As noted earlier today, a number of consumer activists, sweatshop protesters and anti-capitalist agitators have for years been working to turn Black Friday into Buy Nothing Day. Spearheaded by the anti-advertising gadflies at Adbusters, the event calls on individuals to suspend purchases for 24 hours and engage in creative activism to highlight the unsustainable patterns of mass consumer culture.
Naturally, New York’s anti-corporate performance icon Reverend Billy is all over this. We spoke with him by phone earlier as he led his loud, proud gospel choir around town in an attempt to stop the Shopocalypse: “the end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt!”
The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and I have been at the front doors of Macy’s since 5am and I am sorry to report that people are just streaming in! Shopping seems to be down a few percentage points from last year but people are still hypnotized, narcoticized and consumerized, I’m afraid.
We’re singing to thousands of people today; it’s the high holiday of our theological year. We like the idea of at least taking a pause and slowing down the consumption. You’re talking to me in the middle of a battle here! We don’t know if our call is being heard but we’re encouraging everyone to turn Black Friday into Buy Nothing Day; by consumer fasting you can gain some new insight into all the things you’re going to buy tomorrow!
After Macy’s, Billy and the choir went to Toys “R” Us and then walked down Fifth Avenue from The Plaza Hotel, stopping at chain stores like The Gap to testify. What Would Jesus Buy?, a documentary that follows Rev Billy and the choir “as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse” is currently screening at Cinema Village. We interviewed Reverend Billy before he righteously rocked Gothamist House during CMJ.
Photos by Tracey Luszcz; more after the jump.
