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Betsey
Natalie
I think this problem isn't just limited to the extremely wealthy. I know of a lot of people who make an average or below average income who are constantly buying things they don't need or use. I think that sort of spending just doesn't rub us the wrong way because it's on a much smaller scale. They're buying knick-knacks and gadgets off the TV instead of multi-million dollar homes, cars, and other amenities. In our minds, someone with all the money in the world shouldn't need to buy useless items to be happy, while the spending habits of someone working 9-5 with little vacation time can be easilly forgiven as retail therapy. I also think we all imagine that if we were millionaires, we would handle our money differently, but I think it's hard to tell what we would really do in that situation. I think a lot of it depends on how you come about your wealth and what type of celebrity image you are expected to maintain. Grace Groner wasn't a national celebrity attending red carpet events or being constently watched by the media, so I doubt she felt any pressure to conform into the celebrity culture that promotes excessive spending like that.
I'm not trying to defend these spending habits, and if everyone who was wealthy only bought just enough and gave the rest away, we could probably solve a lot of global issues with that money. But I also feel the same frustration about this kind of spending when I see statistics about things like the number of dollars Americans spend on sun glasses or potato chips every year. It's hard to tell anyone how they should or shouldn't spend their money without opening up a can of worms and questioning the seemingly harmless purchases us regular working stiffs make.
Chloe
I agree that it's more worthwhile to use money to help others than waste it excessively on materialistic things you won't even use. But maybe they would rather spend it on materialistic things than on charity, because they are greedy for the concept of having money. What I mean is, if you spend the money on charity, that money is gone, right? But because many people can't bear to see their money go, they try to keep the money to themselves, often in the form of luxury goods. They might not use what they buy, but just the fact that they have those expensive things in their possession gives them a sense of security that they still have their money. So, those objects just end up being a symbol of their wealth. This is a rather depressing speculation, but I've been thinking about how people seem so obsessed with having "more" than others.
Betsey
The world record holder of most plastic surgeries in the world (who calls herself the Human Barbie) has been injecting her 16 year-old daughter with botox since she was 15. Who needs to get rid of wrinkles when they are 16 years old? Who even has wrinkles when they are 16? It is absolutely ridiculous. There are other ways to bond with your daughter other than over poison.
Chloe
I know that plastic surgery is a huge thing in Korea. I have even heard people say that everyone pretty much gets a double eye-lid surgery when they graduate high school...which has some basis of reality in it because I can literally count the people who have had surgery when I go on the Korean subway. (The eye lids tend to have a noticeable line when they are closed, or the eyes just don't look natural). Young women also photoshop the pictures that they put on their resumes, because looking pretty gives you more advantage in getting the job. I can't stop people from being dissatisfied their appearance, but what makes me sad is that getting plastic surgery to make yourself fit the beauty standard of society has become so common, and accepted as a normal thing to do. I really think that people need to accept that we all look different, and that we all grow old. If everyone accepted that, there wouldn' be this tragic problem with looks in the first place.
Rae
Well said. It's definitely a double edged sword when it comes to including career advancement in the cosmetic surgery debate. The facts and statistics don't lie. "Prettier and younger" people are more favored when it comes to job selection. In business, I often tell myself that I just have to bite the bullet and "play the game" if I want to move ahead. But sometimes, you have to draw the line. Bo-tax? Wow... think of how much money that would generate! I live in CA so I'm guesstimating it would make a substantial difference in health care funding. Too bad it got cut out...
Rae
I really do believe that education is the key to solving our world's problems. Something that really sticks out when you look at these extremist groups is that they target the uneducated and fill them with an extreme interpretation of religion. Because these people can not read nor do they have access to alternative means of "education" they follow their religious leaders blindly.
I've often thought with cynicism that there is no such thing as world peace. But deep down you always hope that it's possible. I think providing for and fighting for education is a huge part of the solution.
Chloe
I totally agree with what you are saying. When we do charity, we can try to initiate a cause that might change the underdeveloped nation instead of trying to make some immediate effects like alleviating hunger. (Although that's important too) Sometimes, tackling the cause is more effective than trying to soften the negative effects. People would probably have more power, or at least the will to change their nation if they are educated.
Oh, and kudos to the brave girl :)
Mr86b
I'm so glad spring is just around the corner. I can't wait to try your new recipes on a beautiful southern California day.
Annie Leonard was on The Colbert Report last night. She made the Internet phenomenon video The Story of Stuff and has just released a book on the same subject. She basically discusses the same idea of overconsumption and buying stuff we don't need. The interview and video are both worth watching.