In response to the "Black Friday" retail madness that has come to embody the Thanksgiving holiday experience every bit as much as the Turkey dinner itself, for the last 20 years Kalle Lasn and the Adbusters Media Foundation have attempted to counter the rampant blind consumerism with Buy Nothing Day. However, this year, Lasn and the Adbusters crew have decided kick things up a notch with what they're calling a "Wildcat General Strike." It seems they're worried that their anti-holiday is in danger is "losing its edge," and it's time to "reanimate it with new intensity, purpose and scale." Here's the synopsis:
We want you to not only stop buying for 24 hours, but to shut off
your lights, televisions and other nonessential appliances. We want you
to park your car, turn off your phones and log off of your computer for
the day.
We’re calling for a Ramadan-like fast. From sunrise to sunset we’ll
abstain en masse, not only from holiday shopping, but from all the
temptations of our five-planet lifestyles.
Taking a break from phones, computers and cars sure sounds like a lot more enjoyable way to spend a day off than fighting lines at a mall to me, why not give it a shot? Of course, a whole day without "nonessential appliances" would also mean no iPods or home stereos. Have you ever went a 24 hour fast from prerecorded music? I don't think I have, but I'm rather intrigued by the notion. Might be a great excuse to dig out that acoustic guitar in the closet or dust off the piano and devote a day to practicing some chords and learning new songs!
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