Once You Shop, You Can’t Stop
A Shopkin is a small toy that had put 9-year-old me in a figurative chokehold--I could not refrain from buying a package when my eyes caught a glimpse of the tacky, yet alluring toys section. Buying Shopkins was like a blessing, but I was consumed with greed! I needed those tiny pieces of plastic like a high school student that needed sleep. I couldn't rest until my Rainbow Kate was standing on my nightstand, next to me, atop her plastic stand--watching me, as I slowly lost consciousness. Those seemingly harmless faces carried a dark secret: Shopkins were nothing but a corporate scam!
The steps to buying a Shopkin consists of: 1. going to a store (preferably Target). 2. directing yourself to the toy isle. 3. finding the Shopkins section. 4. picking up a package of Shopkins. 5. buying the Shopkin at the check-out. 6. enjoy!
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| YouTuber supporting overconsumption |
Shopkins are presented in 18 different seasons, which really means that it's a new array of characters every so often. This array is not a small list either, with about 60 different Shopkins to offer each season. To combine each Shopkin from each season, there would be about 1080 Shopkins! That's a lot, especially when you consider that Shopkins' slogan is "once you shop, you can't stop." This rhyme allows the idea that a consumer has to buy all of the available Shopkins, but in the end, all that a child gets is the limited happiness of unboxing, and then the mind-controlling greed that follows--the one who reaps the benefits is the manufacturer, Moose Toys.
Really, is it worth it? Is the college tuition worth sacrificing for a mere set of toys that serves no purpose other than being a collector's item? In my opinion, no, but overconsumption runs this world, and what we can do, as consumers, is limit what we buy, even if it's a tiny toy made of plastic.
Your metaphors were so funny, and your voice came out so much in this piece, I really liked it. Ending with a call-to-action was also a good choice to bring your topic back to being serious about overconsumption after all the Shopkins stories. Maybe go over why you liked them so much, like personal happy stories, to show why it was so alluring for children. Your sleep story showed how it might be bad, even borderline creepy, but why would children love them in the first place? Maybe the game of it, fitting in, trading with other kids, if it was comforting? Just some ideas, I’ve never had them myself. Again overall great job!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how you made Shopkins relate to the issue of overconsumption. I always liked how you connected the Shopkin slogan to prove your point. The personal anecdote at the beginning was a nice way to start the blog off too.
ReplyDeleteI used to love shopkins, so this was very eye-opening. I like how you mentioned the slogan, "once you shop, you can't stop." It's really ironic, all things considered. I also love your writing style, it's very humorous! I really enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDelete"Figurative chokehold" Bahahahaha
ReplyDeleteI liked how you made the slogan the title of the blog because, by the end, it held a different meaning in my head. I also liked how you provided a solution/call-to-action at the end.
ReplyDeleteOmg reading this gave me so much nostalgia because I also loved shopkins as a child😭 it was really cool to see how you incorporated a childhood toy and talked about a larger issue in the world! Good job with your language, irony, and anecdotes!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the title the flashbacks that I got was astounding. I really liked how you talked about how children were a cash grab for them because of overconsumption.
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