In my Christian tradition, we lived in constant fear of the Apocalypse. The Bible foretells the signs: the end of the world is near when all nations join together under a “one-world government” ruled by an evil leader known as the anti-Christ.
In reality, we may never have a one-world government or even a shared language.
Our planet is already united by a worldwide religion. It’s not Jainism or Confuscianism — it’s Consumerism.
Good news: While Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism attract only segments of the world’s population, consumerism is for everyone!
First-world consumers go through products like water, each shopping trip fueling our passion for more. In 2017, the average American spent 45 minutes per day shopping. Unfortunately, those in the developing world long for the day when they can do the same.
The problem is so big that it’s hard to even know where to start.
One guy in NYC is trying to make a difference. Enter: Billy Talen, age 67, an actor and founder of a movement called the Church of Stop Shopping. The movement was born when Talen, looking out the window from his Hell’s Kitchen apartment, was sickened by the constant thrum of crowds headed toward The Disney Store and Starbucks. People entered the shops empty-handed and exited with their hands full of cheap, disposable crap.
“Disney was the devil,” Talen explained. “Mickey Mouse was the anti-Christ. The sin was Disney’s sweatshop labor.”
20 years ago, Talen decided to use his acting training to make a difference, creating a televangelist-inspired character named “Reverend Billy.”
To put on his act, Talen started dressing up in a clerical collar and white suit and traveling around the country to “preach” in malls, public squares, and churches. His style mimics southern televangelism with a Gospel twist — complete with shouting, exaggerated hand gestures, fits of being “slain in the spirit,” and claims of receiving messages from God.
As of this writing in 2018, Reverend Billy is still going strong.
Reverend Billy’s “sermons” are complemented by 90 New York City Gospel singers known collectively as the Stop Shopping Choir. The choir opens his act with cautionary skits and humorous anti-consumer Gospel hymns such as “Monsanto Is the Devil” and “Climate Change Blues.” The act often tours during the holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas and performs around New York City (recently at Joe’s Pub).
His show frequently takes an uncomfortable turn. Even more uncomfortable than his on-stage shaking fits… In retail hubs like the Mall of America, consumers gather around to hear the Choir, mistaking them for a Christmas-caroling group (which they sort of are). Slowly the expressions on shoppers’ faces change as they process the dire anti-shopping, sweatshop-condemning lyrics. Clutching their bags defensively, shoppers trickle away. The act continues until Mall Security inevitably escorts the Reverend and his group of holy miscreants off the premises. 😇
Talen has been banned from Starbucks (where he got up on the counter to preach while chugging their flavored syrups). He was banned from Disney World, where he walked through the park lamenting the fact that consumption of cheap goods has replaced beautiful downtown spaces in the United States with Disney’s Main Street USA.
He’s even been arrested. His first arrest was outside The Disney Store as he stood next to a Mickey Mouse doll and preached, issuing dire warnings of the consequences of our shopping on the planet. He warns of the “Shop-ocalypse,” John-the-Baptist style.
One of Bill’s funniest antics is the so-called “credit card exorcism” he performs in churches. While members of the congregation hold their cards in the air, he rebukes the demons of consumerism and forgives the congregation members’ spending sins.
At other times, he has set up a so-called “confession booth” on the street for people to confess their shopping sins. He acts as the priest, of course.
I sometimes wonder if Talen’s approach could be co-opted toward other good causes. Consumerism aside, the environmental / global warming cause could greatly benefit from a little less climate activist guilting and a little more humor — maybe even an act as silly as Reverend Billy. A couple funny songs, dad-jokes, and some exorcisms of neighborhood trash cans could go a long way.
Every American has something to learn from Talen. Although his sacrilegious approach is offensive to some, his message gets our attention and gives us some great laughs. We laugh and cringe at him. We find ourselves laughing and cringing at our own selfish spending.
As a deeply divided nation, it’s time to stop triggering our opponents’ knee-jerk reactions and start tickling their funny bones. It’s time to stop infuriating each other and instead to get each other thinking. We need to get each other singing a catchy Gospel tune as we to dance through the process of putting away our credit cards.
I own about 8 movies total. Ironically, one of them is Morgan Spurlock’s 2007 documentary What Would Jesus Buy, which follows Talen and the choir through their 2006 Christmas season tour. I bought it when it came out and loved it. I have since watched it at least five times and hope to host a watching party this fall.
While I don’t advise buying it new (for obvious reasons…), I definitely recommend shelling out a few bucks to stream the 2002 Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping or What Would Jesus Buy documentary.
As we approach the 2018 holiday season, I’d love to see people hosting potlucks to share the Gospel of Stop Shopping with as many friends as possible. So many great discussions could be sparked. And Reverend Billy is as funny as he is poignant.
It’s time to reclaim our lives and our money from this consumer mess we’ve found ourselves in. It’s time to leave this corrupt church — stop attending the religious services of the Shop-shop-shop denomination. Stop listening to our CEO Pastors’ ideas of what we “need,” their sermons preached via mesmerizing ads every single day.
What would a world look like with less debt and waste and more human connection?
More About Reverend Billy:
The Guardian:
The Church of Stop Shopping Doesn’t Pull Punches On Its Return to New York
Business Insider:
The craziest thing about this legendary singing, anti-corporate preacher is that he isn’t real
Listen to the Stop Shopping Choir here.