June 1st, 2010 / 11:47 am
Random

Things & Stuff

There’s a deep and abiding chasm, I think, between materialism and consumerism. It has to do with the how and the why. And also, with shame. I have a fierce attachment to my things, and I’m frequently consumed by a desire for more things. I have walked into shops and trembled. I consider myself a materialist. I am also a consumer, vulnerable to marketing tactics, but when I give in to them, I feel embarrassed. There are certain objects that mean a lot to me, but probably wouldn’t mean much to anyone else. These objects are reifications of my experience, evidence that I exist: how would I or anyone know that I went to the bazaar, figuratively speaking, if I didn’t bring back the miniature tin kettle and cup and saucer, figuratively speaking, to prove it?

I like knowing that Walter Benjamin collected so many books, but didn’t read many of them. The collecting is greater than the book.

Tags: , , , ,

2 Comments

  1. michael

      read althusser!

      if you’re like me and you buy his argument in “ideology & ideological state apparatuses,” the distinction you make between yourself and the more oblivious consumer dissolves completely. just sayin.

  2. michael

      read althusser!

      if you’re like me and you buy his argument in “ideology & ideological state apparatuses,” the distinction you make between yourself and the more oblivious consumer dissolves completely. just sayin.