Watching a recent episode of the Housewives of Atlanta I was shocked when one of the main characters, Kim confided in her hairstylist that she wears a new wig every day!
Now these aren’t just any off the rack wigs. No these wigs, according to Kim, cost about $400 a piece. A quick calculation reveals this woman spends nearly $12,000 a month on wigs!
I shouldn’t have been surprised with a show that consistently flaunts images of designer fashion, million dollar mansions, exclusive gatherings, and expensive cars week after week.
But this recent episode really got me thinking.
What every happened to good television? You know the kind that flaunted family values over fashion, relationships over riches, humility over hype.
Y’ all know what I’m talking about. Where are the modern day Good Times, What’s Happening, Facts of Life, Different Strokes, Brady Bunch, and Family Matters?
Instead of glamorizing high fashion and wealth, these shows highlighted the strength of family and friends.
No matter what trouble, hi-jinks, or far-out situation the characters got themselves into, you always knew that family and friends had their backs. Dwayne and Raj would be there to bail out Re-Run – and, as much as they fussed, Thelma and Michael always had JJ’s back.
The lyrics to the theme songs alluded to the fact that family bonds trumped financial circumstances. You know what I’m talking about (You know you want to sing along):
Any time you meet a payment. – Good Times.
Any time you need a friend. – Good Times.
Any time you’re out from under.
Not getting hassled, not getting hustled.
Keepin’ your head above water,
Making a wave when you can.
Temporary lay offs. – Good Times.
Easy credit rip offs. – Good Times.
Scratchin’ and surviving. – Good Times.
Hangin in a chow line – Good Times.
Ain’t we lucky we got ‘em – Good Times.
Just lookin’ out of the window.
Watchin’ the asphalt grow.
Thinkin’ how it all looks hand-me-down.
Good Times, yeah, yeah Good Times
Keepin’ your head above water
Makin’ a wave when you can
Temporary lay offs. – Good Times.
Easy credit rip offs. – Good Times.
Ain’t we lucky we got ‘em – Good Times.
Easy credit rip-offs, temporary lay offs, scratchin’ and surviving – didn’t matter, as long as you had family and friends it was good times.
Even Different Strokes, the show with wealthy businessman Mr. Drummond, chose to tackle tough issues including racism, drug abuse, child molestation, and bulimia rather than emphasize wealth.
……. Fast forward to 2009 and it seems we’ve become inundated with shows obsessed with displays of conspicuous consumption. The Housewives of Orange County, New York, New Jersey, and Atlanta hit us smack upside the head with it.
MTV’s Sweet 16 features pampered brats as they become stars of their own extravagent birthday parties that cost more than most weddings and look more like rap concerts than birthday parties.
Of course at the end of each party the spoiled rich kid receives the prerequisite Range Rover, BMW, or Mercedes birthday gift.
Shows like Gossip Girls, NYC Prep, and the Hills glamorize teenagers who bask in wealth but have done very little to merit their financial riches except be born into the right family.
With the average American watching nearly three hours of television a day, you have to wonder – are the constant images of excessive wealth and status that inundate us night after night a reason so many Americans are financially over-extended?
Are we reaching for the type of lifestyle that television portrays as the gold standard?
Are we maxing out our credit cards and putting our retirements at risk chasing a fantasy life portrayed and glorified on the boob tube? A figment of a television producer’s imagination.
With the average American household holding over $8,000 in credit card debt, it makes you think.
Perhaps a few more shows dealing with real issues and promoting families and a few less shows glamorizing wealth and materialism would do our souls as well as our wallets a little good.
In the words of JJ Evans, that might just be “Dyno-MITE!”
So what do you think? Are we awash in hyper-materialist television? Perhaps we were just as materialistic back in the day and my nostalgia is just blinding me to this fact. I’d like to hear from you. Leave a comment below.
Photo:”Sugar Shack” painted by Ernie Barnes – portrayed on tv show Good Times as work of J.J. Evans – http://www.erniebarnes.com/
Once we understand the true nature of wealth we can start making our money work for us instead of against us.
Personal finance is about more than math. It's about behavior. Change your behavior and you change your financial situation.
When we spend money we're really exchanging time spent on the job (our life energy) for a product. Understanding this leads to better buying decisions.
Put your finances back on track with Michelle Singletary's twenty-one-day financial fast.
