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5 Comments
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Re: Green T-Shirts
2007-08-25 12:52:52 UTC
Karen and Paul,
First, I need you to explain to me in what way wearing a Target t-shirt with a 'green' symbol on it reflects any semblance of environmentalism. For either of your positions to hold water, you need to show evidence that such shirts somehow further the environmental cause. I maintain that an entirely more plausible reading of the situation is the Target shirts promote the sense that shopping at Target is environmentally friendly - that is, the status quo is reinforced. No genuine challenge is issued to mainstream behavior. Second, you misinterpreted my point about "parody" Karen. I'm arguing that if consumers begin to equate shopping at Target with 'green-living' then the movement is a farce. The environmental movement needs to be concerned about consequences, rather than mere allegiance to symbols and rhetoric. Third, Paul, you give Target a lot of credit. I guess I'm just much more cynical than you. Target thrives off of materialistic consumerism, a paradigm I believe is antithetical to environmental protection. I don't accept the charge that I'm hindering the movement. Rather, I question the validity of a movement that claims to value the environment yet fails to critique the root cause of our environmental problems. Is it really unfair to offer a critique of the Target shirts? Do they really epitomize environmentalism to you? Fourth, I'll admit that one can read the Target situation as the increasing acceptance of the green ethos in popular culture. But in all seriousness, don't you find the situation just a bit ironic? I'm reminded of BP's recent re-branding efforts. Of course it's better if these companies put on a better face and even more-so if they can reduce their footprints, but if we're genuine with our concern, we need to remain firm in our convictions. Suggesting that it's wrong to criticize companies that have merely changed the logo on a couple of their products is absurd! Spend an hour outside of a Target and tell me how much necessary stuff people are buying. Tell me if you think Target is helping or hurting the environment. It's business model is premised on people /buying/ more and more of it's stuff, not less of it, you know.
~J -
Green T-Shirts
2007-08-23 11:24:45 UTC
Karen,
I'll accept that there are different ways to read the situation of Target selling sweatshop clothes with "green" symbols on them. My worry though is that people will begin to see wearing the recycling symbol on such a shirt as a sign of environmentalism. Recycling has its own problems and doesn't need to be fetishized anymore than it already is. Target shirts aren't helping this, and I'm skeptical that people who buy these shirts will move on to actual recycling, reusing, and reducing. I suppose I'd need to see it to believe it. I'm reminded of the sequined "girl power" and "girls rule" shirts that were the rage only a few years ago. Did these shirts inspire feminism? There's a fine line between "gateways" and parody. Jason -- You could look at those T-shirts as free advertising for the environmental message. Like it's gone viral. Or as the equivalent of a 'gateway drug'. Like marijuana, those T-shirt will open the door to even greener fashion addictions for the kids that buy them. It's not a bad thing.
-K- -
Greenwashing and Fashion
2007-08-21 16:31:01 UTC
This blog entry highlights _exactly_ what we don't want to have happen to the environmentalist movement. Certainly, this represents an extreme, but it's the result of the watering down of the environmental message to be sure. Is this a success or no? And, are we confusing people or being pragmatic when we present 'more palatable/acceptable' notions of environmentalism that are closely wedded to corporate fashion interests? http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2007/08/15/target-starts-the-greenwashing-in-its-
advertisments/
Jason -
Re: Eco Friendly Fashion
2007-08-13 10:48:53 UTC
Is it not possible to make the three R's visible? And, don't even eco-friendly brands have advertising budgets for themselves? I'm concerned that lay people are beginning to think "retail" is one of the "three R's." And, to the extent that environmentalists reinforce the idea that clothing, cars, and lightbulbs are symbols of environmentalism, I think we're undeniably undermining our own cause.
Jason -
Re: Ecofriendly fashion
2007-08-09 15:47:22 UTC
I'm skeptical of an environmental protection strategy that involves promoting brands like Patagonia. If we don't challenge materialism/consumerism generally, I don't think we've achieved what we wanted. See this recent article in the Guardian by George Monbiot for an extended discussion of this point: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2133120,00.html
Jason
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