Peculiar Behavior?

[stoutfellow]

I'm reading an article in the Dec. 24 issue of The Economist, and just ran across the following passage.

In his new book, "Hypermodern Times", Gilles Lipovestsky, the favorite philosopher of [Louis Vuitton]'s boss, Bernard Arnaud, has coined the term "hyperconsumption". This is consumption which pervades ever more spheres of life and which encourages people to consume for their own pleasure rather than to enhance their social status.

Right. This is supposed to be a phenomenon which is so startlingly new as to need a new word to describe it? And the appropriate word is hyperconsumption?

(Yes, I've read The Theory of the Leisure Class.)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I grew up with a "make do, do without, use it up, wear it out" philosophy.

It was a shock getting used to "disposable" goods.

I wonder when we'll have to revert . .

Hyperconsumption?

[carbonelle.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on this one Stoutfellow.

"...and which encourages people to consume for their own pleasure."

And aside from "bare survival" why else would I want to "consume" e.g. purchase goods and/or services?

Like A. Nony Mouse, above, I too grew up with a thrifty ethic. The which did not, however, deny pleasure, or pleasurable consumption of, too name a childhood favorite: The Annual Christmas Ham.

The navy bean soup from said porker's bone was merely the piece-de-resistance

That said, I am, b'ghod, so fargin' in love with those Clorox wipes thinggummy's I shall probably write a fan letter to the company. Of course, I'm potty-training a stubborn toddler just now, and that's been known to drive Strong Men Mad.

[tygerr.livejournal.com]

I'm actually more intrigued (that's a polite term for "offput") by the implication/presumption that the one and only "right and proper" function of consumption is "enhancement of social status" (aka "conspicuous consumption", "keeping up with the Joneses")--and nothing else.

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

That's sort of the contrapositive of my complaint. I mean, I've read Veblen (as I said), and I think the theory of conspicuous consumption explains a lot - but to conclude that that is the only, or even the principal, reason for (other than survival-related) consumption is absurd.

[kd5mdk.livejournal.com]

Among other things, doesn't it apply primarily to the leisure class? Not everyone is a part of it.