, quality type clothing, and living the rich and luxurious lifestyle that so many people envy. Rappers do this all the time and even create songs talking about the products that they wear. Nelly dedicated a whole song about wearing Air Force One shoes and Big Tymers created a song about owning Gucci Suits and driving a Mercedes E-class.
Sweet Sixteen? More Like...SOUR Sixteen!
Yes, I agree that people constantly feel like they are being judged by their peers. But to a lot of people, they think it’s a necessity to have the bigger and flashier things. All they want is to gain a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T from their peers. A really great (but frustrating) example of this is a show that airs on the TV station MTV called “Sweet 16.” It is a series of episodes about girls turning 15-17 years old who have their parents throw them expensive and elaborate coming-of-age parties. Each episode dedicates a small segment to the birthday child passing out invitations to their friends and classmates. It’s always the child’s favorite time because they know that their peers are dying to go to their party, and the birthday boy/girl wants everyone to envy their lifestyle. Because the birthday child is placed on such a pedestal, they feel that the more extravagant their party, the more their classmates will respect and like them. Several episodes have shown the birthday brat crying because they were not granted an elaborate gift like a convertible and some form of this comment is always made, “I’m going to be so embarrassed! Everyone is going to make fun of me!” Certainly, there are many other cases where people feel they need expensive and new things to associate themselves with a social class, but this is the first thing that comes to my mind.
Amount of Wealth
Many consumers believe they are being judged by other people because they believe that life is a competition where wealth is a key component. To many people, money is a sign of success and power. As consumers, we are always trying to compare ourselves with others by looking at the differences in our disposable income. For instance, when comparing a Mercedes owner to someone who drives a Honda, many people feel that the Mercedes driver is the more successful person. They do not stop to think that a car is merely a tool and the Honda is able to fulfill every need required to get from point A to point B. I feel that this idea is very similar to Bittman’s situation where his readers criticized him for not wanting a kitchen equivalent to the Mercedes. If anything, Bittman should be seen as a more successful cook because he is capable of outperforming people while using less materials. People fail to see past the glamour of expensive things and open their minds to the idea that not everyone believes in buying more than what’s necessary to get the job done.
WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN’T SWEAT THE BIG STUFF
Many people are stuck with this preconceived notion that the objects a person own define who they are. In order to discover a person’s true worth, we need to look beyond the worth of their physical possessions. I’ve often heard the saying “money can't buy you everything.” Even though many consumers believe that buying nicer brands and items can change their status and class; this is not always the case. You can’t always buy yourself into what you want you be!
Overconsumption
Consumers need to change the way they think about buying things of value because many times it can lead to overspending. In this day and age, overconsumption is a problem that a lot of us consumers face. There is this constant feeling that we need more than we really do. The article, “So Your Kitchen is Tiny. So What?” even mentions how people criticized Bittman for not having what they thought was a sufficient amount of cooking supplies, but Bittman ensures readers that he has all the adequate items he absolutely needs, which does not seem like much to most people. He states that, “...when it comes to kitchens, size and equipment don’t count nearly as much as devotion, passion, common sense...” I believe that if you have the minimum amount of tools needed, why spend money on extras that probably never get used? Many consumers automatically believe that having more appliances means that it will make them a better chef, but in reality, cooking is an art-form that must be learned, not bought. Consumers need to realize that consumption is now merely an act of desire and not a necessity… needs have limits but there is no bottom to desire.
WE THE CONSUMER
So as it turns out, as a consumer, I too am not immune to overconsumption. There are times when I feel that it is my right… no my duty, to go out and spend money on things that I “want” instead of “need”. While it’s easy for me to take a step back and look down at all the other consumers buying unnecessary things, it’s much hard to actually change my spending habits. I hope to someday cure myself of this lifestyle and become more like Bittman. It is indeed our duty as consumers to spend money, but not to the point of overconsumption.
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| 2 Comments: |
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i think you and i are the only ones who write our blogs a week before it's due!
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Finishing your blogs earlier is always a nice thing:)
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Name: Tina Bui
Major: Marketing
and Communication Studies
Email: tina.u.bui@gmail.com
Birthday: January 29th, 1988
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posted by
TunabeREAL at 
i think you and i are the only ones who write our blogs a week before it's due!