Hello Kitty credit card?

Shopping then and now, Part 7
Found in Mom's Basement: 1960 TV ad.

The 60s also witnessed the increasing growth of consumer culture. Its success has meant that today we no longer produce goods we only consume goods. Tanaan ei oo yhtäkä hattukauppa Thunder Baysä, kuus kymenta luvulta asti emme enää valmista tuoteita, meistä on tullut kulutusyhteiskunnan kuluttajat. As I mentioned earlier, there are a few exceptions, with local artists selling a few hats, and I did see a Lappalainen hattu for sale at the seniors' 55+ craft store.

For my talk, I decided to wear some antique hats, so off I went to the second hand stores to look for some hats. I went downtown to Jennifer’s Antiques [this store has since closed down], Value Village, the Sally Ann. NO LUCK. So, then I went to Sears and Winners and thought I might find some retro looking new hat. NO LUCK. So, once again, I turned to mun äiti, my mother, ja mun kaverit, and my friends. Sure enough, I found lots of great hats to wear that once belonged to Mrs. Ladigen, Kaitlyn's great aunt, Janice's grandmother, and Mrs. Budner.

vintage consumer dream?

Shopping, once an occasional, purposeful activity, has changed into consumption, literally, consuming people in its path. Ennen, naiset lahti ostoksille silloin tällöin, ja se oli määrätietöinen toiminta. Now people go shopping for no reason but to go shopping. You can shop on Sunday, you can shop on television, and you can shop online.

a Hello Kitty credit card? Clearly, this is part of targeting tweens to set them up to shop on credit, to normalize debt, to set them up for a lifetime of debt. How cute is that? How cute of capitalism.

You don’t even need to have any money, just a bank card or charge card. In fact, for TV shopping or online shopping, only a card will do. Cash is no longer king – plastic is. Indeed, putting everything on credit cards and living in debt is encouraged. Ennen hävitiin jos oli velekaa, nyt se on normaalia. Today, restraint, delayed gratification, or saving for something is old-fashioned; "choice" is the buzzword. “You deserve it” say the ads all around us: Buy it now! Tänään, pidättyvyys on vanhan-aikaasta; vaatitaan valinnanvaraa.

The Girl and the Hat. Finnish film 1961