Yesterday, arriving home from Little Fearse’s swimming lesson, as I struggled with baby / nappy bag / wet bathers / unlocking the front door I had time to muse over our “Do Not Knock” sticker, firmly planted next to our absent doorbell. It really irks me that I have to have a big ugly sticker on my front door. It irks me equally to have a big ugly ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker on our letterbox. It irks me that I have to opt out of Yellow Pages periodically and recommit our phone numbers to the Do Not Call register every couple of years.
I’m irked by advertising – especially when it leaps, uninvited, into our homes. When I started maternity leave I was, obviously, home from work during the day a lot more. At least three times a week I would have a knock at the door from a salesperson, usually trying to sell me a different electricity or internet deal. I’m not great at getting rid of sales people. It’s just not my strength. I’d often hear out their entire spiel and then lie about a) not living here b) needing my husband there to make a decision (HAHAHAHAHA) or c) not speaking English. Usually not C, too much commitment required. I lack the ability to say “I am not interested. Please go away”.
After Little Fearse was born the door knocking continued. Often I was breast feeding and didn’t want to answer the door – but what if it was a visitor coming to meet our new baby? What if it was my Mum dropping in a meal? So I’d unlatch, make myself presentable, open the door and BAM. Verbal sales assault.
Visiting a friend one day I noticed a ‘Do Not Knock‘ sticker. I enquired about where it came from, ordered one and that was that. Now I just notice a dark shadow at the door, an arm reaching forward to knock and then a hesitation. The dark shadow recedes. Honestly, it’s almost as disconcerting as when they used to knock.
Why is it considered okay, in a day when media placed advertising can reach pretty much 100% of people, for strangers to knock on your door, sometimes in the early hours of the evening, and try to sell you something you don’t need?
The best thing about Buy Nothing New is that you have pretty much no reason at all for paying any attention to advertising of stuff. I no longer watch TV (with iView I don’t need to) and I listen to Community Radio. I don’t buy magazines or newspapers and I’ve unsubscribed from email advertsing. It still gets me, but the impact is lessened and my mind feels a little freer to muse about more interesting things. Or just write about advertising….
By the way, for three small payments of just $3.99 I will email you…
Oh. Nevermind. Mama xo
The Fearse Family 