Shop ’Til You Drop
[Multimodal reading/multimedia piece followed by questions (on the same page):]
Gene Brockhoff
[documentary film clip]
A flooring contractor with an interest in consumerism and the environment, Gene Brockhoff decided to make the documentary Shop ’Til You Drop despite having no background in film. Shop ’Til You Drop explores many topics related to consumerism, including how a culture of materialism affects individual happiness and the impact of disposable goods on the environment. In the following clip, author Juliet B. Schor reads a passage from her book The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don’t Need, in which she catalogs a long list of possessions common to middle-class Americans. That passage is followed by interviews with several people on the street as well as writers and experts on consumer culture, in which they weigh in on materialism in the United States. As you watch this clip, think about the intended effect of having Schor read this passage from her book. How does it frame the discussion of materialism that follows?
<<insert shop.mov>>
Reading the Signs
[Write line(s) of instructions.]
After watching the clip, consider the questions below. Then submit your response.
1. What is the intended impact of the long passage listing the typical possessions of a middle-class American?
2. Do you find this passage effective? Why or why not?
3. Imagine that the filmmakers approach you on the street and ask you the question, “Do you think American culture is materialistic?” How would you answer?
4. Do you think Laurence Shames (p. 80) would agree with the people interviewed in this clip? Find a quote in “The More Factor” that supports your answer, and enter it below.
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