#ethical purchase

[unironicallycringe]

cannot believe I didn't share the Saga of Square Floppa here

the saga is literally just "I got the weirdest ad and immediately had to purchase the product"

so Square Floppa lives on my Gamer™️ shelf (there's additional environmental storytelling here but don't worry about the lore for now) where he stares into eternity

#shea muses aloud #square floppa #'what is tha-' bison jaw #it is ethically salvaged and purchased from Paxton Gate for art purposes #'is that a small stack of-' n64 games yes some of my favorites #the other stuff is bait for theory crafting on Shea Lore

[aiqingdemeimiao]

good boy's director, producers, and marion bailey did an interview on the life in film podcast, talking about the film, casting, funding, etc. it's about an hour long, so i just transcribed the ben bits (but the whole thing was quite interesting)

you can (legally!) watch good boy here (use a uk vpn if you're outside the uk)

HOST: How did you guys connect? And how did you guys all come together to make this?

TOM: Ummm well, what, oh I can't remember, did we have Ben when we started working together, Elettra?

ELETTRA: Yeah, we just about…

TOM: Yeah, so I knew Ben a long time ago, Ben Whishaw, who's umm the lead in it opposite Marion, and um we sort of left drama school at around the same time. We knew each other a long time, but we hadn't seen each other for a while, so after one of the lockdowns um we went for a big long walk on, um, on the Thames and um on the southbank. And, um, I was telling him about my writing stuff and, um, my mum had just died and so I was telling him about that. And, um, and then out of the blue he just, sort of, just was like "I think you should direct something". And he sort of gave voice to, um, and he was like "I think you'd be really good at it". And he sort of gave voice to something that I'd been feeling but hadn't acknowledged out loud to anyone before that. I'd really been wanting to direct for a while, I think. And, um, it was the kick I needed to go home and write the script and, um. So then I went home and wrote it and then a few months later sent it to him. And he loved it, and said he wanted to do it, which was, you know, gob-smacking and exciting.

TOM: And then so, obviously, I needed a producer, ummm, and then, like Elettra explained, a few mutual friends were introduced and that's how it all began really. And then, um, Elettra built the production team, herself, and then got Max and Kay onboard. And meanwhile Ben and I were talking. We both came up with lists of, ummm, the best person to play his mum in it, who would be, and the top of both of our lists was Marion Bailey. And so I couldn't believe it when, uhhh, the, her agent came back to say that, uh, the day after I sent it, to say that she wanted to be involved. And Ben and me were so thrilled. Ummm yeah, so yeah, that was it.

~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~

(re: the acting)

TOM: I think that they, uh, neither Ben nor, Ben isn't playing me and Marion isn't playing my mum. There's, they, our DNA is definitely in there but, uhhh, the characters are very different and their circumstances are very different to, um…

HOST: I hope so! Hahahaha

TOM: But what, um, what they both did was sort of hon-honour, I dunno, somehow honour the, umm, the energy of us and the DNA of our, of our relationship is definitely in there, um, which was, yeah. So I, yeah, I couldn't ask for a better on-screen version of me - oh my god - than Ben Whishaw, that's ridiculous. And equally, to have, my mum would be thrilled, Marion. Hahaha

HOST: The performances are just. I mean, sometimes you can't, I don't, maybe this is just me, but sometimes when I watch short films I don't expect to have this level of performance. Sometimes you're like, I was like, you know the scene with Ben when he loses it in the front seat of the van? And, ummm, you're watching that, you're just thinking "wow!" Like, I don't know. Like, in my mind, I'm like, "he could just phone this in". And he wouldn't, cuz he's Ben Whishaw, but you're watching and you're like "this is a BAFTA-level performance right there. And, um, is it mad? Is it, when you're there and you're directing this, and you're looking through the monitor like "yes! Yes, this is it!"

TOM: Well actually I was lying down on the… Um, yeah, it was, um, an enormous privilege to watch these two work, Marion and Ben, particularly how they worked together. And, um, no spoilers, we won't say what happens, but there is an emotional peak in the story, umm, or an emotional break through and it happens, um, a lot of it happens in, whilst driving around in a camper van. And for a lot of the shoot, I was lying down behind the, um, behind the front seats with this tiny little monitor whilst, um, it played out in the front seats in front of me. Um, and when it got to this emotional peak moment, which actually happened before I was expecting it to because Ben and Marion did a beautiful thing where they ran into the next scene but before I was expecting it and so it really hit me emotionally. And I, the, ummm, the synergy between the two of them and the, ummm, the emotional honesty coming from those front seats was, was, ummm, extraordinary and so raw and so real. And I, you know I've been around, you know like I said, I've been an actor for twenty years on stage and screen, and I've been around some amazing acting. I've seen some incredible acting up close, but it's really rare when… for the acting to be that good, you know. I've never been that close to such extraordinary acting. Sometimes actors, umm, like, change the molecular structure of a room when they open their mouth and a bit of magic sort of pours out. And that happened in this, umm, film with both Ben and Marion. Particularly in that scene. Um, so yeah, I was watching it going, uhh, I wasn't watching it from the outside, going "awww yeah, this gonna make the film!". I was just very moved and I was very in it with them, and all the.. the very… sharing and the emotional honesty of it, if that makes sense.

ELETTRA: I think after the first… before the first take of that scene, the crew was quite bubbly and, you know, we having a really good energy on set. And then Marion and Ben delivered that scene. They called cut, and there was absolute silence. Absolute silence. And we were all just… (whispering) "are we allowed to talk?", you know. It was, it was really, it's never happened to me before. It was really surreal, the first time that the entire crew just felt so drawn in to, you know…

TOM: Something happened. There was some magic. But what was so shocking to me was that then Ben and Marion were able to repeat it again and again and again. And they weren't doing it technically, they were doing it for real. And I was watching them and, yeah, that ability to just reset and go again, is just, mind-blowing to me. It's way beyond my, um, expertise as an actor, haha.

MARION: It was wonderful to work with Ben, a real joy. And um, it's lovely to see you say those things because that's always what you're hoping will happen. But yes, it takes a whole team, it takes a whole combination of elements to make that little bit of magic happen. Ummm. And a very nice thing, when the crew do appreciate the acting. Because normally they're doing their jobs, they're not really…

ELETTRA: It takes a lot of magic to get a crew to shut up, so…

~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~

(re: their sole financial backer pulling out 2 weeks before shooting)

TOM: I remember bumping into Ben- I remember bumping into Ben Whishaw at a party, and we'd just heard that all the money had gone, and he was like, "are we still on for April?". And I was like, "okay, don't panic… uhhhhh, we have zero money". And he was so cool. He was like… he went silent for a second, and I said, "are you panicking?" and he was like, "not one bit, not at all". And he said, "this, this happens, it will all be good." And I was like "ohhh… okay…" hahaha, um yeah. So…

MAX: [???] as well, because this film very much had its leads in order, and we all kinda fell in love with what it was going to be. And so the idea that, for example, Ben's availability only fit that weekend that we shot, if we weren't gonna do that then… Tom's story only fits the golden hour of Somerset, really, and you're only going to get that twice a year, ya know, in the spring and late summer. And so, ummm, there were some real conversations about "is this going to happen?" which none of us wanted to face because we were so in love with the project.

#ben whishaw #good boy #tom stuart #i have a hd rip and i'm perfectly happy to share it after the profit-making window is over #but please support independent film-making by purchasing it if you can! #it's literally one pound #c'mon guys #save your piracy for the big studios (it's always ethical to steal from them!)

[happigreens]

Fair Trade

By going beyond accreditation practices, consumers and companies can reach those at the bottom of the global social production ladder. Nonetheless, these efforts require purchasers to take personal responsibility for their impact, rather than relying solely on certifications. Simply by being more thoughtful and ethical in our sourcing practices, we have a huge opportunity to create brighter futures for all people and their families throughout the supply chain.

https://borgenproject.org/fair-trade-product-markets/

Despite many well-intentioned consumer attitudes, fair trade product markets frequently feature marketing strategies that conjure up imperialistic images [...]

[...] In products marked as fair trade, the certification might only apply to the product’s raw materials, rather than the full process of production. [...] A 2014 study theorizes that these practices are somewhat effective, “although on a comparatively modest scale relative to the size of national economies"

Social Media conversations about Fair Trade Practices:

[From user seriousxdelirium] - Like almost all other labels for coffee, it's absolutely useless. It only applies to growers large enough to afford the fees, and is not regulated well enough to make meaningful impact on the industry. If you really care about this sort of thing, do some research and develop an understanding of what you think a fair price is for farmers, and ask roasters what they paid for that coffee. Most good roasters are willing to be transparent about that sort of thing, and even publish transparency reports where you get a breakdown of the entire transaction.

From user Ramakrishna Surathu:

[...] Here are some reasons why fair trade may not always be as fair as it seems [...]

1. Market Access and Power Imbalances: Fair trade initiatives often focus on small-scale producers in developing countries, who may face challenges in accessing global markets and negotiating fair prices. Power imbalances within supply chains, influenced by factors such as geography, politics, and market dynamics, can limit the ability of producers to fully benefit from fair trade practices.

2. Certification Costs and Barriers: Obtaining fair trade certification can be costly and time-consuming for producers, particularly small-scale farmers and artisans with limited resources. Certification fees, auditing expenses, and compliance with standards may pose financial barriers and administrative burdens, leading some producers to forego certification altogether.

3. Limited Impact on Poverty Alleviation: While fair trade aims to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods, its impact may be limited by systemic barriers and structural inequalities. Addressing poverty requires broader social, economic, and political interventions beyond the scope of fair trade alone, such as access to education, healthcare, land rights, and infrastructure.

4. Market Volatility and Price Instability: Fair trade prices are often based on predetermined minimums, which may not fully reflect fluctuations in global market prices. Producers may be exposed to market volatility and fluctuations in demand, which can impact their income and livelihoods, particularly in commodity markets subject to price instability.

5. Complexity of Supply Chains: Fair trade supply chains can be complex and challenging to navigate, especially in regions with limited infrastructure and logistical challenges. Ensuring compliance with fair trade standards, maintaining transparency, and traceability throughout the supply chain can require significant investment in monitoring and management systems.

[...] Some manufacturers also use tricks. For example, some products do not explain exactly which part of a product was produced fairly. Another trick is to increase the percentage of "fair" ingredients by subtracting out the water content. The credibility is of course "fair watered".

[...] The statement here should not be that fair trade is useless, but one should always question things or understand them better and not just be blindly guided by seals in the purchase decision. Since this works so well, manufacturers like to use such seals or make one up themselves.

[...] rather than cutting out the middle man, and offering farmers a more direct compensation for their work, Fair Trade still facilitates a level of bureaucracy that supports an uneven distribution of revenue.

[...] The price point that separates Fair Trade produce from the rest of the market is often significant enough that lower-income households cannot afford to budget for it. This means that Fair Trade cannot reach mass markets in a way that would really effect wide-scale change, and instead serves as a token gesture to alleviate the guilt of middle-class consumers.

[...] [premium pricing coffee] is a worthy move if the coffee is of a high quality, but if it is not of sufficient quality to merit this price tag, then it risks turning consumers away from Fair Trade produce, and further impeding its reach to mass markets [...]

Fair Trade is a concept worth embracing, but first it must prioritize effective and transparent processes of production and distribution. What Fair Trade aims to achieve is admirable, but what it could potentially achieve is far greater [...]

#having another crisis last night while researching organic mattresses and #considering which companies to buy from that are organic certified AND run with ethical business practices #damn near impossible to purchase anything sans explaintation #my greens #fair trade #sustainability #sustainable economy #economy #green link #direct trade #farming #agriculture #luxury items #premium prices

[striders]

i have the same pink floyd sweater (farquaad pointing) wal mart

you 😔🤝😔 me

walmart clothes wearers

#are walmart clothes ethical? no absolutely not in any universe #do i have a choice? also no son i’m fat and can’t afford shit else #the occasional thrift or secondhand purchase is not going to clothe me efficiently

[heystephen]

actually no yeah i think my most heinous swiftie offense is that i don’t care about her cats. benji is cute i guess but the ones with the bloated faces gross me out

#also i think a celeb purchasing pets that aren’t ethical sets a bad precedent but that’s a whole can of worms to get into #the amount of ppl who bought scottish folds because taylor did is very disappointing they aren’t ethically bred #also olivia is so badly bred she especially grossed me out to look at 😭

[pleasetakethis]

Your rambling about your crabs is so wholesome!!! 💙💙💙💙🦀

AHHHHH thank you for enabling me to ramble more about them 😍 My kids tease me about my obsession with them. My mom bought them for my oldest when we went to the beach last year (impulse purchase, we discussed later) and when my oldest googled to see what they needed to thrive, they were a little overwhelmed... so they became my hermit crabs. 😅

Painted shells are toxic but most that come from bad conditions have them. We had to wait ~6 months or so before they molted the first time. Both changed shells when they came back up. Eggroll (was supposed to be April but my youngest misheard April as Eggroll, it was hilarious, and Eggroll stuck) is in the pink shell on top and the green shell in the middle. O'Neil is the yellow shell on the bottom and white shell above that.

I included a picture of their food (they don't eat much but they get a lot of variety, feeding them is fun) and someone in a crabhole/tunnel. They have smeared sand all over the inside tank walls, so the pics from outside the tank are a little blurry.

#justonemorechapternicercy #hermit crabs #my oldest is into tmnt and transformers #so if anyone is wondering #yes their names were supposed to be a reference to april #i guess o'neil still is #eggroll however #hahahaha #hermit crab husbandry #hermit crab care #they require more care than one would expect #but once you've got them set up it's not difficult to maintain #i would advise against tourist traps and pet shops bc they contribute to a terrible trade where they are kept in sub-par conditions #lhcos has adoption options #and there's a lady in the group on fb who is captive breeding #there are ethical ways to obtain them #i guess is what i'm saying #mine were an impulse purchase made without my knowledge #but i did my best to give them the right care #we've had them 8 months! #feels good #though it's always nerve-wracking when they dig down to molt #they can be down for months #that's when they're the most vulnerable #o b s e s s e d #bri rambles #bri answers

[tittyinfinity]

gotta love living in a world where paying more for a product is unethical because you're wasting extra money they could go into helping others & yourself but also paying less for something is unethical because it definitely means there were labor violations and slavery used in the making of the product. but also the more expensive products were also likely also produced by slave/child/underpaid labor

#we all know that paying more for a phone doesn't mean it was made more ethically #it's honestly the same with a lot of name brand clothes #i have to take what i can afford or have nothing at all #you have to have a lot of energy to scrounge around thrift stores and online marketplaces to get every single thing you want #and not only do i only make 784 a month but unfortunately #im physically disabled and my other disorders make it even harder to have to go somewhere and deal w strangers every time i make a purchase #it wouldn't be as much as a problem if the stores were closer and smaller and i was familiar with everyone #and had ppl who were able to go shopping for me every now and then #but this is what i'm forced to fucking do under capitalism! #so glad i get to look at all my comfort items and know that someone else bled for them #.bdo

[authorofemotion]

this girl was passing out go green stickers and my friend asked where she got them and she said “amazon for like $3” and i wanted to cry

#people will really hear the phrase “no ethical consumption under capitalism” and think that excused them not making an effort #i know that sometimes purchasing not from a large corporation can’t be avoided #*purchasing FROM a large corporation #but it will never get better if everyone claims to be environmentally conscious and then uses amazon as their default #claire yells to the void #discourse

[cruelsister-moved2]

its just weird bc with energy usage or whatever, we recognise that telling someone to turn the lights off and not overfill the kettle is a distraction from the unfettered consumption of big industry etc, but when it comes to food suddenly you people are like no no it’s the consumption of tofu that is the real issue here!! I’m so sick and tired of this debate because whether or not you eat meat, as leftists and as people with any care for the environment, we should be united in recognising the harms of industrial animal agriculture.  and at a certain point the choices of foods to get mad at in particular start to just come off like an appropriate outlet for your discomfort over someone else eating differently to you. why is it always soy and quinoa and never corn and wheat?? at a certain point you have to acknowledge that all of us consume plant products, and vegans/vegetarians are a very small proportion of that. plant agriculture is perhaps as ethically and environmentally fraught as animal agriculture, but that means we should desire to improve both, rather than NEITHER

#and alllll of it just feels like a cope to get out of recognising that all of our diets have an impact on the world n people around us #no matter how much we dont like it and how much we try #and the solution is largely a reform to our farming practices; our relationship with the land; and our relationship with food #[guy who constantly buys out of season fruit flown from halfway across the world]: omggg soy milk is destroying the planet #i just find it funny as hell when ppl get mad at the current hated plant based product as a gotcha for people who dont eat meat #like girl............are you jordan peterson? you only eat red meat? #not to be this person but that is literally just a textbook tu quoque fallacy lol #vegetarians r like we should improve the global food supply chain somewhat #and u guys r like UMMM but you consume food? #this is what no ethical consumption under capitalism actually means #although the girlies seem to think it exists to defend ur shein purchases and mass produced anime figures #agiudfhgiapghaidufghdfg

[quarklynx]

Today when I was getting fabric cut at hobby lobby, they had a quilted sample displayed of Da Vinci's The Last Supper printed on cotton, and a very excitable child walked by and pointed to it saying:

"hey grandma, do they have the holy grail in there?"

The very obviously christian old lady hurried to sweep her grandchild away, but I wonder how that conversation went

#lynx thinks #i dislike hobby lobby. only went there because their fuzzy fabric was like 1/3 the price of Joanne's #ya boi is broke as fuck. besides. the savings basically outweighed how much i spent whoch means the purchase benefited a queer person #...at least thats what i tell myself to feel better about it ;w; #no ethical consumption under capitalism #sigh... #anyway. thought id share bc i almost storted audibly at the time #q

[ghoul-haunted]

oh boy. so bonifacio's body is just. a liminal space, huh. the man got executed and immediately we started inventing things to put in the grave. there's a whole historical event that was straight up fabricated. what the fuck is happening here.

#good grief #unfortunately it looks like the 40USD and the 250USD and this other book that is thankfully just 23USD are all #.....necessary....................for shenanigans.......... #i feel some kind of ethical and moral obligation not to use his corpse as a puppet for spectacle and fuckery beyond what we've already #put it thru. #unfortunately i do not have. that much money to spend on things. i will put the 23USD book on my to buy list #and shelve the other (checks notes) two books and a tentative third for Books To Ask My Cousins To Purchase For Me #or Books To Buy The Next Time I Am In The Philippines

[pwurrz]

i saw someone buy a scottish fold munchkin cat mix and.. went off. oops

#it’s like buying pugs or other messed up dog breeds #it’s just ethically and morally wrong #in breeding these animals to be ‘cute’ looking you’ve doomed them to a miserable life #full of complications and health problems #a munchkin and scottish fold is especially cruel #because of the lack of cartilage there already is by default #for the genetic quirk that effects their ears to fuck up #it’s just.. why did you think this was a good idea #why are you keeping breeders who do this in business #why are you advertising your purchase like other people wanna see that #animal abuse /

[bugeyedfreaks]

I was just alerted to a bunch of PPG merch on ROMWE… and apparently I’m not allowed to post the link on Tumblr! Wow! Crazy! Anyway, if you’re interested, go search for it online. It makes my eyes bleed with the assault of how they’ve mixed and matched reboot and OG designs. The Fuzzy Lumpkins stuff is cute but it bums me out that it’s, like, the only villain adjacent merch. Also… most of this is just honestly an assault on my eyes and taste, it’s pretty bad. 😵‍💫

#I mean I’m not immune to fast fashion but also just… idk #most of this is bad but maybe you might find some gems if you REALLY want some stuff with the PPG on it #is ROMWE also one of these ethically murky kind of websites? everything sucks nowadays I have no idea what’s good and what’s not to buy from #anyway I’m just sharing stuff purchase at your own discretion #it’s a crime that that one set of blossom pj’s is reboot blossom or I would totally get that 😭 #also no substantial villain merch makes this a fail 😔 even tho we love fuzzy and stan a pink king

[whifferdills]

i don't begrudge people spending money on dumb shit that makes them happy but i reserve the right to think their dumb shit is goofy

#there is no ethical dimension to this i simply think the way you spend your money #is stupid #unlike my sophisticated purchases #of godzilla stickers and bougie kombucha

[yuvalrob]

#It's time to reveal my sleepwear collaboration with @pixieehome 🧶 Incredibly soft #sustainably made. ♲ Ethical & Eco-Friendly manufacturers. 🎗A dollar from every purchase goes to Save the Children. mypixiee PixieeX 🥻 li #illustration #drawing #illustrator #romance #art