Recommendation: The Lightbulb Conspiracy /documentary about planned obsolescence

Iconoclast

Jedi Master
(also known as "Pyramids of Waste")

this is a fantastic documentary which IMHO is MUST SEE.

summary from imdb:
_http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825163/
Once upon a time..... products were made to last. Then, at the beginning of the 1920s, a group of businessmen were struck by the following insight: 'A product that refuses to wear out is a tragedy of business' (1928). Thus Planned Obsolescence was born. Shortly after, the first worldwide cartel was set up expressly to reduce the life span of the incandescent light bulb, a symbol for innovation and bright new ideas, and the first official victim of Planned Obsolescence. During the 1950s, with the birth of the consumer society, the concept took on a whole new meaning, as explained by flamboyant designer Brooks Stevens: 'Planned Obsolescence, the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary...'. The growth society flourished, everybody had everything, the waste was piling up (preferably far away in illegal dumps in the Third World) - until consumers started rebelling... Can the modern growth society survive without Planned Obsolescence? Did the eternal light bulb ever exist? How can a tiny chip 'kill' a product? How did two artists from New York manage to extend the lives of millions of iPods? Is Planned Obsolescence itself becoming obsolete?

trailer:
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=251qoGOqpdk


full documentary (streaming):
_http://documentaryheaven.com/the-lightbulb-conspiracy/
 
Here's a version with English subs to the non-English portions. . .
_http://dotsub.com/view/aed3b8b2-1889-4df5-ae63-ad85f5572f27?at_xt=4d45f107b0c33219%2C0&sms_ss=twitthis

I would have liked to have seen that the blame for the 1920's stock market crash not be placed at the feet (by casual implication, anyway) of efficient and long-lasting goods. I don't know if this was done deliberately, but it set up a false belief that the subsequent cultural descent into planned obsolescence was somehow simply a logical extension and inevitable next step in our cultural and industrial development; That well-made goods are to blame for poverty and starvation, when that is completely untrue.

I would also have liked to have seen more time and energy spent on explaining the fallacy of the free market model, and explain in greater depth how alternative economic models might function. There were no strong and clear arguments or examples set forth for solutions, only an explanation of the current situation with many seeds planted for people to come up with their own apologist notions. They even traveled to the Soviet Union to point out how their crappy goods supply economy made things to last. That is, I suspect that a pro-Western economics student who believes whole-heartedly in the so-called "free market" would come away more convinced than ever that the Western system is the best system available, and be brimming with excuses for its various failings.

It's not that we all need jobs, (the implication being, "How will we feed ourselves without jobs?"). It's that if things were run sensibly, we'd all have to work a great deal less, live in great comfort, and still be able to explore technological wonders if we so desired. If we didn't have psychopaths at the top draining all our collective, massive, massive wealth into giant black holes, then there'd be no need for endless production treadmills to keep everybody employed.

Land owners, banks and plutocratic individuals are responsible for the artificial sense of endless need.

A little time spent summarizing this would have been a responsible thread to have included in this documentary, I think.

Otherwise, this documentary was loaded with lots of great historical facts, most of which I'd never heard before! An actual light bulb cartel? Wow.

Also, in a bit of lateral connection. . , I blinked and noted that at 36:47 in the video where it is described that the battery of the iPod was designed to fail, the manufacturer name printed on the offending power supply was none other than, "Fukashima".
 
I wish everyone could see this! I worked in lighting for many years. Electronics also. This certainly is valuable information to counter the global warming BS as well. Follow the money....
 
Watched this doc a while ago, it does a great job at detailing how planned obsolescence and the idea of 'cyclical consumption' has been one successful tactic at enslaving us to our desires and to corporations.

The part on home printers and how they are programmed to 'die' after a certain amount of printing, rather than when they are actually broken!, was a real eye opener. (i think it was in this doc).

You almost can't believe they can get away with this type of thing, till you realise that it's what our society is founded on!
 
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