Unecessary "Stuff"

As we approach this holiday season, I see it in a new way due to the ideals I have learned from studying Thoreau. I look at America in a different way, especially the holiday shopping. The sales, and the mayhem all seem so unnecessary when I look at it through the eyes of a transcendentalist.

Something I am getting more and more cognizant of is the immense amount of bad commercials who are trying to target people. They stress how much you need their product, and also how great of a present it would be. Really all of this is not necessary, all we need is the four life necessities: Shelter, Warmth, Food, and Fuel. But I would like to do an experiment...what do you think would happen if I got my family and friends all firewood, a blanket, some ears of corn, and cardboard boxes for shelter. What would happen? I would be hated for the poor effort of gift shopping. Today's society has adjusted to many other things as being "life's necessities" and it really isn't going to change.

It has changed from Shelter, Warmth, Food, and Feul to Ipods, Daimonds, X box's, and designer clothing. Really I don't see are world changing back to bare necessities that Thoreau discovered, and with the rush of the holidays we just need more unnecessary "stuff".

I can't stand the commercials that are being put on the air, I just don't buy it anymore. I don't need any of this stuff. Especially with the holidays every company is trying to get people to shop at their stores, and I can't believe people actually fall for these commercials and say "Wow, those poeple look like they really are in love, so I should go buy that diamond neclace." But it works because people feel like they do need this new stuff even though it is not a necessity. In a Transedentalist world I think it is safe to say that all these stores would be going out of business because they wouldn't fall for their commercials like today society does.

Here I think Jay Leno perfectly portrays that we don't need all this stuff through this Zales daimond commercial.

(Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w-FOfcySkQ

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