On April 29th, Patagonia released its latest film, a “humorous, thought-provoking anthropological exploration of humanity’s consumption habits” dubbed “The Shitthropocene”.
From the creators:
“The Shitthropocene is a journey from the cellular-level origins of our lack of impulse control to the ways our central nervous systems have been hacked in the name of capitalism. It’s also about how we might begin to save ourselves from ourselves. Plus, there are dancing cave people.”The counter-intuitiveness of the film isn’t lost on Patagonia. Why would a company who makes money by selling goods tell consumers not to consume? Watch the film and you’ll realize it’s fairly cut-and-dry: more stuff isn’t more better.
In fact, this film – and Patagonia’s message – speaks volumes to the brand’s social and environmental stewardship as well as their commitment to using business as a tool for good (making money while operating responsibly). We all know Patagonia’s quality. They make functional, long-lasting goods – that are repairable and made with the lowest environmental impact and done by people being treated and paid fairly. Producing a film that brings awareness of how more stuff isn’t necessarily the answer is a no-brainer.
While you will likely find yourself chuckling at the satirical nature of this 45-minute film, the hard truth is quite obvious: buying more crap might destroy us all – but there’s hope.
Watch the film today.
