The Church of Stop Shopping

Let me introduce you to "Reverend" Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. Rev. Billy is a political and social performance activist trying to reduce consumption - plain and simple. What's not "plain" or "simple" is his way of bringing forth his message. Rev. Billy dresses up like a televangelist...and plays the part too! He has a choir that sings remakes of classics with an anti-shopping spin. He urges followers to take their evil credit cards out of their wallets and exorcise them. At Christmas time, he asks, "What would Jesus buy?" and talks of the shopocalypse.

Why is this an important cause? Because we buy too much, and when I say "we" ladies, I'm talking about us. Almost everything purchased in a store today is made in a sweatshop that exploits the third world. The "stuff" we buy isn't sustainable, biodegradeable, or necessary. Beyond the human and planetary harms caused by shopping (It's NOT a hobby!), shopping has deeper social implications.

First of all, let's stop using the euphemism "shopping." It's not "shopping," it's buying. Buying stuff makes us feel empowered. Advertisers and retailers cater to us with slogans like, "Have it your way," or "We care about what you think," etc. Hint: they could care less...they just want you to buy their stuff. Furthermore, the stuff you buy is generally part of a status symbol identity that you are creating unknowingly (or maybe quite consciously). We now live in a culture where the brands we like are families we belong too (Calvin peeing on Ford or Chevy, Mac vs. PC, Bud vs. Corona). According to Rev. Billy, "Black Friday" is the true devil (don't even get him started on Wal-Mart, Disney, and Starbucks)! All of this buying is making the world a more artificial and confused place. The more you identify with the stuff, the worse the problem.

Rev. Billy says, "The corporations want us to have experiences only through their products...We like independent shops where you know the person behind the counter or at least –you like them enough to share a story.We ask that local activists who are defending themselves against supermalls, nuke plants, gentrification."

Remember ladies, we vote with our wallets. Elections mean very little today when Jane Q. Citizen is fighting against lobbyists and corporate conglomerates to be heard. Every dollar you spend on non-sustainable plastics or stuff made in China is a vote "yes" for landfills and sweatshops. This is the only kind of voice the corporations can hear...so speak up!

What can you do? Don't buy stuff you don't need (which will basically cut your "shopping" to groceries...so brace yourself!). Buy things second-hand. Buy handmade stuff. Don't buy things that have a lot of packaging. Buy local. In fact, I urge you to "take the handmade pledge." You can buy handmade goods at Etsy.com, Artfire.com, Ten Thousand Villages, and learn more at TryHandmade.com. Be sure to check out Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping's documentaries: What Would Jesus Buy?, Preacher With an Unknown God, and Reverend Billy & The Church of Stop Shopping.