First Step

So the idea of a mass movement rejecting all corporate influence has appeal, and great promise, but it is hard to achieve wholesale. I want to see what I can pull together in the sense of incremental steps, and this is my first:

Avoid free advertising for corporations

This means especially not wearing T-shirts with the designer's name blazoned across it, "Tommy Girl," but the Izod alligator or the Nike swoosh serve the same purpose. I found this rule challenging with corporations I like. My crosscountry skis are painted "ll bean." The boundary between logo and design can be challenging. Motor vehicles are all affixed with a metal logo. A little work with cold chisel, patching compound, and paint could fix this, but a Ford Focus or Honda Element is easily recognizable, let alone Buik's PT cruiser. What about the button fly that screams Levi's 501 Blues? Is the "W" stitching on the pockets of Wrangler's jeans a logo?

For this rule, the principle to avoid is advertising. One can go as far as one wishes with it, but remember it is a partial step toward the goal of complete rejectionism. Making over your Ford Focus so it isn't recognizable as a Ford Focus is too much effort for too little gain: you've bought the Ford, after all. A Nike swoosh on your sneakers is worth avoiding, but a Nike swoosh on your shirt or hat is worse: Nike is a sneaker-maker, the only reason for wearing the logo on your shirt or hat is to say that you are in a relationship with the corporation, which is, in a word, disgusting.