1) (i add my answer to a comment on AI here fyi) Hey! I understand your concern, i don't use AI imagery in any of my work but I felt like it would be ironical to use it here just a couple of times given the topic of the video. In case it wasn't clear, my use of AI in this video is purely ironical, it's a sort of criticism of AI since the images are super exaggerated, look really bad and don't bring anything to the story. That's why I added the '?' in the first one and overplayed the dramatic aspect in the 'Georgio' series. The goal was actually to make fun of AI imagery. Satire is the only purpose it serves in that context. I don't plan on using AI imagery in the future because of the ethical problems as you mentioned, it was the first time and again purely contextual and satirical but hey thank you for voicing that concern, it allows me to clarify and keep me in check :) i'll add that an ethical existence on the internet is simply impossible, we pretty much all use lithium powered devices, we constantly train algorithms and AI with our comments, likes and habits. It makes sense to do our best to align our values though and we can all improve! 2)my pronunciation of feitiço was so bad!! sorry about this, i was so confident it was pronounced this way that i didn't even check it, i usually play the "sorry im french" card when it comes to pronounciation but it doesn't really work this time ugh, does it? (it clearly doesn't) hope you enjoy the video :)
That's my story with this other shopping plataform named Shopee. I got their ads so often and hated their jingle so goddamn much that I avoid them out of spice since.
It's a great example. Diamond isn't even that rare or expensive to extract, it's only that valuable because of marketing and oligopoly of big diamond corporations.
@@ristekostadinov2820 Many years ago, when I had my engagement ring made (hand made by a local jeweller), I requested that he use lab made gems only because I wanted to minimise impact - seemed so confused by why I would specifically ask for this, especially since the price wasn't that much different. Why wouldn't I want 'real' diamonds?!
Seeing all the Temu and Shein hauls online makes me want to cry. Just when I thought that we, as species, are starting to see more and do better and recognize how bad consumerism is for the planet, Temu and Shein rolled in breaking all previous records of mindless consumerism. They don't care one bit if their products are harmful (which, it was proved that these products often contain toxic carcinogenic chamicals), or helpful, or if you like them and use them or not, they only want to sell you stuff again and again and again and more of it and more and more.
You would think that Alice has earned enough trust in this community that everyone could have just a modicum of faith that her use of AI art was intentional to make a subtle point, a lighthearted jab at the extent that commodity fetishism has crept into everything, including art (as she pointed out in replies), rather than a moral/ethical misstep or laziness on her part. We gotta get better at understanding subtext, collectively, and we don't have to rush to "correct" everything our nervous systems tell us is "wrong."
yes, I fear this is why people don't take the left seriously. we get too into details that nobody else gives a fuck and cannot see the bigger picture. in argentina, I know many leftist who don't vote the far-left because they, for example, vote against a law to massively improve renters conditions because one part of the law could have bad repercussions on the climate. and I get it, they are technically right, but a perfect moral won't take you anywhere and people have to rent
As a Brazilian, when I first saw the title, I thought you were going to discuss what we typically refer to as 'commodities'-raw materials like soy, iron, or oil, which involve simple extraction or minimal processing. In Brazil, 'commodity' has a more restricted meaning, focusing on these low-complexity products that are traded globally without much added value. They’re essentially resources that are easy to extract and trade, but they don’t undergo significant transformation before reaching the market. I also find it interesting that in English, the word 'commodities' can be used more broadly to describe low-quality products, services, or even amenities. There’s a clever play on words here, as 'commodities' and 'conveniences' (comodidades) share the same root, hinting at things that are easy to access, consume, or use without much thought. In Portuguese, we often use 'merchandise fetishism' (fetichismo da mercadoria) instead of 'commodity fetishism,' since 'commodity' for us is tied strictly to these basic goods, while 'merchandise' better captures the broader idea of products being imbued with social or symbolic value, as described in Marxist theory. Anyway, I really enjoyed the video. Congratulations on another great upload, and thank you for sharing your thoughts. P.S.: Your pronunciation of 'feitiço' is perfectly fine! The content of the video, which is what truly matters, is excellent
@@CatarinaStone Thank you so much for your comment, it's great to read your perspective. Actually, here in Brazil, we use "comodidade" in a way that's quite similar to how it's used in Portugal, referring to comfort and convenience. I'm sorry if my comment sparked some confusion in that sense - I need to write better. But when it comes to "commodity," we actually use the English term to refer to raw materials. We don't translate it. It is like that because I think Brazil tends to be a bit more "meta-anthropophagic" than Portugal - this is a term I came up with to describe how we sort of cannibalize our own language, adopting foreign words, especially English ones, without really questioning if there are better alternatives in Portuguese - I actually think this is a global phenomena, but It's not the time or place to explain this idea. In the case of "commodities," we use the term to highlight how Brazil is often seen as an underdeveloped country that mainly exports these raw materials, with no added value, which some argue keeps us stuck in a cycle of underdevelopment. I really loved this exchange, and it’s fun to think about how we’re so close, our languages so interconnected. I can understand you perfectly, both speaking and writing, and I know you understand us as well, yet there are these little subtle differences, and I find that fascinating. I also would love to visit Portugal one day! I love Brazil and I plan to live and die here, but I think a trip to Portugal would be unforgettable. Thanks again for your comment, it was a great exchange of ideas!
We have a word for that in Portuguese, estrangeirismo, (derogatory) a loanword (borrowed from other language into Portuguese) that one considers wrong to use, because it is able to be substituted by a more traditionally correct Portuguese-sounding word Não use "show", use "espetáculo"! "Show" é estrangeirismo! Don't use "show", use "espetáculo"! "Show" is a foreignism!
@@Vityganz I came up with the term while looking at the Anthropophagic Manifesto by Oswald de Andrade. It’s a modernist manifesto about cultural cannibalism. It proposes that Brazilian artists should look to Europe for inspiration and "cannibalize" their culture, integrating the good aspects of European culture into a unique Brazilian culture. I used this term to discuss estrangeirismos. In Brazil, we also have this concept and try to boil it down, but I think it's a waste of time. Languages are fluid and influence each other, and there’s not much we can do to stop it. The use of "meta-anthropophagic" is not to limit ourselves to talking about estrangeirismos, but to address a globalized process in which all languages face a top-down imposition of English. Meta-anthropophagy, therefore, describes the process by which all languages in the globalized world incorporate English words due to the hegemony and prevalence of English in computing and other technologies. In a globalized context, English has become the global language, influencing all others. But I don’t see this as inherently negative. Instead, I propose a Meta-Anthropophagic Manifesto, where I invite artists to cannibalize their own tongues and languages, accelerating this process of meta-anthropophagy. I propose this because I see linguistic influences operating in both directions, both from top-down and from bottom-up. I use the example of Portuguese: it was influenced top-down by Arabic during the Moors' occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, and bottom-up by indigenous words that infiltrated Portuguese here in Brazil. It’s a vast topic. I've written extensively about it in two articles published on my Medium page and on my blog, "The Brazilian Mutt." I hope this explanation makes things a bit clearer, but if you're still interested in reading more, both articles are free on Medium and on my blog, The Brazilian Mutt dot Wordpress dot com. Thank you so much for engaging.
Accelerationism has always struck me as "if we just let this group of people (which doesn't include me) suffer a bit longer, it'll cause the system to change for the better." It's a selfish way of off-loading effort and suffering onto people who are already suffering the most in society. It's why I'll never get behind the idea that allowing someone like Trump to win, for example, would lead to something good. It's easy to imagine such a scenario working out if you're a straight, middle class white man. You'll probably be fine no matter what. It's a lot less easy to imagine that being a good strategy if you're LGBTQ or a woman or an immigrant. That's why activism will always be preferable to accelerationism, in my opinion.
not to try to defend it, but how would accelerationism actually cause people who are suffering from suffering longer? If the revolution is accelerated wouldn't they suffer for less time? Or are we pretending that working within the liberal system is actually doing something to alleviate people's suffering?
I think accelerationism is often disquised as good will (i.e. I worked hard and achieved so much, so you can too). It's a great way to put responsibility on someone else while simultaneously ignoring the systemic problems that are out of any one person's control. But because it's wrapped in this sort of false positive motivator, people tend to go along with it, even when they conciously know it's BS.
@@CatarinaStone For one, there's no evidence that accelerationism actually works. Did Trump's election lead to less suffering for the groups I mentioned, or has it simply ramped up over the past decade? Aren't we still neck-deep in neoliberal hell? Would things get better or worse if he's re-elected? One could argue the accelerationism of Nazi Germany certainly led to a shortened period of suffering for the people caught up in the Holocaust -- i.e. they died earlier than they would have otherwise -- but I don't think most of us would view that as a good thing. Under accelerationism, many people are simply deemed expendable in pursuit of a larger goal which may not even come to fruition. The Farquaadian notion of "Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make" has never struck me as a particularly leftist ideal. It's gambling with other people's lives.
Yall I think she gets it lmao. Kind of wish once people see that an issue has been raised (repeatedly) they wouldn’t double down SO hard, especially when you know this creator like, definitely listens. Makes for a very boring comment section that’s usually full of a diverse range of opinions.
@@t111ran3 That's because this is a bought comment. Temu has their bots and goons out there advertising via "authentic" comments. Don't trust everything you read in the comment section.
I need this video. I'm addicted. I know it. I have no money being a 100% disabled vet I buy things because it gives me a moment of pleasure (dopamine hit) to alleviate my depression By the end of the month, I'm eating Ramen and hoping my food supply lasts.
i promise that once you start avoiding ads and block these shopping websites it gets easier with time. i used to be addicted to aliexpress years ago. it was hard for the first month or so but after that i literally forgot about all this crap. also remember to use good adblock. these days im literally un-advertisable to. you can do it too!
I'm an aesthetic lifestyle content creator. In the same way that Alice watches our content for a sense of peace or calm, I watch critical video essays in an attempt to quell my addiction to commodities and rationalize myself out of them. But it is so difficult. The truth is that many creators are stuck in this cycle, in ways even worse than our own audiences because we typically also receive these products "free of charge". The only measure of progress I can see moving foward, is to inspire creativity and novelty through repeat usage and re-discovery. It's a resourceful challenge that I'm willing to pursue, but resisting the urge for "more" is still difficult (and they're not mutually exclusive). I'm at a point now where I'm just trying to exhaust myself out of every idea and urge as quickly as possible.
I've been antagonistic of the idea of accelerationism ever since I first learned of it. It's incredibly unethical to, in practice, intensify the suffering of people in order to speed up revolution.
politics are at it's core unethical. if you will be an ethical politician, you will either end up being irrelevant or dead. every big political achievement was done with unethical actions
@@jeanivanjohnson I'm not 100% sure about what qualifies a genocide so I went with that but I don't expect it to be right. Either way, it probably does its job at painting an image.
Almost no one argues that anymore though……. It has an objective value in the sense that , people voluntarily choose to pay as much as they want to for it.
Its has none - its astonishingly common, they have to boost the price by buying up supply and just stockpiling it. Industrial diamond has intrinsic value cos it is so useful.
I think that the natural colour and the cut could constitute the value of a diamond, so its rarity and beauty. But basically, the price of most diamonds is just way over the top.
what is also interesting to me about Temu is the feeling of urgency that they create, you see this in the gamification elements but also in the lack of a favorites section. if you like a product your only option at that point is to add it to the cart. It does not give you the option to put it on the side and think about it. To me this is also a way of keeping the magic alive.
I join my voice with those against the use of ai. It probably is a commodity fetishism as well? Something cheap that looks cool but that is actually bad on several level? There’s probably a video for you to make about the ethics (and absence of) when using ai! Check Karla Ortiz, Jon Lam, and all the big art industry names talking against the use of ai.
As a professional artist I hope AI has many trips and falls because if it gets good enough, ethical reasons won't even be on the radar for most companies.
The main problem i see with acceleracionism is that letting capitalist contradictions grow greater until the total collapse of itself requires 1) faith and 2) letting millions of people in the most dreadful of sufferings. And in a more indepth critique: why believing that after the collapse will be some kind of communism? Nowadays the radical left movements are weak in the global North and brutally repressed in the South, with no global strategy or actions with structural impact. Is hard to belive that in such state of things the result of collapse would be liberation and not a sort of widespread pseudofascist corporative authoritarian regime of perpetual emergency.
My partner and I were just talking about political/economical fetishes literally yesterday after watching a speech given by Jason Moore, so this video is very on topic for me. What's interesting about the act of fetishizing, is that it is not limited to commodities or physical objects, but it can be done to concepts as well. When you take the historical and economical context away from concepts, you open the door to co-option by pro-capitalist/colonialist/imperialist forces and propoganda, for example "environmentalism" being used as a weapon by the elite to further oppress the masses. Also, I'm sorry so many people are nit-picking you over the AI images instead of actually engaing with the topic. edit: The more I think about it the more ironic it gets... Oh comrade... I am so sorry lol You're doing great work.
@@thekingoffailure9967 The Fear, the Fix, and the Fantasy: Democracy, Revolution and the Specter of Climate Dictatorship by the channel Planetary Justice. (He doesn't go into fetishes in the talk. He mentions it briefly when referring to the term "de-growth" and it just started a conversation between by partner and I.)
Or 4th option : the birth of a class of cynical consumer perfectly aware of the evil they do while bying on Temu. People are not so embarassed to be those type of 'bully buyer'. The deconstruction of capitalism that you point in Temu may just be one more step in the brutalisation of capitalism, I'm afraid
There are so many instances where I saw people justify using temu or shein while aware of it's negative imapct because "other companies do it too" and "denying me the right to buy a cheap dress is classist, poor people deserve nice things too". And while I agree with both of these points I also saw it as a way of dodging responsibility. Yes, there is no moral consumption under captialims but there are options that are less bad and we should strive to go for them. Mindful consumerism won't fix everything but it can have longer term effects.
There's no difference between a consumer who buys in the supermarket and one who purchases on temu (or any other e-commerce platform, for that matter).
Commodity fetishism in the post war boom age I think operated slightly differently than it does today or than it did in marx's time, . Part of commodities' magical power in the early hyper consumer age resided in the idea that the magical Wonka / Santa clause capitalist that had sold you your candy commodity for a pittance was a kind of utterly benevolent despot who both shared that benevolence with you for a pittance AND kindly saved their own workers through the gift of gainful employment in the factory. Even when you here Milton Friedman speak about the "magic" of the price model (say, in his infamous pencil video), he still emphasizes all the labor that went into making each component of a given cheap commodity (though of course, he doesn't tell you why each component or the final product is so cheap). In short: neoliberalism hid the true cost and exploitation of labor by painting a false image of a cornucopia where everyone would partake, not only because of cheapness and abundance, but the gift of "jobs jobs jobs". With globalization, the facade has peeled back a bit: everyone seems to have some awareness that their cheap crap was made in a sweatshop or plantation somewhere, and that those exploited sweatshop and plantation workers probably replaced some once better paid workers elsewhere whose factory closed. The trick has been to alter slightly the image of the Wonka man: wonka no longer kindly rescues the oompaloompas from a life of indigency and slavery through kinder slavery, he no longer just gives you the keys to the factory because you're pure of heart: he barks at you to be an "alpha/sigma/gigga chad", and to hussel more on your uber app, and "be your own billionaire/entrepreneur": I think that's why temu's nonsensical, obscene slogan, "shop like a billionaire," works brilliantly: it seeves to update the commodity fetish in an age where the gold paint it used to have has started to peel off: its almost a confession to the exploited hyperconsumerist masses: you are not nor will you ever be a billionaire, but you can still have as much useless crap as one because our prices are so cheap you won't even care about inflation, or the fact that can't pay your rent, while you're using our app. That's the trick today: the old Wonka myth doesn't work: you know full well why it's so cheap: someone somewhere is getting screwed, but you do it anyway because you'd be a sucker not too. It is no coincidence temu arrives in the same stage of capitalism as trump and his xenophobia/anti cosmopolitanism.
Alice! i adore your videos and i especially like this one as this is a topic that i’ve thought of for a while. But i am kind of saddened that you used AI imagery in your video :( and i would argue it also plays into commodity fetishism “it’s just an image” “don’t think about all the photographers and artists who got screwed in the process”. I know you don’t have bad intentions, as an artist i just really can’t stand AI stuff like this
AI is the fast fashion of tech. The machine is trained by people in Kenya who need to look at the most awful content. They often burn out super quickly because it's just too much but aren't mentally supported. AI content moderation is just another form of modern slavery.
Hey! I understand your concern, i don't use AI imagery in any of my work but I felt like it would be ironical to use it here just a couple of times given the topic of the video. In case it wasn't clear, my use of AI in this video is purely ironical, it's a sort of criticism of AI since the images are super exaggerated, look really bad and don't bring anything to the story. That's why I added the '?' in the first one and overplayed the dramatic aspect in the 'Georgio' series. The goal was actually to make fun of AI imagery. Satire is the only purpose it serves in that context. I don't plan on using AI imagery in the future because of the ethical problems as you mentioned, it was the first time and again purely contextual and satirical but hey thank you for voicing that concern, it allows me to clarify and keep me in check :)
OMFG (yeah, F's for Freudian, of course). I'm astonished by the number of people asking Alice not to use AI-generated images. I understand the point, and yes, it might be hypocritical to advocate for workers' rights and empowerment while using a tool that clearly contributes to avoiding paying them for their work and simply stealing it. But the sheer number of comments regarding this one topic (and only this topic) made me think of a few things: 1. Is this sudden-yet interesting and valid-awareness of AI imagery and the harm it causes somewhat comparable to movements advocating for cruelty-free products or those that pushed laws to abolish child labor? Or is it more like a trendy complaint that follows what's cool and doesn't really care about artists and their work, just wanting to repeat what's being said to be part of a collective? Is this the kind of rhetoric you young people tell yourselves-and others-to feel popular and good about yourselves? 2. Or are these comments just bots spamming? You people repeat yourselves too much to be real humans. xD Anyway, I'm glad for Alice's algorithm, lol. 3. How difficult it is when your audience can't listen (and/or can't comprehend) beyond the surface of something they didn't like, and they deliberately ignore everything you say or do after the "wrong" point, as if they’re searching for a reason to disagree, judge, and cancel the speaker-without caring about their actual message. Maybe they’re bots, or at least they behave that way. 4. All this brings me to the point I actually wanted to comment on: while watching the video, I couldn’t help but think about the people I know and myself, and how, even knowing that some products are affordable only because others are severely exploited, we still buy them because 'it’s a deal.' We’re talking about everyday necessities or something truly needed, like a fridge because the old one is beyond repair-not fast fashion or other more impulsive ways of consuming. But still, we acknowledge that someone is being exploited to keep these products cheap, and we buy them with joy and relief. Why? The answer I found is that it's because we are exploited too. And there’s this generalized feeling that we can’t help anyone (and maybe others don’t even deserve our help?), just as no one is helping us avoid being exploited. It’s a selfish but understandable self-preservation mechanism that makes us prioritize our survival over collective well-being. ('If I don’t buy this thing I need now at this lower price, even if the price is low for immoral reasons, I’ll either have to go without something I really need OR end up in debt for another 24 months to be able to afford it.') 5. Where I'm from, there's a common saying: 'La necesidad tiene cara de hereje,' which literally means 'Necessity makes one a heretic.' I might just be too worn down to have much hope left, but I think (and feel) that the way capitalism and governments have divided society, crushed social solidarity, and exalted this 'survival individualism' is quite an effective combo for keeping things going just as they are for as long as humanity lasts… And yeah, in the meantime, we’re out here protesting against a leftist RUclipsr (most of us not contributing financially) using AI imagery to make a video that invites us to think a little deeper.
the example of the diamond ring is great and on point, as long as we think Western world- in many cases, other societies, where women cannot generally own property, or it's made really difficult, jewelry is their bug-out bag, their safety net that allow them to walk away if worst comes to worst
I would feel gross buying off that website. Temu basically uses slave labor to produce their products. very low pay, very long work hours, very few safety regulations in the workplace, and some of these factories even have suicide nets on them. Americans shopping off of timu is just another example of American gluttony. It doesn't matter the process necessary to make the thing, as long as I have the thing. The same thing goes for furniture, cars, food, any commodity, it's all mass-produced and there is some form of exploitation in that process. after it was public information that Amazon was abusing their employees, and paying them a very low wage, and union busting, I immediately stopped my Amazon prime subscription. it may seem like a very insignificant thing to do, but the only power that people have is the power of consumption. now that we're faced with the genocide in Gaza, it is become very clear what companies support genocide and what companies don't. It has made shopping difficult, but I now take pride in my choices.
@@TwisterTornado Buddy, I understand how deep it goes. There is no ethical consumerism. This is why I rarely leave comments because of people like yourself. I shouldn't have to comment the complete annotated version of how consumerism in the united states is never ethical; that is a extremely deep rabbit hole. You understood my point but decided to bring in a strawman.
16:15 - I think there's a 4th option that you didn't directly mention and that I see much too often, I would say more than the denial and fetishization. That is "choosing apathy". When seeing the low prices and rationally knowing that nothing can really be that cheap without massive consequence to workers and/or environment, many people choose just not to care. "I'm just one person, I can't make a difference anyway so might as well shop" or "these people would get exploited anyway, at least they have a job" or some other apathetic thing to comfort and distance themselves from the implicitly moral choices they are. It's the same with the climate crisis. So many people seem to choose apathy, feeling they are just a drop in a bucket and can't make any impact anyway. Now I fully agree with the notion that the fault is with the governing powers and the capitalistic system we live under, and not with individual people. And to an extent I agree that the idea of "voting with you wallet/carbon footprint" etc is quite silly in the grand scheme of things. HOWEVER, when people choose apathy and choose to overindulge in consumption habits that nobody should realistically have if we are to continue existing on this earth, I'm get worried that those people will be resistant to changing their habits if the governing powers or systems demand they do. And if the people resist, the change will not happen.
A very interesting way to interpret what commodity fetishism is. I would stress, that the "magic" does not obfuscate just the social and working relations hidden behind a product, but also it's environmental impact. You mention it, but I would really stress this even further. Every product requires energy and raw materials to build, thus it requires extraction and devastation of nature somewhere on the planet, and also emission of greeenhouse gasses. Each product that we buy, but that we don't actually need, means a damage to the environment that could be avoided.
When I was a teen I once bought a pair of Nike shoes because it was trendy and a status symbol. It was only after I learned about Nike's exploitative nature and using child labor/sweatshops that I never bought another pair ever again. Learning about how the fashion industry operates really put me off labels in general and most of my clothes are pre-owned. Still fast fashion sounds even worse than what the bigger labels are doing. It's sad really.
Temu wasn't always around in Australia where I live. It was given permission to advertise and operate here in March 2023. I know because I suddenly saw constant ads for it online so I googled where it came from. It's really sad that within that time temu has become popular here. I'm always so disappointed when I hear people I know saying "I got it off temu!" We are so privileged over here and we always fall for these fast XYZ companies. We have a smaller population and less options when it comes to local or national companies. So a lot of people rely on Amazon, temu, etc instead of putting in a little more effort to shop elsewhere or just not buy the random thing they don't really need.
Fantastic video as always Alice! Temu grosses me out in much the same way as fast fashion companies such as Shein. Those types of companies are only operational because they use poor labour practices (if not actual slavery) and toxic materials to produce cheap goods that are made to break shortly after purchase, thus people have to buy more stuff to replace the items that broke. The under consumption trend on tiktok is really topical at this current moment.
I just want to point out that Marx did like Smith and was very influenced by him, as well with Ricardo, but he disagreed with Smith on certain things. Maybe that was lost in translation.
what made you think that marx liked smith? what made this french girl think that marx didn't like smith? you can be both influenced by and be critical of the same person while not having this sort of "me like" or "me no like" attitude. i will be honest with you, my personality was probably influenced by fascists. does that mean that i like fascism?
@@jeanivanjohnson To your first question he, and his main intellectual influence Hegel, are very positive about Smith, and to a lesser extent Ricardo, throughtout his copus. To your second question, Smith and Marx are both incredibly widely misunderstood. On the matter of "critique' that meant something else in the broader German idealist tradition that Marx comes from. It's critique in the sense of Kant, not in the sense of merely being negative about something. The problem with her reading of Smith, and Marx for that matter, is neither really holds up to a deeper reading of what either said.
Omg I love your videos sm!!! I am buying almost only second-hand clothing and i think it's not only more ethical (which is ofc more important) but also more fun and creative, it helps with building your own, unique style
100%. Even considering the morally reprehensible nature of the AI have sourced all of its material from stolen artwork from creatives, it also ends up hurting out planet through an intensive drain of energy. I love Alice's videos, but as an illustrator, I feel a bit conflicted with her utilizing AI.
We've been tricked into thinking the product is the magic, but the INGENUITY is the magic! Not of the label maker, but of the cutting of th boxes, organization in a basket, and labeling of the boxes! The label maker can be replaced by masking tape and neat hand writing. When im thinking of buying something i ask myself a prelim question: can i satisfyingly do this with the tools i own now? Most of the time, the answer is yes. (Also my house is small, I already have too many things. Where would i put the new things?!)
Hey Alice! I love your videos but I do hope you'll reconsider your use of AI art. It's not exactly a deal-breaker for me when it comes to being a subscriber and watcher, but I'm not a fan of AI-generated images. To answer the question: I do think some level of activism and advocacy is important, but I do also think that capitalism will eat its own tail. I think it's our job to ensure that whatever comes along after it is better than what we have.
Especially for this video it is kind of ironic Ah she kind of did it for the bit, she answered the same complaint in another thread. It was used because of the irony and she isn't doing it for any other work.
lol, sure. The art she used was from a model primarily trained on random stock photos, that is painfully obvious. So who is this negatively impacting? Massive stock photo organizations like shuttershock? Who cares dude
@@timmy-oranguta I mean just AI in general isn't the best thing, sure it gets quite picky if people complain about it but the impact on the environment is already a big concern for a lot of people. There are multiple perspectives of Valid criticism in regards to AI
Your question at the end is something that has been on my mind for decades, and it still just breaks my mind 😞 I feel the need to fight it just as powerfully as I feel it is hopeless..... I'm super stupid though. Probably because I'm surrounded by other stupid people 90% of the time I'm around other people. It's intensely demoralizing.
I would really like to listen to your audiobook if you ever decide to read one in the future. I don't know if you've had any training on how to speak with rhythm and a calm voice while still keeping the conversation engaging, or if it's just natural for you. I honestly enjoy listening.
I'm so happy to see people talking about how sites like temu are trying to distract us from the dehumanising conditions they put the workers - which they owe all their success to - through.
15:00 the question I would have is whether an established mid-range brand is actually any better than Temu at the factory end of things? Unless you have the capacity to do some kind of deep dive into their supply chains.
such an insightful, helpful and concise video, thank you, I'm interested in sustainability and conscious consumption already but this helped me see things in a new way and gave me the language to better express those ideas :)
I think consumerism always arises from a lack of fulfillment. If we want people to stop filling the voids in themselves with products we have to ask the harder questions about why people struggle to give meaning to their existence. Until there is something for humanity to strive for they’ll always turn to these patterns.
I was a kid in the 1980s and it felt like back then (and in the 90s) that activism was celebrated, it was seen as a good thing. Now "activist" is almost a dirty word. I think that is due to two issues - one is that there has been a lot of corporate pushback through propaganda and astroturfing; and second social media has led to a lot of performative activism where the point of activism isn't to actualise change but to be seen trying to make change (what some would call "virtue signalling"). The difference between young activists and what folks were doing back in the 80s is vastly different even though it can have the appearance of similarity. That and massive apathy. Apathy itself is a symptom of multiple factors which isn't necessarily that people care less but is a lot to do with how current society works - and I mean literal work. People are so overworked these days (and 'brainwashed' into thinking this is a good thing) that we, as a society, just don't have the time or energy to care. Then we have social media which encourages a fake and vapid facade to real life along with mass media/entertainment that are massive addictive distractions. Lack of time and energy to care and what time people do have is filled with filling the void with fake parasocial connection and entertainment addiction. It is absolutely a result of capitalism and the corporate take over of our government and social institutions at every level conceivable. It's the only way a system built upon infinite supply in a finite world can continue to exist. I think capitalism will eventually fall but I sadly don't think it will be any time soon and could potentially take the entire human race down with it if we don't, as a collective species, wake up.
I've found that when I don't follow Instagram accounts that push a lot of products, and I'm not on TikTok, my desire to buy things drops to zero. To think that the apps and the accounts on the apps have that kind of power over me is kind of crazy.
I feel like Temu and the demagification of it's potential customer's, when confronted with Temu's undeniably exploitation-based pricing, might actually have adverse effects; bolstering capitalism in ways, rather than accelerating it's demise. By setting a new, unprecedented low within capitalist production, the bar for ethicality sinks to equally unprecedented levels. Suddenly going to H&M for a new sweater, is the equivalent of buying free-range eggs for your omelette (instead of factory farming on the one end and organic on the other). Through this comparison, a buyer of H&M's new sweater (2.1% recycled material!!) is suddenly making a more ethical choice, than someone shopping at SHEIN. The obvious greenwashing is contrasted with SHEIN's absolutely, ridiculously, obvious greenwashing. The awful quality is contrasted with SHEIN's horrible quality. The exploitative working conditions are contrasted with SHEIN's actual modern slavery. In comparison H&M is "at least doing *something*". I worry that this sort of logic will serve as justification for standard-track fast-fashion brands.
*I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT HAVE* "commodity fetishism" - I used to. I grew up shockingly poor, my toy as a kid was a wooden wheelbarrow wheel I used to push around the garden. I REALLY fetishised commodities. A series of bizarre events cured me - thank god.
@@internetfox In 2010 my company went viral and suddenly I was worth €6 million. I bought all the stuff you would expect but by about 2014 the novelty had worn off and I was miserable. Sept 2015 I suffered brain damage in a mugging and by the end of 2016 I was bankrupt and homeless. Im extremely grateful for all of it - I now know what its like to be rich and its not like the movies. It beats being destitute but it does not make you magically happy - that comes from contentment, grom being happy with what you have.
We collectively decide on meaning, it's not really done right independently, it's properly done collectively, even if it's just decided, and subject to change.
I find your videos great and thought provoking!. Somewhere along the line someone or something got shortchanged to achieve such a ‘supernatural’ price. I agree that prices should reflect the “fair” costs to produce/ deliver the item/service. I love how your videos shed light on these issues, how then should people collectively remind each other? Should we put stickers on the consequences of buying items to make it more transparent? Like showing lung cancer imagery on cigarette packaging should we show abused children and people or destroyed environments and livelihoods on the packaging of these items or clothes?😂
13:07 I do think it is worth acknowledging the enjoyment of buying things because we often talk about unnecessary spending as a shameful thing only. if you're trying to convince someone to consider another viewpoint using only the shame tends to work less than acknowledging you understand why they enjoy the bad thing they are doing.
This topic hits hard! I always have a list of things that I'd like to have. Some I do need but some I just want. I mostly do my purchases with reasoning so I would not buy anything in vain. And when that something is something I really want but really don't need it really is an emotional drain. For an example I'd like to buy a new bike but I really don't need it and I don't have time to ride just for fun. So when I decide to not buy it, I feel. well depressed is a bit strong but a little down. It is curious.
I’m am usually pretty good on my consumption, I have a deep interest in cultural jamming, never shop on Amazon or the mall, entire wardrobe thrifted and hardly ever buy makeup despite loving it. However, I recently realized Hasbro rereleased Littlest pet shop after multiple years of fans begging for them. I randomly saw them at Target (I also despite Target), and suddenly it’s like I turned into a monkey, I immediately dropped over 60$ in less than three days on these animal figurines, why? It’s like I had no thoughts in my brain. I opened all of them urgently, literally ripped all the packaging in my car, I literally couldn’t help myself. I felt so much joy and childlike wonder. At the same time, I feel dumb and irresponsible.
I have a legitimate question about fast fashion, and I have done quite a lot of research and reading and it all feels so hopeless. EVEN "well built" or "non-fast fashion" things seem to be "found out" that they are also using sweat shops and exploitative practices. SO what do I do? It sometimes feels incredibly hopeless. I legitimately have a small wardrobe by choice. I have a "uniform" of sorts that I wear, but other than just buying second-hand and keeping consumerism minimal, it seems there isn't much we CAN do. Do I just continue to do what I am currently doing? Is there more I can do? Legitimate questions and things I'm always thinking about.
It seems to me that accelerationist views are more prevalent in people who are relatively less exposed to the violence of late capitalism. Further, I am not convinced that accelerationism will actually end capitalism or lead to a more equitable world, it seems more like accelerating towards a cliff. Maybe if we drive faster more people will see the urgency in taking action, on the other hand I fear we may reach the cliff first.
I try not to believe too much, I know I can't but instead I try to organize, educate and agitate as the slogan goes. I organize around pragmatic solutions around my context, I educate myself in order to better analyze and criticize existing movements and organizations, then last I agitate in order to try to focus other people grievances into organizing in their context and into educating themselves not only in joining progressive stuff but against other reactionary stuff, even the one disguised as progressive. then I understand that this is a feedback loop where I'll never reach a certain specific end but in which I try to self actualize myself and others through struggling against the constant changing state of things. This is all very abstract, and you don't really get it until you're doing it and even then you're always re-understanding stuff, idk. Also, art: read, watch movies listen to music, play games, etc. Art is magical in putting yourself into other people's shoes, you won't be able to reach common ground until you start to try and do exactly that.
@pamwamave As a practicing artist I can confirm that art Slapss. There is a good reason why understanding how both art and communication function is considered a path to enlightenment. Fantastic comment by the way, great points and very well articulated.🫡 (P.S. I have a very similar saying, "foment autopoiesis.")
@@jwolf4444 Thanks for responding and the kind words. I do a bit of writing and painting myself. I'm gonna borrow the foment autopoiesis from now on. Have a good one.
I get Temu ads constantly: the one that goes, "Feels like a dream, it's like magic. Now I believe I can have it" creeps me out in a way that the "I'm shopping like a billionaire!" theme doesn't as much. It almost conjures up a sense of innocence, like a Cinderella story with moral justification. "Shopping like a billionaire" evokes more of a Sex in the City impression of consuming fashion where non-wealthy people can pretend they're Carrie Bradshaw overindulging on shoes. Sorry if this makes no sense
Its interesting that you've mentioned your second hand clothes. A while ago ive noticed that almost all clothes i own are second hand or hand-me-downs. As a man in his 30s I felt somewhat ashamed at first, like everything i own is old and bruised or broken. I knew that i saved money and did not consume any unnecessary products but still. After i discarded the broken stuff all the pieces that stayed were favourites that suite my personality quite well. Since then im getting compliments for a unique and tasteful appearance which was new at first. So I developed a sense of pride instead of shame. It even felt a bit like counter culture thing but I couldn't exactly pinpoint why. This process was for me not just about aesthetic development but also emotional growth. Your explanation of commodity fetish gave me a fresh new perspective to consider while i try to learn more about not only having values but living them and incorperating in daily life. Thanks a lot for your Essays🐈⬛
Here in the U.S. the Goodwill thrift store chain has what are referred to outlets but are also known simply as "The Bins". It's essentially where donations that are in poor shape, unwashed or broken are dumped into large 4x8 foot bins and customers pick through, paying mostly by the pound. As a person obsessed with repurposing and recycling I love the place. A lot of treasure seekers are there, lots of clothes to pick through. And all this was donated to Goodwill, which operates as a non-profit under the guise of helping employ people that have problems getting work. They pay most of their employees appalling wages. I definitely see it as the next stage of Late-Stage Capitalism.
Very accurate. Personally, once I saw their revolting commercial ads blat, I _avtomatically_ become against them, just as I am against all others of their kind (such as _"ozon",_ which are practically their Russian parallel version - they have exactly the same kind of ads, showing gleeful fashionable women celebrating their shopaholism/shopahplickism/whatEVER that word is), while _"amazon"_ and the likes of it are, *of course,* THE absolute monstrosity of all. The big question is, of course, How *do* we open the eyes of all dumb consumers, who are *physically and mentally blinded,* and stubbornly REFUSE to acknowledge how morally *wrong* buying from all those awful companies actually is. As trying to convince any of them, is like talking to the wall. Their eyes are starry from _"wow!!!! AUCTION!!!! How _*_generous_*_ all those rich tycoons are to us!!!!"_ and there's simply no opening their eyes and ears to the actual reality of it.
Because AI models were fed individual creators art without their consent and those companies are subsequently making money off of the creation of ai-generated images which use those stolen works as source data.
We should make it so that artists can't look at other artists art. Otherwise they may get ideas and become creative and make art influenced by another artist.
When Temu first came out, their stupid slogan "shop like a billionaire". It upset me, because, we're like billionaires. We can't shop endlessly with no consequences, that is the problem with Temu, it gives the feeling of consequence-free shopping.
I think that "the capitalist world will eventually dismantle itself" requires some people to be class conscious and activist enough to prop up an alternative when it falls --- or the nation would just retry capitalism.
Usually love your content but feel like this one was kinda rushed and under-researched. Think you could have said more regarding Temu’s documented history of unethical practices and expanded on points you made a little better. Also didn’t care for the A.I. and using Wikipedia as a source but good job with the quick starter analysis!
When I was a kid it was a reoccurring joke how old people are obsessed with tv shops, which was basically nice ladies trying to sell you stuff you don’t need. Now the whole internet is one big teleshop repackaged.
Très informatif. I am usually not an easy target to products that "help" with organization, but I have to ve more careful with anything tech related because I fall for those so easily. I think that's also something to think about, what areas are you more easily influenced on, and what strategies can you implement to filter those impulses?
Anarcho-socialism with decentralization, Athenian democracy, de-bureaucratization, and small self-sufficient localized community. Im an accelerationist but we should be careful we don't let this whole thing go totalitarian anything centralist is bad we need decentralized governance so essentially small communities with Athenian democracy and anything large scale be reduced, so local small communities have the most power but if We need large community like a whole country should be true the internet is a modern Athenian democracy tool every one has a phone at this day and this is essentially a voting device in my eyes, but for Athenian democracy we need educated people and people who are healed you don't want people making a decision out of trauma that's bad for humanity so healing and education on a wholistic radical responsibility level is required, so this is my idea of practical solar punk reality, nuclear fusion is need it
Marx said one day we dump milk into rivers to increase milk price, "Government cheese" - Ronald Reagan's signing of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981, the cheese stockpile equaled more than 2 lb (1 kg) of cheese for each person living in the United States. EU spent over 37 percent of its budget on agriculture. It is contradictory of capitalism subsidies for not producing milk, butter, cheese or corn to keep prices of this product in market exchange as expensive as possible. It is so stupid I always thought subsidies was to stimulate economy. Same with fast fashion. The British luxury brand Burberry brought in $3.6 billion in revenue last year - and destroyed $36.8 million worth of its own merchandise. Burn clothes that already made but it will disturb market. Acceleration or end of the world will be with whimper rather than bang. Slow burning. Maybe it is accelerate to consume, I always thought of you invent device lets say heat exchanger that requires two times less metal two times less manufacturing cost and labor and is 30% more efficient it is good because 30% less energy consumption it means less of oil and gas. But, no it opposite steel manufacturers want devices that consumes more metal and more oil and gas wants heat exchangers that consumes more oil and gas. Same with most of glass packing no reuse it goes to shards and never used again as packing. And glass packing factories always running and everyone have a job. Maybe this total inefficiency of capitalism and is biggest contradiction is to everyone have crapy job making things idly but they all running everyone is busy, who cares that we waste resources idly.
I once considered buying a handpan from Temu because I can't afford a high-quality one, but ultimately decided against it since it wouldn’t fit in my luggage. However, I wonder if the concerns about supply chain issues and exploitation related to Temu are genuinely valid or just media hype, especially with U.S. businesses facing tough competition. Temu has managed to keep its profit margins very low, much like many Android phone manufacturers compared to Apple, which enjoys a nearly 40% profit margin. According to a 2023 report, Temu is operating at a loss as they prioritize market penetration. It seems like they might be using consumers as testers to refine their products over time.
Loved the video as always! I loved the thumbnail 😂 I see where people are coming from with the idea that capitalism will destroy its self. Although every single line of ethical line has already seem to be crossed for it. So I feel like it wouldn’t die that easy, as long as people are still getting very rich, the exploitation won’t matter.
1) (i add my answer to a comment on AI here fyi) Hey! I understand your concern, i don't use AI imagery in any of my work but I felt like it would be ironical to use it here just a couple of times given the topic of the video. In case it wasn't clear, my use of AI in this video is purely ironical, it's a sort of criticism of AI since the images are super exaggerated, look really bad and don't bring anything to the story. That's why I added the '?' in the first one and overplayed the dramatic aspect in the 'Georgio' series. The goal was actually to make fun of AI imagery. Satire is the only purpose it serves in that context. I don't plan on using AI imagery in the future because of the ethical problems as you mentioned, it was the first time and again purely contextual and satirical but hey thank you for voicing that concern, it allows me to clarify and keep me in check :) i'll add that an ethical existence on the internet is simply impossible, we pretty much all use lithium powered devices, we constantly train algorithms and AI with our comments, likes and habits. It makes sense to do our best to align our values though and we can all improve!
2)my pronunciation of feitiço was so bad!! sorry about this, i was so confident it was pronounced this way that i didn't even check it, i usually play the "sorry im french" card when it comes to pronounciation but it doesn't really work this time ugh, does it? (it clearly doesn't) hope you enjoy the video :)
Temu is a chinese spyware
Fei-ti-ço: pronounce it as "Fay-Tee-Soul"
We could understand, don't worry too much. So far the portuguese words in your other videos have been okay.
@@josdesouza I would say more like "fay tee soo".
Please, don't use AI 'art' in your videos
I get so many Temu ads all the fucking time that I decided to avoid it out of spite way before i even knew what it was. I fucking hate Temu.
Same
Exactly this.
That's my story with this other shopping plataform named Shopee. I got their ads so often and hated their jingle so goddamn much that I avoid them out of spice since.
There’s no way they selling items that cheap, or even free.
Same
I would like enough money to buy Etsy and put it back the way it was - vintage and handmade goods only.
"Shop like a billionaire." Ah yes. Buy cheap garbage on a Wish clone.🧐As billionaires do.
It's even worse because people get free money on the platform by convincing other people to use it. So sometimes, they don't even pay for it.
Yeah but look at the things cluttering up your work bench to fix. I have stuff=American dream.
😂Exactly!
As opposed to buying overpriced garbage elsewhere? I can see why temu is growing so rapidly.
"shop like a billionaire (wants you to)"
Accelerationism always felt like a worldview for those who don't have skin in the game and lack the empathy to those who have.
Accelerationism in the West is fine not the rest.
Diamond is basically carbon (price collapses)
It's a great example. Diamond isn't even that rare or expensive to extract, it's only that valuable because of marketing and oligopoly of big diamond corporations.
I mean a diamond ring is just a waste of a perfectly good drill bit
@@elibot (mmm, do I need a drill bit?)
Diamonds also can be made artificially, Japan already crushed the price of natural opal with lab grown one.
@@ristekostadinov2820 Many years ago, when I had my engagement ring made (hand made by a local jeweller), I requested that he use lab made gems only because I wanted to minimise impact - seemed so confused by why I would specifically ask for this, especially since the price wasn't that much different. Why wouldn't I want 'real' diamonds?!
Seeing all the Temu and Shein hauls online makes me want to cry. Just when I thought that we, as species, are starting to see more and do better and recognize how bad consumerism is for the planet, Temu and Shein rolled in breaking all previous records of mindless consumerism. They don't care one bit if their products are harmful (which, it was proved that these products often contain toxic carcinogenic chamicals), or helpful, or if you like them and use them or not, they only want to sell you stuff again and again and again and more of it and more and more.
You would think that Alice has earned enough trust in this community that everyone could have just a modicum of faith that her use of AI art was intentional to make a subtle point, a lighthearted jab at the extent that commodity fetishism has crept into everything, including art (as she pointed out in replies), rather than a moral/ethical misstep or laziness on her part. We gotta get better at understanding subtext, collectively, and we don't have to rush to "correct" everything our nervous systems tell us is "wrong."
Uh no dude... I think you're reaching way too hard to try to defend her here.
I think yall are making a big deal out of nothing here
It's an online leftist audience. 10-20% will always follow the outrage impulse instead of considering humorous subtext. It's their own misery.
yes, I fear this is why people don't take the left seriously. we get too into details that nobody else gives a fuck and cannot see the bigger picture. in argentina, I know many leftist who don't vote the far-left because they, for example, vote against a law to massively improve renters conditions because one part of the law could have bad repercussions on the climate. and I get it, they are technically right, but a perfect moral won't take you anywhere and people have to rent
@@MrSmackel it's our torment
As a Brazilian, when I first saw the title, I thought you were going to discuss what we typically refer to as 'commodities'-raw materials like soy, iron, or oil, which involve simple extraction or minimal processing. In Brazil, 'commodity' has a more restricted meaning, focusing on these low-complexity products that are traded globally without much added value. They’re essentially resources that are easy to extract and trade, but they don’t undergo significant transformation before reaching the market.
I also find it interesting that in English, the word 'commodities' can be used more broadly to describe low-quality products, services, or even amenities. There’s a clever play on words here, as 'commodities' and 'conveniences' (comodidades) share the same root, hinting at things that are easy to access, consume, or use without much thought. In Portuguese, we often use 'merchandise fetishism' (fetichismo da mercadoria) instead of 'commodity fetishism,' since 'commodity' for us is tied strictly to these basic goods, while 'merchandise' better captures the broader idea of products being imbued with social or symbolic value, as described in Marxist theory.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the video. Congratulations on another great upload, and thank you for sharing your thoughts.
P.S.: Your pronunciation of 'feitiço' is perfectly fine! The content of the video, which is what truly matters, is excellent
well in portugal what you call comodidades we would call matéria-prima. Comodidade would be something that people associate with comfort.
@@CatarinaStone Thank you so much for your comment, it's great to read your perspective.
Actually, here in Brazil, we use "comodidade" in a way that's quite similar to how it's used in Portugal, referring to comfort and convenience. I'm sorry if my comment sparked some confusion in that sense - I need to write better.
But when it comes to "commodity," we actually use the English term to refer to raw materials. We don't translate it. It is like that because I think Brazil tends to be a bit more "meta-anthropophagic" than Portugal - this is a term I came up with to describe how we sort of cannibalize our own language, adopting foreign words, especially English ones, without really questioning if there are better alternatives in Portuguese - I actually think this is a global phenomena, but It's not the time or place to explain this idea.
In the case of "commodities," we use the term to highlight how Brazil is often seen as an underdeveloped country that mainly exports these raw materials, with no added value, which some argue keeps us stuck in a cycle of underdevelopment.
I really loved this exchange, and it’s fun to think about how we’re so close, our languages so interconnected. I can understand you perfectly, both speaking and writing, and I know you understand us as well, yet there are these little subtle differences, and I find that fascinating.
I also would love to visit Portugal one day! I love Brazil and I plan to live and die here, but I think a trip to Portugal would be unforgettable.
Thanks again for your comment, it was a great exchange of ideas!
How did you come up with that word? Meta-anthropophalic?
We have a word for that in Portuguese, estrangeirismo,
(derogatory) a loanword (borrowed from other language into Portuguese) that one considers wrong to use, because it is able to be substituted by a more traditionally correct Portuguese-sounding word
Não use "show", use "espetáculo"! "Show" é estrangeirismo!
Don't use "show", use "espetáculo"! "Show" is a foreignism!
@@Vityganz I came up with the term while looking at the Anthropophagic Manifesto by Oswald de Andrade. It’s a modernist manifesto about cultural cannibalism. It proposes that Brazilian artists should look to Europe for inspiration and "cannibalize" their culture, integrating the good aspects of European culture into a unique Brazilian culture. I used this term to discuss estrangeirismos. In Brazil, we also have this concept and try to boil it down, but I think it's a waste of time. Languages are fluid and influence each other, and there’s not much we can do to stop it. The use of "meta-anthropophagic" is not to limit ourselves to talking about estrangeirismos, but to address a globalized process in which all languages face a top-down imposition of English. Meta-anthropophagy, therefore, describes the process by which all languages in the globalized world incorporate English words due to the hegemony and prevalence of English in computing and other technologies. In a globalized context, English has become the global language, influencing all others. But I don’t see this as inherently negative. Instead, I propose a Meta-Anthropophagic Manifesto, where I invite artists to cannibalize their own tongues and languages, accelerating this process of meta-anthropophagy. I propose this because I see linguistic influences operating in both directions, both from top-down and from bottom-up. I use the example of Portuguese: it was influenced top-down by Arabic during the Moors' occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, and bottom-up by indigenous words that infiltrated Portuguese here in Brazil. It’s a vast topic. I've written extensively about it in two articles published on my Medium page and on my blog, "The Brazilian Mutt." I hope this explanation makes things a bit clearer, but if you're still interested in reading more, both articles are free on Medium and on my blog, The Brazilian Mutt dot Wordpress dot com. Thank you so much for engaging.
Accelerationism has always struck me as "if we just let this group of people (which doesn't include me) suffer a bit longer, it'll cause the system to change for the better." It's a selfish way of off-loading effort and suffering onto people who are already suffering the most in society.
It's why I'll never get behind the idea that allowing someone like Trump to win, for example, would lead to something good. It's easy to imagine such a scenario working out if you're a straight, middle class white man. You'll probably be fine no matter what. It's a lot less easy to imagine that being a good strategy if you're LGBTQ or a woman or an immigrant. That's why activism will always be preferable to accelerationism, in my opinion.
not to try to defend it, but how would accelerationism actually cause people who are suffering from suffering longer? If the revolution is accelerated wouldn't they suffer for less time? Or are we pretending that working within the liberal system is actually doing something to alleviate people's suffering?
cry lib
I think accelerationism is often disquised as good will (i.e. I worked hard and achieved so much, so you can too). It's a great way to put responsibility on someone else while simultaneously ignoring the systemic problems that are out of any one person's control. But because it's wrapped in this sort of false positive motivator, people tend to go along with it, even when they conciously know it's BS.
@@CatarinaStone For one, there's no evidence that accelerationism actually works. Did Trump's election lead to less suffering for the groups I mentioned, or has it simply ramped up over the past decade? Aren't we still neck-deep in neoliberal hell? Would things get better or worse if he's re-elected? One could argue the accelerationism of Nazi Germany certainly led to a shortened period of suffering for the people caught up in the Holocaust -- i.e. they died earlier than they would have otherwise -- but I don't think most of us would view that as a good thing.
Under accelerationism, many people are simply deemed expendable in pursuit of a larger goal which may not even come to fruition. The Farquaadian notion of "Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make" has never struck me as a particularly leftist ideal. It's gambling with other people's lives.
All accelerationists are right wing accelerationists
Yall I think she gets it lmao. Kind of wish once people see that an issue has been raised (repeatedly) they wouldn’t double down SO hard, especially when you know this creator like, definitely listens. Makes for a very boring comment section that’s usually full of a diverse range of opinions.
Can you elaborate a bit on what you meant? I don't get what the subject of this comment is
@@t111ran3 see her pinned comment
@@t111ran3 That's because this is a bought comment. Temu has their bots and goons out there advertising via "authentic" comments. Don't trust everything you read in the comment section.
@@lisilein2no this is about ai use
@@lisilein2 think you misunderstood my comment lol this is about the repeated comments on her use of ai photos in the vid.
I need this video. I'm addicted. I know it.
I have no money being a 100% disabled vet
I buy things because it gives me a moment of pleasure (dopamine hit) to alleviate my depression
By the end of the month, I'm eating Ramen and hoping my food supply lasts.
i promise that once you start avoiding ads and block these shopping websites it gets easier with time. i used to be addicted to aliexpress years ago. it was hard for the first month or so but after that i literally forgot about all this crap. also remember to use good adblock. these days im literally un-advertisable to. you can do it too!
I'm an aesthetic lifestyle content creator. In the same way that Alice watches our content for a sense of peace or calm, I watch critical video essays in an attempt to quell my addiction to commodities and rationalize myself out of them. But it is so difficult. The truth is that many creators are stuck in this cycle, in ways even worse than our own audiences because we typically also receive these products "free of charge". The only measure of progress I can see moving foward, is to inspire creativity and novelty through repeat usage and re-discovery. It's a resourceful challenge that I'm willing to pursue, but resisting the urge for "more" is still difficult (and they're not mutually exclusive). I'm at a point now where I'm just trying to exhaust myself out of every idea and urge as quickly as possible.
You ARE the commodity. Kind of the ultimate version of a modern social media serf.
Is it possible to pivot away from physical products towards services or experiences?
I've been antagonistic of the idea of accelerationism ever since I first learned of it. It's incredibly unethical to, in practice, intensify the suffering of people in order to speed up revolution.
politics are at it's core unethical. if you will be an ethical politician, you will either end up being irrelevant or dead. every big political achievement was done with unethical actions
@@jeanivanjohnson Yeah but political violence and the like here and there ≠ diet genocide
@@sandenson diet?
@@jeanivanjohnson I'm not 100% sure about what qualifies a genocide so I went with that but I don't expect it to be right. Either way, it probably does its job at painting an image.
@@sandenson wait are you reffering to genocide by starvation? i never heard it being called DIET genocide before
I swear all of your videos articulate something I've felt but never identified.
i'll be interested to see the arguments people try to come up with as to how a diamond has intrinsic value
Almost no one argues that anymore though……. It has an objective value in the sense that , people voluntarily choose to pay as much as they want to for it.
Its has none - its astonishingly common, they have to boost the price by buying up supply and just stockpiling it. Industrial diamond has intrinsic value cos it is so useful.
@@piccalillipit9211 its not intrinsic . Its objective but i agree on the reat
It's SHINY!!!
I think that the natural colour and the cut could constitute the value of a diamond, so its rarity and beauty. But basically, the price of most diamonds is just way over the top.
what is also interesting to me about Temu is the feeling of urgency that they create, you see this in the gamification elements but also in the lack of a favorites section. if you like a product your only option at that point is to add it to the cart. It does not give you the option to put it on the side and think about it. To me this is also a way of keeping the magic alive.
I join my voice with those against the use of ai. It probably is a commodity fetishism as well? Something cheap that looks cool but that is actually bad on several level? There’s probably a video for you to make about the ethics (and absence of) when using ai! Check Karla Ortiz, Jon Lam, and all the big art industry names talking against the use of ai.
C'mon, there's literally 2 AI photos.
You are cherry picking, making noise and not listening to the actual video full of other references.
As a professional artist I hope AI has many trips and falls because if it gets good enough, ethical reasons won't even be on the radar for most companies.
Temu has been the bane of my existence for years. Interesting videos as always, Alice. Hope you are well!
How so?
@@s3lfl3ssn3ss All the crap my kids spend their money on.
it's been years? I though they only started last year
The main problem i see with acceleracionism is that letting capitalist contradictions grow greater until the total collapse of itself requires 1) faith and 2) letting millions of people in the most dreadful of sufferings. And in a more indepth critique: why believing that after the collapse will be some kind of communism? Nowadays the radical left movements are weak in the global North and brutally repressed in the South, with no global strategy or actions with structural impact. Is hard to belive that in such state of things the result of collapse would be liberation and not a sort of widespread pseudofascist corporative authoritarian regime of perpetual emergency.
That’s why revolution needs to be a continuous process and we need to build the foundations for the future now by organising and educating ppl
My partner and I were just talking about political/economical fetishes literally yesterday after watching a speech given by Jason Moore, so this video is very on topic for me. What's interesting about the act of fetishizing, is that it is not limited to commodities or physical objects, but it can be done to concepts as well. When you take the historical and economical context away from concepts, you open the door to co-option by pro-capitalist/colonialist/imperialist forces and propoganda, for example "environmentalism" being used as a weapon by the elite to further oppress the masses.
Also, I'm sorry so many people are nit-picking you over the AI images instead of actually engaing with the topic.
edit: The more I think about it the more ironic it gets... Oh comrade... I am so sorry lol You're doing great work.
What speech, if you dont mind?
@@thekingoffailure9967 The Fear, the Fix, and the Fantasy: Democracy, Revolution and the Specter of Climate Dictatorship by the channel Planetary Justice. (He doesn't go into fetishes in the talk. He mentions it briefly when referring to the term "de-growth" and it just started a conversation between by partner and I.)
Or 4th option : the birth of a class of cynical consumer perfectly aware of the evil they do while bying on Temu. People are not so embarassed to be those type of 'bully buyer'. The deconstruction of capitalism that you point in Temu may just be one more step in the brutalisation of capitalism, I'm afraid
There are so many instances where I saw people justify using temu or shein while aware of it's negative imapct because "other companies do it too" and "denying me the right to buy a cheap dress is classist, poor people deserve nice things too". And while I agree with both of these points I also saw it as a way of dodging responsibility. Yes, there is no moral consumption under captialims but there are options that are less bad and we should strive to go for them. Mindful consumerism won't fix everything but it can have longer term effects.
There's no difference between a consumer who buys in the supermarket and one who purchases on temu (or any other e-commerce platform, for that matter).
TEMU has definitely been an…interesting point of conversation. Can’t wait for the discourse.
ALSO WE ARE SO BACK 🎉
Commodity fetishism in the post war boom age I think operated slightly differently than it does today or than it did in marx's time,
. Part of commodities' magical power in the early hyper consumer age resided in the idea that the magical Wonka / Santa clause capitalist that had sold you your candy commodity for a pittance was a kind of utterly benevolent despot who both shared that benevolence with you for a pittance AND kindly saved their own workers through the gift of gainful employment in the factory. Even when you here Milton Friedman speak about the "magic" of the price model (say, in his infamous pencil video), he still emphasizes all the labor that went into making each component of a given cheap commodity (though of course, he doesn't tell you why each component or the final product is so cheap). In short: neoliberalism hid the true cost and exploitation of labor by painting a false image of a cornucopia where everyone would partake, not only because of cheapness and abundance, but the gift of "jobs jobs jobs". With globalization, the facade has peeled back a bit: everyone seems to have some awareness that their cheap crap was made in a sweatshop or plantation somewhere, and that those exploited sweatshop and plantation workers probably replaced some once better paid workers elsewhere whose factory closed. The trick has been to alter slightly the image of the Wonka man: wonka no longer kindly rescues the oompaloompas from a life of indigency and slavery through kinder slavery, he no longer just gives you the keys to the factory because you're pure of heart: he barks at you to be an "alpha/sigma/gigga chad", and to hussel more on your uber app, and "be your own billionaire/entrepreneur": I think that's why temu's nonsensical, obscene slogan, "shop like a billionaire," works brilliantly: it seeves to update the commodity fetish in an age where the gold paint it used to have has started to peel off: its almost a confession to the exploited hyperconsumerist masses: you are not nor will you ever be a billionaire, but you can still have as much useless crap as one because our prices are so cheap you won't even care about inflation, or the fact that can't pay your rent, while you're using our app. That's the trick today: the old Wonka myth doesn't work: you know full well why it's so cheap: someone somewhere is getting screwed, but you do it anyway because you'd be a sucker not too. It is no coincidence temu arrives in the same stage of capitalism as trump and his xenophobia/anti cosmopolitanism.
As I understand it, Marx didn't dislike Smith, even if he criticized liberal capitalism. He apparently built on Smith's insights in part.
Alice! i adore your videos and i especially like this one as this is a topic that i’ve thought of for a while. But i am kind of saddened that you used AI imagery in your video :( and i would argue it also plays into commodity fetishism “it’s just an image” “don’t think about all the photographers and artists who got screwed in the process”. I know you don’t have bad intentions, as an artist i just really can’t stand AI stuff like this
exactly just what i wanted to say, thank you for putting in into words
AI is the fast fashion of tech. The machine is trained by people in Kenya who need to look at the most awful content. They often burn out super quickly because it's just too much but aren't mentally supported. AI content moderation is just another form of modern slavery.
Plus, training an AI is also training it for war and genocide purposes. 😢
Hey! I understand your concern, i don't use AI imagery in any of my work but I felt like it would be ironical to use it here just a couple of times given the topic of the video. In case it wasn't clear, my use of AI in this video is purely ironical, it's a sort of criticism of AI since the images are super exaggerated, look really bad and don't bring anything to the story. That's why I added the '?' in the first one and overplayed the dramatic aspect in the 'Georgio' series. The goal was actually to make fun of AI imagery. Satire is the only purpose it serves in that context. I don't plan on using AI imagery in the future because of the ethical problems as you mentioned, it was the first time and again purely contextual and satirical but hey thank you for voicing that concern, it allows me to clarify and keep me in check :)
i came here to say this, and was glad it was already said more eloquently than i could have said it.
OMFG (yeah, F's for Freudian, of course). I'm astonished by the number of people asking Alice not to use AI-generated images. I understand the point, and yes, it might be hypocritical to advocate for workers' rights and empowerment while using a tool that clearly contributes to avoiding paying them for their work and simply stealing it. But the sheer number of comments regarding this one topic (and only this topic) made me think of a few things:
1. Is this sudden-yet interesting and valid-awareness of AI imagery and the harm it causes somewhat comparable to movements advocating for cruelty-free products or those that pushed laws to abolish child labor?
Or is it more like a trendy complaint that follows what's cool and doesn't really care about artists and their work, just wanting to repeat what's being said to be part of a collective? Is this the kind of rhetoric you young people tell yourselves-and others-to feel popular and good about yourselves?
2. Or are these comments just bots spamming? You people repeat yourselves too much to be real humans. xD Anyway, I'm glad for Alice's algorithm, lol.
3. How difficult it is when your audience can't listen (and/or can't comprehend) beyond the surface of something they didn't like, and they deliberately ignore everything you say or do after the "wrong" point, as if they’re searching for a reason to disagree, judge, and cancel the speaker-without caring about their actual message. Maybe they’re bots, or at least they behave that way.
4. All this brings me to the point I actually wanted to comment on: while watching the video, I couldn’t help but think about the people I know and myself, and how, even knowing that some products are affordable only because others are severely exploited, we still buy them because 'it’s a deal.'
We’re talking about everyday necessities or something truly needed, like a fridge because the old one is beyond repair-not fast fashion or other more impulsive ways of consuming. But still, we acknowledge that someone is being exploited to keep these products cheap, and we buy them with joy and relief.
Why? The answer I found is that it's because we are exploited too. And there’s this generalized feeling that we can’t help anyone (and maybe others don’t even deserve our help?), just as no one is helping us avoid being exploited. It’s a selfish but understandable self-preservation mechanism that makes us prioritize our survival over collective well-being. ('If I don’t buy this thing I need now at this lower price, even if the price is low for immoral reasons, I’ll either have to go without something I really need OR end up in debt for another 24 months to be able to afford it.')
5. Where I'm from, there's a common saying: 'La necesidad tiene cara de hereje,' which literally means 'Necessity makes one a heretic.' I might just be too worn down to have much hope left, but I think (and feel) that the way capitalism and governments have divided society, crushed social solidarity, and exalted this 'survival individualism' is quite an effective combo for keeping things going just as they are for as long as humanity lasts…
And yeah, in the meantime, we’re out here protesting against a leftist RUclipsr (most of us not contributing financially) using AI imagery to make a video that invites us to think a little deeper.
Let me answer your question. Im not a bot. It's hypocritical. The comments are there cause people are upset. Done
@@isminiunhinged no, it's not hypocritical.
@@jeanivanjohnson why do you think it's not? Her whole channel is about those things
@@isminiunhinged what "those" things?
@@jeanivanjohnson why do you think it's not hypocritical
the example of the diamond ring is great and on point, as long as we think Western world- in many cases, other societies, where women cannot generally own property, or it's made really difficult, jewelry is their bug-out bag, their safety net that allow them to walk away if worst comes to worst
I would feel gross buying off that website.
Temu basically uses slave labor to produce their products. very low pay, very long work hours, very few safety regulations in the workplace, and some of these factories even have suicide nets on them.
Americans shopping off of timu is just another example of American gluttony. It doesn't matter the process necessary to make the thing, as long as I have the thing.
The same thing goes for furniture, cars, food, any commodity, it's all mass-produced and there is some form of exploitation in that process. after it was public information that Amazon was abusing their employees, and paying them a very low wage, and union busting, I immediately stopped my Amazon prime subscription. it may seem like a very insignificant thing to do, but the only power that people have is the power of consumption.
now that we're faced with the genocide in Gaza, it is become very clear what companies support genocide and what companies don't. It has made shopping difficult, but I now take pride in my choices.
@@TwisterTornado Buddy, I understand how deep it goes. There is no ethical consumerism. This is why I rarely leave comments because of people like yourself. I shouldn't have to comment the complete annotated version of how consumerism in the united states is never ethical; that is a extremely deep rabbit hole. You understood my point but decided to bring in a strawman.
16:15 - I think there's a 4th option that you didn't directly mention and that I see much too often, I would say more than the denial and fetishization. That is "choosing apathy".
When seeing the low prices and rationally knowing that nothing can really be that cheap without massive consequence to workers and/or environment, many people choose just not to care. "I'm just one person, I can't make a difference anyway so might as well shop" or "these people would get exploited anyway, at least they have a job" or some other apathetic thing to comfort and distance themselves from the implicitly moral choices they are. It's the same with the climate crisis. So many people seem to choose apathy, feeling they are just a drop in a bucket and can't make any impact anyway. Now I fully agree with the notion that the fault is with the governing powers and the capitalistic system we live under, and not with individual people. And to an extent I agree that the idea of "voting with you wallet/carbon footprint" etc is quite silly in the grand scheme of things. HOWEVER, when people choose apathy and choose to overindulge in consumption habits that nobody should realistically have if we are to continue existing on this earth, I'm get worried that those people will be resistant to changing their habits if the governing powers or systems demand they do. And if the people resist, the change will not happen.
I hate when I get a Temu add and the song sets stuck in my head 😒
Uuu uu temuuu 💀🔫
I thought Alice used AI in a sarcastic way as I was watching the video. Maybe I was too naive 😅
A very interesting way to interpret what commodity fetishism is. I would stress, that the "magic" does not obfuscate just the social and working relations hidden behind a product, but also it's environmental impact. You mention it, but I would really stress this even further. Every product requires energy and raw materials to build, thus it requires extraction and devastation of nature somewhere on the planet, and also emission of greeenhouse gasses. Each product that we buy, but that we don't actually need, means a damage to the environment that could be avoided.
When I was a teen I once bought a pair of Nike shoes because it was trendy and a status symbol. It was only after I learned about Nike's exploitative nature and using child labor/sweatshops that I never bought another pair ever again. Learning about how the fashion industry operates really put me off labels in general and most of my clothes are pre-owned. Still fast fashion sounds even worse than what the bigger labels are doing. It's sad really.
Coucou, lève-toi! Alice Capelle a publié une nouvelle vidéo.
Temu wasn't always around in Australia where I live. It was given permission to advertise and operate here in March 2023. I know because I suddenly saw constant ads for it online so I googled where it came from. It's really sad that within that time temu has become popular here. I'm always so disappointed when I hear people I know saying "I got it off temu!" We are so privileged over here and we always fall for these fast XYZ companies. We have a smaller population and less options when it comes to local or national companies. So a lot of people rely on Amazon, temu, etc instead of putting in a little more effort to shop elsewhere or just not buy the random thing they don't really need.
Fantastic video as always Alice! Temu grosses me out in much the same way as fast fashion companies such as Shein. Those types of companies are only operational because they use poor labour practices (if not actual slavery) and toxic materials to produce cheap goods that are made to break shortly after purchase, thus people have to buy more stuff to replace the items that broke.
The under consumption trend on tiktok is really topical at this current moment.
I just want to point out that Marx did like Smith and was very influenced by him, as well with Ricardo, but he disagreed with Smith on certain things. Maybe that was lost in translation.
what made you think that marx liked smith? what made this french girl think that marx didn't like smith? you can be both influenced by and be critical of the same person while not having this sort of "me like" or "me no like" attitude. i will be honest with you, my personality was probably influenced by fascists. does that mean that i like fascism?
@jeanivanjohnson she used the word "like." I didn't use the word. That word comes with baggage. You know that.
@@jeanivanjohnson To your first question he, and his main intellectual influence Hegel, are very positive about Smith, and to a lesser extent Ricardo, throughtout his copus. To your second question, Smith and Marx are both incredibly widely misunderstood.
On the matter of "critique' that meant something else in the broader German idealist tradition that Marx comes from. It's critique in the sense of Kant, not in the sense of merely being negative about something.
The problem with her reading of Smith, and Marx for that matter, is neither really holds up to a deeper reading of what either said.
Omg I love your videos sm!!! I am buying almost only second-hand clothing and i think it's not only more ethical (which is ofc more important) but also more fun and creative, it helps with building your own, unique style
Alice, your videos are such a detailed and interesting analysis into societal issues and real people that AI art takes away from that authenticity.
100%. Even considering the morally reprehensible nature of the AI have sourced all of its material from stolen artwork from creatives, it also ends up hurting out planet through an intensive drain of energy. I love Alice's videos, but as an illustrator, I feel a bit conflicted with her utilizing AI.
@@c7261 The AI art she used was clearly from a model trained on stock photos.
I just stopped the video because of this, and you saved me the time of posting this comment myself.
"authenticity" is a myth.
@@c7261 anything will hurt our planet at this point and a single person not using AI definetely won't have any real impact on this.
We've been tricked into thinking the product is the magic, but the INGENUITY is the magic!
Not of the label maker, but of the cutting of th boxes, organization in a basket, and labeling of the boxes!
The label maker can be replaced by masking tape and neat hand writing.
When im thinking of buying something i ask myself a prelim question: can i satisfyingly do this with the tools i own now? Most of the time, the answer is yes. (Also my house is small, I already have too many things. Where would i put the new things?!)
My favourite female youtuber. Possibly, the only female youtuber I follow
She's great! but trust me there's other excelleny female youtubers out there too
Hey Alice! I love your videos but I do hope you'll reconsider your use of AI art. It's not exactly a deal-breaker for me when it comes to being a subscriber and watcher, but I'm not a fan of AI-generated images.
To answer the question: I do think some level of activism and advocacy is important, but I do also think that capitalism will eat its own tail. I think it's our job to ensure that whatever comes along after it is better than what we have.
Yes, came here to comment the same thing on the AI art.
Especially for this video it is kind of ironic
Ah she kind of did it for the bit, she answered the same complaint in another thread. It was used because of the irony and she isn't doing it for any other work.
lol, sure. The art she used was from a model primarily trained on random stock photos, that is painfully obvious. So who is this negatively impacting? Massive stock photo organizations like shuttershock? Who cares dude
@@timmy-oranguta I mean just AI in general isn't the best thing, sure it gets quite picky if people complain about it but the impact on the environment is already a big concern for a lot of people. There are multiple perspectives of Valid criticism in regards to AI
C'mon, there's literally 2 AI photos.
You are cherry picking, making noise and not listening to the actual video full of other references.
I wasn’t going to click on this, but then the next entry on my home page was a Temu ad so i had to go back
literally never been this early to your work :) excited to see!!
this reminds me of the Fast Fashion SNL Ad - "Not made with forced labour ☺"
- How so cheap?
- Don't worry about it ☺
That debeers commercial was so popular, I can still hear the music in my head when I see the clip
As always, this is another thought-provoking blog - I love it, and thanks
My highlight of the day: RUclips featured a Temu ad under this video while I was watching it 😅
wife is obsessed with TEMU -_-
Your question at the end is something that has been on my mind for decades, and it still just breaks my mind 😞 I feel the need to fight it just as powerfully as I feel it is hopeless..... I'm super stupid though. Probably because I'm surrounded by other stupid people 90% of the time I'm around other people. It's intensely demoralizing.
I would really like to listen to your audiobook if you ever decide to read one in the future. I don't know if you've had any training on how to speak with rhythm and a calm voice while still keeping the conversation engaging, or if it's just natural for you. I honestly enjoy listening.
This topic is fascinating. Another great video, Alice! Keep it up.
Lately, i have been going through all of your videos. Thanks for the great and authentic content. I am looking forward to your introversion video.
I'm so happy to see people talking about how sites like temu are trying to distract us from the dehumanising conditions they put the workers - which they owe all their success to - through.
15:00 the question I would have is whether an established mid-range brand is actually any better than Temu at the factory end of things? Unless you have the capacity to do some kind of deep dive into their supply chains.
such an insightful, helpful and concise video, thank you, I'm interested in sustainability and conscious consumption already but this helped me see things in a new way and gave me the language to better express those ideas :)
I think consumerism always arises from a lack of fulfillment. If we want people to stop filling the voids in themselves with products we have to ask the harder questions about why people struggle to give meaning to their existence. Until there is something for humanity to strive for they’ll always turn to these patterns.
A whole video on accelerationism would be siiiick!
You are too optimistic: most people just don't ask any moral issue when shopping
I was a kid in the 1980s and it felt like back then (and in the 90s) that activism was celebrated, it was seen as a good thing. Now "activist" is almost a dirty word. I think that is due to two issues - one is that there has been a lot of corporate pushback through propaganda and astroturfing; and second social media has led to a lot of performative activism where the point of activism isn't to actualise change but to be seen trying to make change (what some would call "virtue signalling"). The difference between young activists and what folks were doing back in the 80s is vastly different even though it can have the appearance of similarity. That and massive apathy. Apathy itself is a symptom of multiple factors which isn't necessarily that people care less but is a lot to do with how current society works - and I mean literal work. People are so overworked these days (and 'brainwashed' into thinking this is a good thing) that we, as a society, just don't have the time or energy to care. Then we have social media which encourages a fake and vapid facade to real life along with mass media/entertainment that are massive addictive distractions. Lack of time and energy to care and what time people do have is filled with filling the void with fake parasocial connection and entertainment addiction. It is absolutely a result of capitalism and the corporate take over of our government and social institutions at every level conceivable. It's the only way a system built upon infinite supply in a finite world can continue to exist. I think capitalism will eventually fall but I sadly don't think it will be any time soon and could potentially take the entire human race down with it if we don't, as a collective species, wake up.
Hi, Alice! Greetings from Brazil. I am Korean - Brazilian and considered myself comunist. Thank you for this video.❤ Sorry for my english 😅
I've found that when I don't follow Instagram accounts that push a lot of products, and I'm not on TikTok, my desire to buy things drops to zero. To think that the apps and the accounts on the apps have that kind of power over me is kind of crazy.
Thanks for more good content! This reminded me of the SHEIN episode of the podcast 'Tech won't save us'.
I feel like Temu and the demagification of it's potential customer's, when confronted with Temu's undeniably exploitation-based pricing, might actually have adverse effects; bolstering capitalism in ways, rather than accelerating it's demise.
By setting a new, unprecedented low within capitalist production, the bar for ethicality sinks to equally unprecedented levels. Suddenly going to H&M for a new sweater, is the equivalent of buying free-range eggs for your omelette (instead of factory farming on the one end and organic on the other). Through this comparison, a buyer of H&M's new sweater (2.1% recycled material!!) is suddenly making a more ethical choice, than someone shopping at SHEIN. The obvious greenwashing is contrasted with SHEIN's absolutely, ridiculously, obvious greenwashing. The awful quality is contrasted with SHEIN's horrible quality. The exploitative working conditions are contrasted with SHEIN's actual modern slavery.
In comparison H&M is "at least doing *something*".
I worry that this sort of logic will serve as justification for standard-track fast-fashion brands.
*I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT HAVE* "commodity fetishism" - I used to.
I grew up shockingly poor, my toy as a kid was a wooden wheelbarrow wheel I used to push around the garden. I REALLY fetishised commodities. A series of bizarre events cured me - thank god.
tell the bizarre events brah
We used to live in a shoebox in the middle of the road. And we were grateful. My father told us stories about a spoon he once saw.
commodity fetishism is a large-scale social phenomenon, not an affliction one individual has
@@internetfox In 2010 my company went viral and suddenly I was worth €6 million. I bought all the stuff you would expect but by about 2014 the novelty had worn off and I was miserable. Sept 2015 I suffered brain damage in a mugging and by the end of 2016 I was bankrupt and homeless.
Im extremely grateful for all of it - I now know what its like to be rich and its not like the movies. It beats being destitute but it does not make you magically happy - that comes from contentment, grom being happy with what you have.
@@s3lfl3ssn3ss I come from Yorkshire as well LOL. But I grew up in a lovely house - it was rented and it was small - but it was beautiful.
We collectively decide on meaning, it's not really done right independently, it's properly done collectively, even if it's just decided, and subject to change.
I find your videos great and thought provoking!. Somewhere along the line someone or something got shortchanged to achieve such a ‘supernatural’ price. I agree that prices should reflect the “fair” costs to produce/ deliver the item/service. I love how your videos shed light on these issues, how then should people collectively remind each other? Should we put stickers on the consequences of buying items to make it more transparent? Like showing lung cancer imagery on cigarette packaging should we show abused children and people or destroyed environments and livelihoods on the packaging of these items or clothes?😂
13:07
I do think it is worth acknowledging the enjoyment of buying things because we often talk about unnecessary spending as a shameful thing only. if you're trying to convince someone to consider another viewpoint using only the shame tends to work less than acknowledging you understand why they enjoy the bad thing they are doing.
This only just showed up in my feed after 4 days. I watch almost every upload from this channel, the algorithm is such a joke!
I always learn something, & am excited to get each new video.
I could listen to her talk all day.
This topic hits hard! I always have a list of things that I'd like to have. Some I do need but some I just want. I mostly do my purchases with reasoning so I would not buy anything in vain. And when that something is something I really want but really don't need it really is an emotional drain. For an example I'd like to buy a new bike but I really don't need it and I don't have time to ride just for fun. So when I decide to not buy it, I feel. well depressed is a bit strong but a little down. It is curious.
I’m am usually pretty good on my consumption, I have a deep interest in cultural jamming, never shop on Amazon or the mall, entire wardrobe thrifted and hardly ever buy makeup despite loving it. However, I recently realized Hasbro rereleased Littlest pet shop after multiple years of fans begging for them. I randomly saw them at Target (I also despite Target), and suddenly it’s like I turned into a monkey, I immediately dropped over 60$ in less than three days on these animal figurines, why? It’s like I had no thoughts in my brain. I opened all of them urgently, literally ripped all the packaging in my car, I literally couldn’t help myself. I felt so much joy and childlike wonder. At the same time, I feel dumb and irresponsible.
Well, maybe you needed a toy and that is ok. Getting you hooked is their business model but you've noticed it. That's great!
Just want to add to all the voices complaining about the use of AI art. I hope you'll reconsider and not use it from now on
I have a legitimate question about fast fashion, and I have done quite a lot of research and reading and it all feels so hopeless. EVEN "well built" or "non-fast fashion" things seem to be "found out" that they are also using sweat shops and exploitative practices. SO what do I do? It sometimes feels incredibly hopeless. I legitimately have a small wardrobe by choice. I have a "uniform" of sorts that I wear, but other than just buying second-hand and keeping consumerism minimal, it seems there isn't much we CAN do. Do I just continue to do what I am currently doing? Is there more I can do? Legitimate questions and things I'm always thinking about.
I see a 4th way: apathy, and sadly I think it's the most common
It seems to me that accelerationist views are more prevalent in people who are relatively less exposed to the violence of late capitalism. Further, I am not convinced that accelerationism will actually end capitalism or lead to a more equitable world, it seems more like accelerating towards a cliff. Maybe if we drive faster more people will see the urgency in taking action, on the other hand I fear we may reach the cliff first.
I try not to believe too much, I know I can't but instead I try to organize, educate and agitate as the slogan goes. I organize around pragmatic solutions around my context, I educate myself in order to better analyze and criticize existing movements and organizations, then last I agitate in order to try to focus other people grievances into organizing in their context and into educating themselves not only in joining progressive stuff but against other reactionary stuff, even the one disguised as progressive. then I understand that this is a feedback loop where I'll never reach a certain specific end but in which I try to self actualize myself and others through struggling against the constant changing state of things. This is all very abstract, and you don't really get it until you're doing it and even then you're always re-understanding stuff, idk. Also, art: read, watch movies listen to music, play games, etc. Art is magical in putting yourself into other people's shoes, you won't be able to reach common ground until you start to try and do exactly that.
@pamwamave As a practicing artist I can confirm that art Slapss. There is a good reason why understanding how both art and communication function is considered a path to enlightenment. Fantastic comment by the way, great points and very well articulated.🫡 (P.S. I have a very similar saying, "foment autopoiesis.")
@@jwolf4444 Thanks for responding and the kind words. I do a bit of writing and painting myself. I'm gonna borrow the foment autopoiesis from now on. Have a good one.
I get Temu ads constantly: the one that goes, "Feels like a dream, it's like magic. Now I believe I can have it" creeps me out in a way that the "I'm shopping like a billionaire!" theme doesn't as much. It almost conjures up a sense of innocence, like a Cinderella story with moral justification. "Shopping like a billionaire" evokes more of a Sex in the City impression of consuming fashion where non-wealthy people can pretend they're Carrie Bradshaw overindulging on shoes. Sorry if this makes no sense
Its interesting that you've mentioned your second hand clothes.
A while ago ive noticed that almost all clothes i own are second hand or hand-me-downs. As a man in his 30s I felt somewhat ashamed at first, like everything i own is old and bruised or broken. I knew that i saved money and did not consume any unnecessary products but still. After i discarded the broken stuff all the pieces that stayed were favourites that suite my personality quite well.
Since then im getting compliments for a unique and tasteful appearance which was new at first.
So I developed a sense of pride instead of shame.
It even felt a bit like counter culture thing but I couldn't exactly pinpoint why. This process was for me not just about aesthetic development but also emotional growth. Your explanation of commodity fetish gave me a fresh new perspective to consider while i try to learn more about not only having values but living them and incorperating in daily life.
Thanks a lot for your Essays🐈⬛
Here in the U.S. the Goodwill thrift store chain has what are referred to outlets but are also known simply as "The Bins". It's essentially where donations that are in poor shape, unwashed or broken are dumped into large 4x8 foot bins and customers pick through, paying mostly by the pound. As a person obsessed with repurposing and recycling I love the place. A lot of treasure seekers are there, lots of clothes to pick through.
And all this was donated to Goodwill, which operates as a non-profit under the guise of helping employ people that have problems getting work. They pay most of their employees appalling wages. I definitely see it as the next stage of Late-Stage Capitalism.
Very accurate. Personally, once I saw their revolting commercial ads blat, I _avtomatically_ become against them, just as I am against all others of their kind (such as _"ozon",_ which are practically their Russian parallel version - they have exactly the same kind of ads, showing gleeful fashionable women celebrating their shopaholism/shopahplickism/whatEVER that word is), while _"amazon"_ and the likes of it are, *of course,* THE absolute monstrosity of all.
The big question is, of course, How *do* we open the eyes of all dumb consumers, who are *physically and mentally blinded,* and stubbornly REFUSE to acknowledge how morally *wrong* buying from all those awful companies actually is. As trying to convince any of them, is like talking to the wall. Their eyes are starry from _"wow!!!! AUCTION!!!! How _*_generous_*_ all those rich tycoons are to us!!!!"_ and there's simply no opening their eyes and ears to the actual reality of it.
Alice please dont use AI Art. It's really obvious you used it at 5:38.
Why not?
Because AI models were fed individual creators art without their consent and those companies are subsequently making money off of the creation of ai-generated images which use those stolen works as source data.
Ouch. You're correct. AI art literally robs artists
@@MomirsLabTechwhat’s the difference between that and an artist making something that is heavily influenced by another artist’s work?
We should make it so that artists can't look at other artists art. Otherwise they may get ideas and become creative and make art influenced by another artist.
Stupid RUclips. Why didn't RUclips notify me of this video? It's been 5 days. I have notifications on 😡
When Temu first came out, their stupid slogan "shop like a billionaire". It upset me, because, we're like billionaires. We can't shop endlessly with no consequences, that is the problem with Temu, it gives the feeling of consequence-free shopping.
I think that "the capitalist world will eventually dismantle itself" requires some people to be class conscious and activist enough to prop up an alternative when it falls --- or the nation would just retry capitalism.
Thank you so much for not taking the temu sponsorships❤❤❤❤
Usually love your content but feel like this one was kinda rushed and under-researched. Think you could have said more regarding Temu’s documented history of unethical practices and expanded on points you made a little better. Also didn’t care for the A.I. and using Wikipedia as a source but good job with the quick starter analysis!
Ouh yeah the ring ring bell noticing a video of Alice Capelle. Is like a pavlonian stimulus for the postestructural marxism
When I was a kid it was a reoccurring joke how old people are obsessed with tv shops, which was basically nice ladies trying to sell you stuff you don’t need. Now the whole internet is one big teleshop repackaged.
The wait 24hrs technique is really good. Impulse purchases are often the most wasteful I find.
Très informatif. I am usually not an easy target to products that "help" with organization, but I have to ve more careful with anything tech related because I fall for those so easily. I think that's also something to think about, what areas are you more easily influenced on, and what strategies can you implement to filter those impulses?
Not me being influenced to buy clear boxes to put my medicine while watching this :D this feeling is endless even if you are aware of it
Anarcho-socialism with decentralization, Athenian democracy, de-bureaucratization, and small self-sufficient localized community. Im an accelerationist but we should be careful we don't let this whole thing go totalitarian anything centralist is bad we need decentralized governance so essentially small communities with Athenian democracy and anything large scale be reduced, so local small communities have the most power but if We need large community like a whole country should be true the internet is a modern Athenian democracy tool every one has a phone at this day and this is essentially a voting device in my eyes, but for Athenian democracy we need educated people and people who are healed you don't want people making a decision out of trauma that's bad for humanity so healing and education on a wholistic radical responsibility level is required, so this is my idea of practical solar punk reality, nuclear fusion is need it
Marx said one day we dump milk into rivers to increase milk price, "Government cheese" - Ronald Reagan's signing of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981, the cheese stockpile equaled more than 2 lb (1 kg) of cheese for each person living in the United States. EU spent over 37 percent of its budget on agriculture. It is contradictory of capitalism subsidies for not producing milk, butter, cheese or corn to keep prices of this product in market exchange as expensive as possible. It is so stupid I always thought subsidies was to stimulate economy. Same with fast fashion. The British luxury brand Burberry brought in $3.6 billion in revenue last year - and destroyed $36.8 million worth of its own merchandise. Burn clothes that already made but it will disturb market. Acceleration or end of the world will be with whimper rather than bang. Slow burning.
Maybe it is accelerate to consume, I always thought of you invent device lets say heat exchanger that requires two times less metal two times less manufacturing cost and labor and is 30% more efficient it is good because 30% less energy consumption it means less of oil and gas. But, no it opposite steel manufacturers want devices that consumes more metal and more oil and gas wants heat exchangers that consumes more oil and gas.
Same with most of glass packing no reuse it goes to shards and never used again as packing. And glass packing factories always running and everyone have a job. Maybe this total inefficiency of capitalism and is biggest contradiction is to everyone have crapy job making things idly but they all running everyone is busy, who cares that we waste resources idly.
I once considered buying a handpan from Temu because I can't afford a high-quality one, but ultimately decided against it since it wouldn’t fit in my luggage. However, I wonder if the concerns about supply chain issues and exploitation related to Temu are genuinely valid or just media hype, especially with U.S. businesses facing tough competition. Temu has managed to keep its profit margins very low, much like many Android phone manufacturers compared to Apple, which enjoys a nearly 40% profit margin. According to a 2023 report, Temu is operating at a loss as they prioritize market penetration. It seems like they might be using consumers as testers to refine their products over time.
That's why influencers are called influencers. I still find it eerie that they are called like that. It's so dystopian.
Loved the video as always! I loved the thumbnail 😂 I see where people are coming from with the idea that capitalism will destroy its self. Although every single line of ethical line has already seem to be crossed for it. So I feel like it wouldn’t die that easy, as long as people are still getting very rich, the exploitation won’t matter.
lmao got an ad* for amazon on this one