Have you watched Severance? We watched the first two seasons, and then the twins came home from college and they’d both watched only the first season, so we’re re-watching the second season now with them. I’m finding it riveting and distracting: lots to think about when not watching it.
Oh! And I just finished a book and I wonder if you might like it. It’s The Wedding People, by Alison Espach (Amazon link, Target link). I would say it was fun without being lightweight.
(image from Target.com)
I built the links/image the way I usually do, but this is the first time I’ve done that since finding out various bad things about Target: first, that they absolutely tripped over their own feet rushing to pre-comply with the new U.S. president’s executive suggestion about eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion; second, that they donated a million dollars to that same president’s “inauguration fund,” and that it was the first time they’d made that sort of donation.
This leaves me in a bit of a pickle, as Target is where I do a LOT of my shopping—and I USED to feel good about shopping there instead of at Walmart or on Amazon. Now I am not sure what to do. I am reevaluating my other shopping options. For example, our grocery store sells toilet paper and shampoo and toothpaste, so I can get those there, and I am willing to pay a little more (and have a more limited selection) to feel on firmer ethical ground. And I look for used books on eBay; sometimes the sale even claims to benefit a charity.
But there are some things that are MUCH more expensive to buy at places that are not Amazon/Target/Walmart, without the place itself seeming like an obviously better choice, and I don’t know what to do about those. I can pay $11 instead of $6 at a chain drugstore; is that an ethical improvement? One of the kids got a little lofty about it, saying “we” “had to” be willing to pay “a little more,” and I was like, child, there is only so much money to work with here, and only a limited selection of sellers. We can fuss at each other about Ethical Stands, and hurt our own budgets over Possibly Slightly More Ethical Shopping Choices, without a single CEO feeling a single mild scolding, let alone a significant economic impact.
But that doesn’t change the fact that shopping at Target makes me feel bad now, so I’m continuing to explore.
THIS! There are certain products – non-grocery but things you use up – that I’m struggling with where to buy. The grocery store seems excessively priced, and you can’t always get what you want. I have been trying to order directly from companies online, but that isn’t always an option. So, where does one buy all the odds and ends we need without going to a big box store?
I also feel icky about Target, but more icky about Walmart and Amazon. I am buying what I can from Costco which not only has been great for the last several months but I also
Just feel very positively about in general (both costumer service and how they treat their employees). Then I buy from Target (which I still think is leaps and bounds better than amazon or Walmart), then amazon or Walmart but only if I no other options. It seems like most retailers out there have their own set of issues….Costco is the only one in my area I haven’t found out anything disconcerting about (lets hope it stays that way!!)
Do you have a local refillery? I have found most of what I need there, or at the dollar store (ethical? not) and at Costco.
I’m putting the energy i could be spending on deciding where to buy stuff into figuring out how to buy as little as possible. I am going to give some evil corporation money for sunscreen, but they won’t get any money for non-consumables. It’s going to be a thrift store Christmas this year.
Target also reached out to Al Sharpton to try and do a fast image fix instead of actually admitting they’d massively screwed up or correcting their bad business decisions. Their comments on TikTok and other social media are locked since no matter what they posted about they got dragged. Before the comment sections were locked, I was sad but not surprised that there were some people who supported the ending of diversity programs.
Everything feels like it’s just bad everywhere. My therapist has advised to decrease my news intake or avoid it if necessary, but I don’t know how to walk the line of being informed but not being depressed and exhausted.
I LOVED The Wedding People, Swistle! I love it when our reading overlaps. I thought it was such a great book. FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!
Re: shopping. It’s difficult. It’s a privilege to be able to choose where to shop, yes, because some people have to buy the lowest-cost things, but also…I don’t know. I think this is exactly the problem: “We can fuss at each other about Ethical Stands, and hurt our own budgets over Possibly Slightly More Ethical Shopping Choices, without a single CEO feeling a single mild scolding, let alone a significant economic impact.” In some ways it makes me feel like making these choices is ultimately worse for people, in terms of impacting us financially without any of the billionaires actually being impacted. At the same time, I do want to make ethical choices, and I am in a position where an extra few dollars isn’t going to kill me, but still. I guess what I’m saying is I don’t judge anyone for shopping wherever they do because I don’t know their situation. I don’t know, it’s so complicated.
I watched Severance and also found it riveting and interesting to think about and discuss but unfortunately my husband who watched it with me doesn’t really enjoy that sort of discussion, and I don’t know anyone else who watched it.
I hear you but I guess it feels like there is a hierarchy of badness in retail and so I’m trying to chose – less bad? I’ve been boycotting Amazon for 10+ years, because I lived in Seattle and could see from the ground up how terrible they were to workers/environment with the barest minimum of community investment – and I have never lined the Waltons pockets. Target always felt safer – and obviously their latest moves SUCK – but out of those three it’s the least worst to me?
And I do try to get most of my stuff from the refill place and local grocery store but there are just certain target things you know!
Least Worst. What a choice!