Don't Buy These Myths

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While these laws prevented escalation in certain forms of spending, wily humans simply transferred their status-seeking to other forms that became just as costly. In medieval Europe, regular folks couldn't wear linen and lace, so they turned to buttons for status; by the 14th century, buttons became coveted ornaments, worn from elbow to wrist and neckline to waist. The elite opted for gold, silver, and ivory ones, promptingóyou guessed itóbutton laws.

In 16th-century northern Europe, clothing had to be a single color. So status seekers merely wore an inner lining of a different hue, slashed the outer garment, then pulled the inner one through and puffed it up for emphasis. When medieval Florence restricted the number of courses in a meal, cooks devised a 'pastry-wrapped meat-and-pasta torte' and other elaborate single dishes. In both cases, the laws are gone, but their influence on fashion and cuisine remains.

By 1900 most of these laws had disappeared, but their legacy 'lives on in memory,' says Frank, 'so strongly that all subsequent attempts to curb conspicuous consumption have carried a heavy burden of guilt by association.'

MYTH #5 A NEW BATHROBE IS ALWAYS NICE

We all delight in acquiring new things, but seldom do we consider the resulting ripple effect described by 18th-century French philosopher Denis Diderot. In an essay entitled 'Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown,' he wrote about receiving as a gift a beautiful scarlet dressing gown, tben quickly discarding his old one. But as he began to sense that his surroundings now appeared shabby and unworthy of the grandeur exuded by the new garment, his pleasure turned sour. As Juliet Schor recounts, 'He grew dissatisfied with his study, with its threadbare tapestry, the desk, his chairs, and even the room's bookshelves. One by one, the familiar but well-worn furnishings of the study were replaced. In the end, Diderot found himself seated uncomfortably in the stylish formality of his new surroundings, regretting the work of this 'imperious scarlet robe [that] forced everything else to conform with its own elegant tone.' '

Schor calls this 'the Diderot effect': the perceived need to buy new furniture for the new house, new goblets to go with the new china, a new blouse to match the new skirt. And it's what keeps the consumer escalator moving ever upward. If we want to get off, we need to develop a new consumer consciousness and new behaviors, and that may be harder than it sounds.

MYTH #6 IT'S ALL ADVERTISING'S FAULT

Television has long been blamed for promoting consumer desire, and indeed it does. But program content, not advertisingówhich mostly promotes low-cost household itemsóis the primary culprit, according to Schor. TV programs and movies typically present an upper-class picture of American life, leading viewers to assume that nearly everyone, except for themselves, shares that opulence. Schor's research shows that people who watch more TV spend more money, and routinely overestimate others' standards of living. In one study, participants overstated ownership rates for 22 of 27 consumer products. Heavy watchers also overestimate the percentage of the population who are millionaires, have had cosmetic surgery, and belong to a private gym. And doesn't everyone have private planes and swimming pools?

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