In the United States, the average American will spend $2000 this holiday season—traveling to see family, buying gifts, decorating, throwing parties, and more—and many will go (further) into debt doing so. To add insult to injury, many folks are already experiencing one of the most financially stressful years of their life. Given this situation, it might just be the perfect time to revisit the excellent 2007 documentary, "What Would Jesus Buy?", which highlights the work of Bill Talen, a political theater artist who adopts the persona of a Southern evangelical preacher named "Reverend Billy." The film, produced by Morgan Spurlock and directed by Rob VanAlkemade, follows along as Reverend Billy, along with the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, stages "retail interventions" and performances in public spaces like shopping malls and retail stores in order to encourage the public to question and reject the commercialization and commodification of everyday life, and the excessive focus on consumption and consumerism at all times but especially during the holidays. Via the film, we also get a front row seat to his comical theatrical church services, which include readings from the saints and devils, public confessions, collective exorcisms, a lively choir, and rousing sermons. During these services Reverend Billy performs a call-and-response style of preaching as the audience responds with "Hallelujahs!" and "Amens!"
The documentary is available for free on Reverend Billy's YouTube page, which describes the film:
What Would Jesus Buy? is a hilarious and thought-provoking documentary diving into the over-commercialization of Christmas and the dark side of consumer culture. Follow Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they hit the road during the holiday season to challenge corporate greed, materialism, and environmental destruction—all with humor, music, and theatrical flair. 🎄💸 This eye-opening film will make you question what the holidays are really about. Can we ditch overconsumption and rediscover the true spirit of the season? 🎁✨
I've been a huge fan of Reverend Billy since discovering his work almost twenty years ago. I was finally lucky enough to see him live recently, as he and the Stop Shopping Choir opened for Neil Young and Crazy Horse's Love Earth tour earlier this year. As an activist, Reverend Billy's work centers on political and civic learning, and its power lies in its ability to foster creative production and create a community poetical politics. This seems to be exactly what the world needs right now, more than ever. Happy Holidays! Stop shopping, folks! Love your neighbor! Earthalujah!
Learn more about Reverend Billy by checking out his website.
