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31: Convenience is the Problem
2 Plays34 seconds ago
Is the Target boycott over or nah? Did it "work"? What did we get in return? Where did we spend our money instead, and was that company any better?
In this episode, I’m unpacking what it would mean to move from symbolic boycotts to strategic ones… the kind that don’t just send a message, but force change. Creating that kind of pressure might require a level of inconvenience most of us, myself included, haven’t fully embraced.
So the question is… how far are we actually willing to go to make change?
Time to say the quiet parts out loud! Let’s get into it.
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Theme
00:00:00
Speaker
Today on Geneva Says, you know that meme with the dog surrounded by fire saying this is fine? Yeah, that's us right now.
00:00:24
Speaker
This is Brittany Geneva. Welcome to another episode of Geneva Says. So happy to have you back with me. Excited to keep the momentum going. My third new episode in a row. I am keeping up with it, y'all. I'm so proud of myself. Oh, my God. Let's jump right into the catch-up.
Event Announcement and Self-Care Discussion
00:00:44
Speaker
Definitely want to give you one more reminder. If you are in or near the DMV, we have our game night coming up tomorrow at Shanklin Hall. Come through.
00:00:56
Speaker
Flyers on the screen. Informations on Instagram at The Nod Presents. Would love to have you. It's such a dope-ass event. And I'm really excited and proud of what The Nod is building. we are really excited.
00:01:08
Speaker
Stepping it up this year and really taking it to the next level. And I'm really excited for all of the things we have in store because we have we got a lot going on this year. So I'm looking forward to it.
00:01:19
Speaker
Outside of that, things are ah the same as last time. Job is still job and life is still life. in ah Men are still menning. But i one thing that I have been you know on my search for a more sustainable self-care routine, i have really been focused on like making my space more peaceful, particularly my bedroom. i think You know, I got my house and I was really excited about hosting and having people over. So I put so much energy into like the common spaces, like my kitchen and my living room and my patio and all the places where people will gather when they come over.
00:02:04
Speaker
And I kind of neglected my own bedroom, like where the heck I sleep. So i have kind of just been like, I kind of it wasn't just like my leftover furniture, but it was kind of so a mishmash of furniture that didn't really like come together and like have a beautiful soft vibe. And my bedding was like super basic and like not matching. Like I kind of just let my bedroom be whatever. And I said, okay, let me actually make this like luxurious. You know, again, I talked about soft life. Let me make my bedroom softer and nicer. And so I got new bedding. I have a duvet cover now. I'm feeling like a very fancy,
00:02:44
Speaker
Auntie adult. I have like a bunch of pillows. So now it's very soft and I'm getting some other new furniture. So I'm really making my my bedroom, which was unfortunately a space that I have been neglecting, more soft and comfortable and peaceful and really trying to reflect that around my whole home.
00:03:07
Speaker
I've been really focused on like decluttering, making everything really clean and organized and like nice and finding new storage solutions for stuff that was just like out and had nowhere to live.
00:03:19
Speaker
And so I do feel like that's a part of my self-care and a part of like creating peace and control in in a world where everything is out of control and trying to just make sure that at least at home and and particularly in my bedroom,
00:03:35
Speaker
that I have like a sense of calm. So one self-care like revelation that I've had, and I'm definitely still looking for y'all's advice and ideas about other maybe less common self-care um routines because I need them. um So I appreciate anything you have to
Boycott Reflections and Strategies
00:03:58
Speaker
share.
00:03:58
Speaker
This week, Geneva says, we need to consider being a little more inconvenienced. I'm thinking about this a lot because of everything going on with Target.
00:04:12
Speaker
As you may have heard, Pastor Jamal Bryant came out and announced that the Target fast is over. and now we're trying to figure out what's the difference between a fast and a boycott child.
00:04:23
Speaker
The boycott ladies who originally stood everything up in Minneapolis said, wait a minute, no, it's not over. So now they're going back and forth. I'm seeing people online say, I ain't never going back to Target. I don't care who, what, when, where, how says that the boycott is over or the fast or whatever.
00:04:40
Speaker
So that just got me thinking about like, we really made an impact with that shit. Like I haven't shopped at Target in a very long time. And I, a Target is very close to my home.
00:04:52
Speaker
I live in the hood. It's one of the only stores that is close to me. So not shopping at Target was like a specific choice that like really impacted me. And I know a lot of us are not, and it's showing up in their bottom line. Their earnings are low. I think they got rid of their CEO recently because the performance is bad. Like they're feeling the repercussions of this target fast. So I'm proud of us. Like I'm really proud of us for recognizing that this company has really betrayed us with their, you know, about face on DEI and really just kissing
00:05:28
Speaker
45 slash 47's ass. And I really think that we have an opportunity to go bigger, you know, target. Yes. Target matters. I'm glad that we did what we did, but I also start to think about what about,
00:05:45
Speaker
Companies beyond Target. What about companies that are really in this administration's pocket and are helping to finance the new ballroom, all of the other crazy things that are going on?
00:05:59
Speaker
What if we were able to apply what Target, what we did with Target on a bigger scale to bigger companies like Amazon?
00:06:10
Speaker
And that would obviously be really hard because for me, I just told you my situation, I don't live close to a lot of stores. Target was actually really my biggest and best. That's somewhat nearby.
00:06:21
Speaker
and so whatever shopping I was doing at Target, I kind of pushed it over to Amazon. So, oh, you know, what a win. Now Jeff Bezos is getting more of my money, even more than he was already getting.
00:06:35
Speaker
And I'm like, I wonder if we could really like bear down and expand the concept of like these retail boycotts and big company boycotts to the scale of an Amazon or even, i mean, I say this as somebody who is going to post this on Instagram, but could we get to the scale of a meta, the scale of a Google where, but I'm also posting this on YouTube. So, you know, they're taking over the world, but like,
00:07:03
Speaker
These are the companies that are really like aiding and abetting what all the terrible shit that's going on in our nation right now. What if we could actually get to that point of boycotting them?
00:07:17
Speaker
But one of the biggest reasons why I think that's going to be really difficult is because it's going to take us to a level of inconvenience that I don't think we're prepared to go to.
00:07:32
Speaker
And I'm very much including myself in that week. I was recently listening. I've been listening for a while, actually, to Higher Learning podcast with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay.
00:07:45
Speaker
And there was a clip that Van really broke it down like beautifully. And I want to play that because it really gets to the heart of why I think this kind of boycott and this type of inconvenience is something that we need to get to, but will be really hard.
00:08:07
Speaker
There is something happening in the country that we don't like and we think is backwards. And one of the the most significant ways for us to fight against it is to boycott or punish these companies economically. That's what America understands. And then you have somebody who is black saying, yes, but that's going to hurt me.
00:08:30
Speaker
There's this thought that like, there's no pain that comes with progress. That's what we're missing in our leaders. Our leaders from the past were able to convince us that the pain that we were going to feel in the name of progress was worth it.
00:08:45
Speaker
It was worth it to walk to work if you if you're boycotting the bus system. It was worth it to carpool. It was worth it to put yourself in harm's way to protest. It was worth it to go out there and have things happen to you bodily harm.
00:08:59
Speaker
It was worth it to be put in jail, like the term good trouble, that there was good trouble, that that was worth it. And we don't have anybody Anyone who can convince people now that there is something virtuous in experiencing a momentary or even prolonged discomfort for the greater good.
00:09:23
Speaker
I mean, listen to what he was saying there. That's really significant because it really speaks to the fact that the progress we have made as a country has allowed us to become very comfortable.
00:09:36
Speaker
We have jobs that get on our nerves and may not pay us enough, but they do allow us in the you know hopeful situation, to be able to pay our bills, go out to eat sometimes, maybe take a trip or two We live in nice homes or nice apartments.
00:09:56
Speaker
We go out and have a nice weekend and have nice entertainment. And we have a nice, comfortable life, a lot of us. a good amount of us, I'm not going to say a lot, but the people who are sort of like tuned into this fight, right?
00:10:10
Speaker
And I feel like that has actually gotten in the way of us being able to fight. And I'm really like, I want to make clear that when I'm saying we and us, I'm talking about myself. I am very much including myself in that number because I do think about the fact that It will take sacrifice. Like I, okay. So anybody who knows me knows that i prioritize convenience over most things.
00:10:44
Speaker
I will pay for convenience. Like I will pay a premium for convenience. I do not like to do extra if I don't have to do extra. I don't like being out and about if I don't have to be out and about. Like, I hate running errands. i hate running I hate doing like, oh, I have to stop by four stores in a row. No, I just, oh my God, why can't there just be the one store with all the things?
00:11:08
Speaker
So I like pay for convenience. I get things delivered. i like, I willingly and knowingly spend money on having to personally do less because there's things I want to put my time into. And those things do not include running to a whole bunch of different stores and like going out of my way for certain things.
The Challenge of Convenience vs. Progress
00:11:33
Speaker
I admit it. I'm not ashamed. That is what it is. So knowing that, then if I'm really to think about, oh, what if I stop ordering Amazon?
00:11:44
Speaker
What if I did an Amazon boycott or participated in one? That would really like rock my world because not only do I get a lot of stuff delivered, I have it on subscribe and save. I don't even want to have to think about it week to week.
00:11:57
Speaker
Just send me the dog food. And I don't even want to have to think about dog food instead of me having to get up, go to PetSmart. I don't even know if PetSmart's like a better company. You know what I mean? But presumably because there's one not far from me.
00:12:11
Speaker
Go to PetSmart, buy the food in person, bring it back. Oh, girl, just bring it to my door, you know, because I know I'm going to always need it every week. Look, I'm over here complaining about the possibility of perhaps having to go pick up my own dog food from the store.
00:12:30
Speaker
And our ancestors went through so much more. I mean, imagine walking to work. Imagine the life change that it would mean for you to have to walk to work right now instead of drive or take the bus or take the train or whatever you normally do.
00:12:46
Speaker
That is the type of sacrifice that that i just don't think we're willing to make. And if we are not willing to make it, what are we going to allow to happen until it finally gets to that point?
00:13:01
Speaker
Until the dictator crosses the line. He's already taking over media. He's already going to extreme lengths to suppress votes, look up the SAVE Act that they are trying to pass right now.
00:13:15
Speaker
He's already going to war without anybody's approval. He's already taking ah leaders from other countries and just plucking them away and deciding that he's done with them so that he can get to that country's oil.
00:13:31
Speaker
He's already deploying a ragtag team of animals to go through the country and arrest anybody who they think maybe possibly could perhaps be an undocumented immigrant.
00:13:46
Speaker
what What else is it going to take for us to be like, damn, maybe I can experience a little inconvenience? And again, I'm putting the me into the us because I i contain multitudes, y'all. i care deeply about advocacy and activism and I work in these spaces every single day and I don't want to have to go pick up my own dog food. I contain multitudes and all of us do. And i am myself trying to figure out where, at what point do I flip the switch?
00:14:19
Speaker
At what point do I say, you know what? I'd rather be uncomfortable. I'd rather be inconvenienced. I'd rather experience challenge than keep going through this shit for the next three years.
00:14:36
Speaker
I think about Protests. I've heard about protests where there are like people who are blocking streets, right? They're blocking the highway or they're blocking like a main thoroughfare during like rush hour.
00:14:50
Speaker
And so many of the comments be like, oh I mean, yes, protests, but can you just do it? Not during rush hour. I'm on my way to work. Why can't they just do it in the park? Y'all, have we forgotten the point of a protest? A protest is supposed to be inconvenient.
00:15:04
Speaker
That's the point. Yeah, it's nonviolent. It's peaceful in that it's nonviolent, but it is not supposed to not do shit like it's supposed to cause an eruption because whatever demands are being made, it's supposed to get people to a point of saying, OK, OK, what do you want?
00:15:22
Speaker
We are completely losing the plot on what protest and fighting back even peacefully really means. and again, when do we finally flip the switch?
00:15:39
Speaker
How do we take what we learned from Target and apply it on that bigger scale to say, If we are capable of organizing ourselves in this manner to stop going to Target, can we be capable of organizing ourselves to all cancel Amazon Prime?
00:15:58
Speaker
or to stop completely any Amazon shopping for 30 or 60 or 90 days. Can we organize that? Who will lead it? Who will take the reins? How will we get it done?
00:16:11
Speaker
Because we are capable of it. i'm I'm seeing that. I've seen that. And I agree with Van that these economic types of boycotts, these These actions that speak to corporate bottom lines are the ones that will actually make the biggest difference and will actually allow us to make more demands.
00:16:36
Speaker
And if their businesses are being affected in the way that I think we could possibly do, they will be incentivized to say, OK, OK, OK, what do y'all want?
00:16:47
Speaker
What do y'all OK? How can we how can we get you back shopping with us? At least I think, I think it's worth experimenting to see if we can figure it out.
00:16:58
Speaker
I just really, you know, i leave us with this question. I leave us with this to think about how can we really make the decision that inconvenience is going to be worth it in order to make a difference because What's happening in our nation right now is just the beginning.
00:17:22
Speaker
There are years potentially left of this president. And if we, if things keep going the way they're going, we go into hell. We're already in hell. We're going deeper down. We're going to the basement down here.
00:17:34
Speaker
So we got, i want us to think about what it would really take.
Escapism and Entertainment
00:17:39
Speaker
And for Currently Obsessed this week, look, everyone needs some escapism.
00:17:45
Speaker
I have been on here talking about some serious stuff. Serious stuff is happening in the world. And so I, again, I contain multitudes. When the serious things are happening, I need to escape. And I love to escape with a good episode of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, y'all.
00:18:03
Speaker
I love that show. Oh my gosh. The absolute best Utah mess I have ever seen. i just...
00:18:15
Speaker
Oh, my God. And I was like stubborn. Like I was so stubborn because multiple people were telling me they think I would like the show. and I was like, I really don't think I'm interested in the secret lives of Mormon wives. Like as a general rule, until I watched it, I finally tried out an episode and I said, hey, this is a show.
00:18:35
Speaker
This is a show and it is good and it is drama and it is mess. And those are things that I sometimes enjoy. And so even though right now it's getting very real life imitating art, maybe, maybe it's the other way around. I don't know. But now we have,
00:18:51
Speaker
Taylor, Frankie Paul's bachelorette season getting canceled. We got one couple getting a separation, another couple getting a divorce. I said, OK, things is getting very real when you feel like, oh, reality shows are not really real. Maybe this one might something's going on that's actually happening in real life, because that's some you know, that's some drama that all like came out this week.
00:19:14
Speaker
And I also think like ABC, you don't get no points for me for canceling The Bachelorette because this is the show airs on Hulu. So ABC is in the mix from the beginning.
00:19:27
Speaker
The episode where she is beating on her baby father and getting arrested is on the show. Like it's season one, episode one. So they've been known about that. They didn't care. They were hoping that Mormon wives viewers would go over to the bachelorette whose ratings are sinking.
00:19:46
Speaker
And they were hoping that maybe having her on there would revive some dead stuff. And now look at you. Now look at you because you don't want to vet your contestants. i There is like, maybe this has always been the case, but maybe people now are just talking about it more. But it feels like these reality shows are not vetting these contestants.
00:20:07
Speaker
Participants, like you got Huda over here who is crazy, like racist, abusive, all of these things that are coming out about her.
00:20:17
Speaker
Why was she ever on Love Island? What the heck? You got these Love is Blind people who have like, I mean, the things that come out about them, secret children and all of this. And this man looked like one of the guys on the last season of Love is Blind is homeless. Like, oh OK.
00:20:36
Speaker
i don't I didn't watch it, so I'm just going off what I saw online, but I'm just like, so vetting is just not in the room with us at all anymore, clearly, if it ever was. ah But currently obsessed with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. If you enjoy a little escapism TV, highly recommend.
Conclusion and Audience Engagement
00:20:53
Speaker
That is another episode of Geneva Says. I thank you so much for watching or listening. If you... are watching on YouTube, make sure you subscribe. I'd love to see you back here. i post about a number of things. Tap in with me.
00:21:07
Speaker
If you're listening, please do give this a five-star rating if you feel it deserves it. Maybe write a little review, whatever floats your boat on Apple Podcasts or wherever you might be listening to this.
00:21:19
Speaker
And please do tap in with me on social media. I am at Brittany Geneva on all of the things My handles will show up somewhere on the screen. And i would love to be in conversation with you, talk to you about all the things that I talk about. I genuinely do want feedback and thoughts, but not troll thoughts. Wait a second. Let me have it. Hold on.
00:21:43
Speaker
This is my last little rant before I sign off. I have posting various clips on all of the places where you post short clips, right? So Instagram Reels and TikTok and YouTube ah shorts. and particularly on YouTube, I am very curious as to why only people who disagree are commenting.
00:22:06
Speaker
I'm like, hey, if you agreed, say, yeah, girl, can I get you to say amen? You know, like, I'm getting a lot of likes on the video, but then the comments are like, look at you spewing Democrat talking points. you You clearly don't know what you're talking about. And I'm like, well, first of all, I do.
00:22:24
Speaker
Second of all, why are only y'all saying stuff? i didn it's I'm curious about that. Like, if you agree, can you say so? Can you just give me a yeah, girl?
00:22:36
Speaker
I would appreciate it so much. I really, well, I'm just very curious as to why only the angry comments are are being made. But hey, you know, i guess if you're watching, that's the first step.
00:22:49
Speaker
But i would love I would love a little positive reinforcement. Amen? Okay. That's it for me. That's my humble request. Thank you guys so much. And I will be back soon.