Buy Nothing Day

Conceived of by Canadian artist Ted Dave, Buy Nothing Day has become a worldwide day of protest against rampant consumerism and mindless materialism. Typically observed the Friday after Thanksgiving, [Page 286]one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States, participants of Buy Nothing Day pledge to buy absolutely nothing for 24 hours. The Buy Nothing Day movement has evolved into an expansive day of action, with major celebrations happening in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Australia. Though the particular actions differ from community to community, the same concerns about the political, psychological, ecological, and physical consequences of consumer culture are expressed.

The protest also purports to send a signal to corporations, to let them know that citizens do have economic power. While participants are not necessarily anti-corporate activists, many use Buy Nothing Day to raise awareness about Do-it-yourself culture and the unhealthy propaganda that corporations feed to consumers. Buy Nothing Day activists claim that citizens used to buy just what they needed, but now citizens just buy. Many argue that corporations and their intimate relationship with government have eroded a sense of democracy and citizenship and replaced active citizens with passive consumers.

The political magazine Adbusters and its founder, Kalle Lasn, are largely responsible for bringing Buy Nothing Day to its current international success. For more than a decade, Adbusters magazine and its website have provided free downloads of T-shirt designs, stickers, flyers, pamphlets, and more. Community-specific organizing takes place not only on the Adbusters website but also on other websites, such as International Buy Nothing Day. Particular actions are shared in Adbusters magazine and on the website as well.

Every year, Lasn makes an attempt to air an “uncommerical,” advertising Buy Nothing Day. For years, Lasn was rejected by broadcast television networks and radio stations and told that they were not legally bound to broadcast anything that they didn't want to broadcast. Finally, Cable News Network agreed to show the spot on Headline News, but only after being publicly challenged to articulate a reason to reject the television spot.