Preston, CT Going to the mall with my dad and step-mom and spending 200 $ worth of "cool clothes" at GUESS... Jeremy, 13
Highlands Ranch, CO I'm not much for purchasing lots of stuff for the sake of it. Did live with a couple of people once though who went through of pretty rock solid six months of purchasing non stop. It made me feel pretty uncomfortable. Felicia, 34
Lowell, MA um. what is conspicuous consumption? Steve, 29
Lake Worth, FL I suppose the American public school system--first as a student and then as a parent. Jill, 59
Saylorsburg, PA I attended the kick-off of the US Bicentennial Celebration for New York State. Held at Fort Ticonderoga, it featured a troop of Scottish military men, accompanied by their pipers, noted performers, and speeches by various dignitaries. The ceremony was followed by an extravagant reception for several hundred people at the Pell Mansion, family home of the Senator and his brothers. The lavish hors d'ouvres included generous quantities of pate, caviar and seafood, as well as hot morsels and cold drinks served by an attentive and well-trained staff. Jane, 60
West Linn, OR Mardi Gras. Every year from 1976 to present. This year we're passing it up for the next great American consumption festival: the DisneyWorld vacation. woowee. Amy, 23
New Orleans, LA Conspicuous consumption simply is not part of my nature. I'm too aware of the consequences of my actions. The only thing I can THINK of that might qualify is when I went to the Humane Society to get a cat. I chose the most beat-up looking cat they had simply because she was a Persian and I wanted to be able to brag a little and say "I have a Persian cat." I didn't know at the time that she was going to lose her rattiness and become a beautiful, loving cat that I adore. Reba, 50
Rockville, MD It was a blueberry pie-eating contest up north, I was up to 12 and a half when Lardass Davey Hogan started barfing all over. Damn, that was a gross day... Jesse, 24
Bowie, MD I can't rememeber an individual incident Stephanie, 24
TX If this means eating like a pig and being proud of it...Once when I was 10 years old I got $5 from my grand parents, I walked down to the store - bought a WHOLE 12" CHOCOLATE CAKE and ate the whole thing. OINK! ah, the joy of life! Jami, 27
Lowell, MA I went to visit my sister in Georgia and we went to Atlanta and toured the Coca Cola "Museum". Let me tell you it is one of the most perfect examples of conspicuous consumer capitalist consumption you have ever seen. It was an entire building devoted to the tribute of Coca Cola as King. Rooms of filled with advertising from the ages, displays of soda fountains, every jingle ever written for Coke was played over the airwaves. A shopping store filled with Coke products you can purchase and take home with you,. It was incredible. America and Coca Cola. It brought tears to your eyes. Then you went into a large room and you could pick whatever brand of Coke soda you liked. It would shoot out of a tube and travel about a hundred feet accompanied by a laser light into your awaiting cup. You could stay as long as you wanted and taste every product they made. My kids were in heaven. When we left the exhibit, there was a two hour wait to get into the "monument". A British couple came up to us and asked if it was worth the wait. We had to reply, I don't know if it would have the same impact on a foreigner but it was the most unbelievable example of American consumer capitalism I have ever seen. Janet, 42
E. Brunswick, NJ I've seen a lot of conspicuous consumption of alcohol, but never been part of it. I've driven around aimlessly when I was bummed out, but that's not very conspicuous. I've eaten 10 rolls of Pez in front of people--does that count? Does great mean big or good? Karen, 21
Marshelltown/Ames, IA gee. . .besides taking way too many illegal drugs. . I once charged myself into a luxury hotel in Syracuse, NY and fully enjoyed a full body massage by the hotel's masseuse. ..room service rocked too!!!!!! mothmc, 36
Los Angeles, CA On my honeymoon, I ordered a ton of stuff from room service, including a bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne. We never touched the champagne and the next morning convinced the hotel to take it back and not charge us. They obliged. Thank God. I shudder to think what it would have cost. Laura, 35
Lowell, MA I almost bought the GI Joe USS Flagg battleship toy. I saved up my money for almost a year and it was the major thing I thought about. How much longer till I can afford the Flagg? This was in the late 80s. I saved up 150 dollars and was dragging this 7' box across the floor of the toy store when the bubble burst. I didn't want it anymore. I don't know why. Other than that, I guess my insane CD collection could count, as it is creeping toward quadruple digits. Anthony, 25
Baton Rouge, LA