Anti-Capitalist Consumer
By
Erica Crooks
For more info on consumerism and Anarchism , I recommend this link.
In this blog post I’ll be talking about what I would consider the differences between healthy consumerism ( Buying things that mean something to ourselves deeply and moderately ) and
Obsessive , Impulsive consumerism due to some sort of fear that develops into mental illness.
And how this relates to my views as an Anti-capitalist left wing anarchist as well as a pop culture entertainment art fan. As well as mentioning my view on Comic Con a little bit.
I don’t know why I decided to write this blog subject but perhaps it’s because
I love pop culture. And when your an American who had a 1990s childhood and perhaps similar in other generations I suppose , you are used to the capitalist world of consumerism.
As an Anarcho-Communist ( Libertarian Socialist Anarchist ) I have reasons of hating capitalism. There’s the class war which people kill themselves over having the choice between a meaningless lousy job or dying on the street . If you were diagnosed with something you can receive SSI benefits and that tends to be political usually a bunch of right wing and American versos of Libertarian would hate you for it , just bitching about taxes and how they even though they can agree with you that perhaps you regarding what neurologists think of you , they would HATE you for it. Personal experience folks . I have my own politics regarding to a theory that people who are intuitive when it comes to personality type and perhaps perceivers as well are most likely to be diagnosed with something. Benefits is a positive side , a negative side is that it’s not really money from The Government but from the working class.
I’m sure people would feel better if I would just accept my diagnoses of Asperger’s Syndrome but I won’t !
First off , I was diagnosed as a kid and even diagnosed at age 30. My mother thinks I’m high functioning , I think there’s a conspiracy between minorities being diagnosed.
Even Libertarian Socialist Rants have addressed similar issues .
So when it comes to welfare / SSI related political issues , I go which what Anarchists point out.
Because if people say NO and it was taken away , sure people can enjoy extra cash in their pocket where many people , especially minorities can’t find employment is most likely than not to die on the street !
As an Anarchist , this points out clearly that capitalism does not work !
And this isn’t the only chains that slave the working class but capitalism itself.
The other reason why I’m against capitalism relates to how I got into satire in the first place which relates to my interest in pop culture.
This would explain my satirical obsession to satirize bad television which is in a sense what The Erica Crooks Show’s format is partly about or at least that’s how the show started out.
When I started performing live puppet shows from 1999 - 2005 ,
The show was more in a Muppet Show kind of format where the characters were bad performers .
When I did public access television from 2006 - 2009 , I was doing things alternatively.
I filmed out of my own bedroom and then the basement , never using the studio they had because of the limitations of 2 hours filming time.
So it was really and truly independent film.
I still remember being in high school and slowly realizing that there was less and less good stuff on television for me and the commercials where getting more annoying , obnoxious , and the new tv shows were becoming more crass products then something ground breaking like I remember in the 1990s. So technically when I moved into my first apartment in 2010 ,
I decided NOT to get cable television. But also I very well understand the fact about myself
That I can not live without the internet access !
As a pop culture fan , I do love how there was toys and action figure membrobillia based on my favorite characters , but at the same time the real purpose was income.
If it was capitalists or even struggling artist companies like The Jim Henson Company.
I wish I could find a simple video clip from Henson’s Place but I’ll just have to describe it.
First of all Jim Henson had strong opinions regarding not merchandising his characters .
He experimented with it in the early days but even when he did , during his life time , he would check the quality of any toy relating to his characters , especially Sesame Street.
Jim Henson was against crass products. But as of 1984 , he sort of had to be more flexible against his will because his company was pretty much had money issues.
Sesame Street merchandise is pretty much what saved The Muppets as a company.
In the 1984 documentary Henson’s Place , Jim talks about the logic aspects of serving the needs of the audience as well as having the income go back into the productions.
“We’re living in the real world here. It would be nice if we could do without it but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
Jim Henson passed away in 1990 due to stress of the Disney Deal ( in my opinion ).
Jim Henson would have absolutely LOVED the internet and would probably use Kickstarter and Patreon like most artists today !
For me , I’m very selective when it comes to what collectibles I want to own and not get out of hand like many pop culture collectors out there.
I look for quality .
I admire a toy in this sense as a work of art within itself. It was made as sort of a sculpture which people can actually admire and own in their very own home !
That’s what I like . Because whatever happens in my life , I can have something like this looking back to me and bringing a smile on my face as it has always done in childhood.
That’s the thing about fans. This is culture. It means something to us !
I’ve addressed similar opinions within a blog article I did last year relating to an idea of “ An Anti-Capitalist Comic Con “
Print shop websites such as Zazzle has a similar feel when it comes to Consuming.
But what’s great as well as living in an age of 3D printing is that it’s something that can be printed ON DEMAND !
Same with CreateSpace and digital media.
It’s available for those who want it.
Unfortunately, what’s really sad is just how easy it truly is for someone to go to jail.
And that’s just the so called “ Free Countries “ !
Say if I wanted to lie to the police about someone I did not like very much and get them into trouble . What no one knows can’t hurt them right ?
Well my conscious and soul can not handle such Ego and anti-humanitarian acts of anti-social crime such as that.
Or in this case. Say I was a capitalist bastard who seen a fan of my work
And they wanted to buy some fan art or make it themselves with Zazzle or something.
Or they saved my youtube videos and made a DVD for themselves and their friends.
And since I have more money than this fan. I sue them , the poor innocent fan doesn’t have the money to pay the copyright violations and they go to jail.
Again , I won’t have the heart to do something like that.
One of the things I love about Anarchism ,
Is that Anarchists are all for the good of human kind and Earth Kind.
In an Anarchist Society , nothing will ever go “ Out of Print “ !
Everything will be counterfeited professionally to the point where counterfeiting no longer exists.
Who knows what Anarcho-Transhumanism could bring.
Science could give everyone their own mansion in a hologram where homes can change in size , shape , color , etc !
But also in an anarchist society , perhaps people won’t be as security worry warts.
Perhaps people would be more flexible when it comes to possessions , even knowing that thanks to Anarcho-Communism , if they need something , they can get it any time they want , no worries , no limitations like what capitalism does to people.
But one thing I will say is this.
I am an introvert. But it doesn’t mean I’m a hermit.
For me , I like to make my home , my home where ever I live.
I want it to feel like home, I like to own things. Even if it’s a book or movie I didn’t see in over a year. I know it’s there. I can see the title. Perhaps I like to look at that title and read it and smile at my favorite moments and say , “ Hey , I got time. “ and then I check it out reliving the memories.
My father was not only an abusive heartless bastard but also an obsessive consumer.
I have different views when it comes to consuming.
I may own a lot of stuff , but I’m extremely picky when it comes to things I want to own.
Pretty much any possessions I have , I use.
And if I lose electricity or the internet , I have something as a backup to keep me and even company entertained. :)
I think one of the things that educated me about consuming was something that Rocko’s Modern Life creator Joe Murray recommends when is something called “ The Story of Stuff “
It is liberal but Anarchists do share similar views. We just don’t think hierarchy is justified.
But anyway , I enjoy and get use of my libraries. :)
In fact , this week I have filmed some videos showing off my libraries which includes things that influence me as an artist in my field of work which I’d like to share with everyone really soon.
It’ll be related to my upcoming pop culture related blog videos .
_ Erica
#anarchism #anarchy #anarchist #anarchists #anarchocommunism #anticapitalism #anticonsumerism
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