wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

listening to your interview with the reverend Billy, you said your credit card gives you one percent towards your childs college fund. my question is, how can i find out about these credit cards that help you contribute to your childrens' college fund?

Completely agree with AB above. You get the feeling that the Rev. takes himself a bit too seriously.

Try taking the "Buy Handmade" pledge this year - www.buyhandmade.org.

Currently, over 7500 people have pledged to make and request handmade gifts this holiday season. There are so any resources out there - you don't need to be an artist to create beautiful things!

Glancing at the comments here, it seems Brian's introducing the Reverend to a whole new audience yay :)

and who came up with "pompadoured preacher"...? LOL

In reponse to Brian, Janet and others regarding the loss of jobs to third world countries and even jobs in the shopping sector here in the US (i.e. Theater Talk CUNY TV):
Companies that refuse to pay people a living wage in the interest of their bottom line and the low price of their merchandise are cheating us all.
Wallmart has created jobs, yes, but they have also destroyed jobs. The loss of manufacturing in the country is well documented. I would be happy to pay a higher price for less but better products in the interest of raising the quality of life over the entire planet instead of just my own.
Shouldn't the children who work in sweatshops be in school? Why are the parents unable to support a family so that their children do not have to work with them 7 days a week? When people have nothing they will accept anything. Does that mean we are doing them a FAVOR?
This is the tip of the iceberg.

During the RNC, Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir gave a riveting performance at the St. Mark's Church.
Certainly, I am a sinner, I have had bags of unopened purchases sit around my apartment for months and still I ran out and shopped for more. These days, I'm not so free and easy with the debit card and cash and therefore I can finally get my clutter and bank account under control. I still need to work on buying American made products rather than buying things possibly made in sweat shops. Changalulah, It's good to stop my shopping.

Thank you for hosting Reverend Billy ... I am excited for a new post - consumerist movement and really enjoy listening to him speak. It is is refreashing to hink about the holidays with real generosity... the generosity of giving of one's time, and real presence with one another.

Our family had the horrible habit of getting ourselves all in hock and misery because we thought that was how you let people you know you love them. We stopped about 15 years ago. As direct result of winding down the addictive persual of things we didn't really want or need, there is a lot more actual love and affection expressed as a result. I think that is the message of Christmas, Jesus and Reverend Billy. And for all you that think this is a 'liberal' message... a word... Jesus went to the temple and raged at the money changers...Today he would do the same thing at VISA, Mastercard and American Express...

For the skeptical - go see the film - It's a lot of fun. And have a meaningful loving holiday season.

I just listened to Rev Billy and Savitri, and I have to say, his message is on track. I think, if you try hard enough, you can find something to complain about, but the bottom line is that he is preaching a message of love and compassion---love your neighbor, be compassionate about those working in third world countries who are dying, suffering, and toiling for hours and hours every day so that you can buy a cheap shirt at Wal-Mart. We need to have a paradigm shift in this country. We need to put people before profits. We need to take back our community from the shopping malls and restore its personality. Like Billy has said at sermons, we've got hundreds of original stories in us, let's use them. Let's take back our communities from the corporations who are trying to make us look not like America, but Generica. I don't want to live in Generica, do you? Peace!

Rev. Billy is terrific. I'm a photojournalist and humorist and I made some images of him back in 2004 and just posted them to the Flickr page.

I've got many more but the four I uploaded just now pertain to his exorcising the cash till at Starbucks in Times Square and his subsequent arrest.

He's refreshing and brave, bless him.

I am absolutely not religious by the way.

Paul Treacy
http://www.photohumorist.com

damn hippies!

I think his viewpoint is a bit too simplistic, plus he just lost me when he said it isn't parody...come on now...

Isn't Reverend Billy afraid of becoming a target of the current administration.... He seems to be espousing very unpatriotic activities!

Thank goodness someone is pointing out how ridiculous we are as a consumer nation. It was so crazy after 9/11 we were told to shop to support our country. As I watched Kevin Burns WWII documentary, the contrast between our current society's "involvement" and America in the 1940's involvement became a joke.

How would Reverend Billy respond to critics who interpret his position as economically isolationist and anti-globalist?

wow, what a deep thinker this guy is - what is his solution to bringing up the living standards of hundreds of millions of people in the developing world who have come up through textile production? I guess the reverend forgot to take an intro econ class

Over years, I've learned that it really IS the thought that counts when it comes to giving gifts, not how much it costs. I try to make some of my gifts, because I'm really giving of myself when I do that.

It's supposed to be satire, I guess, but this isn't too different from Jesus' message.

Oh well, just placed my annual book order with Amazon!

Our household first law of less-but-smarter shopping: MUTE ALL COMMERCIALS.

I became a believer New Year's Eve at the turn of the millenium at the Collective Unconscious Theater when Reverend Billy crucified Mickey Mouse. How many "true" believers (the religious right) have joined forces with Reverend Billy?

Meh...yeah i also prefer the old Times Square...can't stand the Disneyfied version of today

My comments are in my song, "Everybody's Shopping". I e-mailed you folks an MP3 of the song earlier this morning. Perhaps you could use some of it (all of it).

SPEND YOUR MONEY, SPEND IT FAST
NO SENSE TRYING TO MAKE IT LAST
PUT YOUR DOLLARS IN THE PAST, 'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S SHOPPING.

PARKING LOT'S SO FULL OF CARS
NO ONE'S GETTING VERY FAR
IT'S EASIER TO GET TO MARS WHEN EVERYBODY'S SHOPPING

GOTTA HAVE AN SUV, SATELLITE DISH, BIG-SCREEN TV
I-PHONE, I-POD, I-TV
AYE YAY YAY - OH MERCY ME

NOW THE SHOPPING CHANNEL'S REALLY FINE.
MAYBE I'LL JUST GO ON LINE.
A DIAMOND WATCH, I'LL MAKE IT MINE.
OH MAN DO I LOVE SHOPPING.

copyright 2007 Richard Benetar

Verse 1 above

Linda,

We all have to spend money. It's WHAT you do with it that matters. If you knew that the sneakers you are wearing right now were made by a child in a sweatshop, would you have bought them? Simple question, maybe not so simple answer. What Rev. Billy is doing is getting people to THINK about where the product comes from, and what we are sacrificing by continuing to purchase products that are made by people who endure beatings, or get paid slave labor wages, or who become sick on the job and don't have any healthcare. I think that even if someone has the tiniest bit of compassion in them, they will think twice about buying a product made in a sweatshop.

Funny, I bet Rev. Billy had to spend money to purchase the gel to keep that poof up, as well as for the cheesy white suit.

The true faith of Americans is consumerism. It's time we drop the pretext, that Chri$tma$ has a any great meaning beyond the gift exchange (rooted in pagan tradition)
We don't need any saviors. We don't even need a savings account. A mall is our temple. Greed is our creed.

Keep borrowing. Keep spending. We're number one forever!!

Although I'm usually skeptical of evangelists, Rev Billy's no-economy Christmas is a refreshing idea.