Retailers refer to the day after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday” because it’s the day they hope will attract enough customers to put them back into the black for the year. This year, it was also known as “Buy Nothing Day” to anti-consumerism activists like filmmaker Morgan Spurlock of “Supersize Me” fame. Spurlock has produced a new movie that features a performance artist who assumes the persona of Rev. Billy, an evangelist who tries to convert people to his “Church of Stop Shopping.” Do you think this is just a cheap stunt to promote a movie, or do you think the filmmakers have a point that we’ve become too obsessed with material goods?
Years ago, in an episode of “The Goldbergs,” Jake Goldberg arrived home for supper and excitedly told his wife, Molly, about a great business idea he had. At the dinner table, Jake enthusiastically discussed the future and said, “Molly, some day we’ll be eating off of golden plates!” Molly looked at him and replied, “Jake, darling, will it taste any better?”
