Re: preceding post, it’s interesting how such extremely ignorant people love to publish lists of prohibitory commands. As if anybody were eagerly expecting their commands as to what not to do.
Such folks’ horizons are limited by their ignorance. The world is confusing and scary. By yelling “don’t! stop! avoid! cease and desist!” they create an illusion of being in control.
If the history of religion teaches us anything, it’s that there’s an audience for scolding, censorship, and taboos.
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Religion is incompatible with consumerism. And this author wants to be both completely consumerist and a scold. And that’s an inherent contradiction.
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Is religion incompatible with consumerism? With an ethos of “Don’t consume this!” comes an implied “But the other stuff is cool!” Especially if you add in “You must only eat/wear/etc. X!” which just creates ample opportunities for “Buy our product! Now with extra X!”
Strict religions love it when you buy from other members of the faith. This creates business opportunities for members of the faith. There are Islamic banks (offering loans that include fees that are totally not interest charges), kosher and halal grocers, Christian bakers who offer the opportunity to buy a cake and supp0rt somebody involved in a lawsuit over gay wedding cakes, retailers of Mormon-approved undergarments, etc.
Consumerism can find its way into anything.
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Religion imposes limitations. There are rules that limit behaviors, there are days or weeks of fasting, there are sins and virtues, and most importantly, there is a law whose source lies outside of oneself. There is a higher order to which human beings must subject themselves. And all this is entirely unacceptable to the consumerist mentality.
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I mean consumerism not as buying or selling but as a way of relating to the world and the self.
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It reminds me of women’s magazine’s articles. Or memos sent out to sorority sisters during Rush Week. :p
Do: Text RESIST to 50409, wear fleece leggings, wear tent dresses
Don’t: Eat carbs, put drinks in mason jars anymore, use unethically sourced Korean beauty products
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What, the Mason jars are out? Again? I can’t keep up.
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Wait, Mason jars are bad? Do I want to know why?
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Because EVERYONE is using them now, in addition to those clothesline menus.
Actually I have no idea what’s in or out. I just think dunking everything in a mason jar is stupid.
Next up: serving communal shots in silicon cupcake molds; single serving meatloafs in muffin trays & smoothies in vintage sippy cups.
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And dirty water! They do it in the Silicone Valley, so it’s got to be kewl as all hell.
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
Clarissa's Blog 
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