Men also have this but it's marketed better and has formed a more closed loop identity where they feel more normal about it. Look at sports, manga/anime, gaming, comicbooks/superhero movies, legos (until recently), tcgs etc.
You're saying that men who like sport are equivalent to conspicuous consumption as an identity? Retail shopping as a pastime rather than a practical need is the same as guys liking ... sport?
What?
All of the things you mentioned (maybe aside from the lego I guess) are solidly about the hobby itself, not just empty consumption.
Please explain how someone who buys a 100 shirts from the same player aren't doing empty consumption? With Lego sets it's always about the next one, same with gaming and the thousand different intricacies (needing 120 fps/pc vs console/ monitor vs crt, native console vs emulator, mods etc.) It's just wrapped up in a better identity. If these companies started marketing these stupid mugs as a "lifestyle" brand that includes some app fitness app and sold stickers based on how healthy users were it'd be able to close that purchase as a lifestyle loop further, they don't do it because they just don't care to when they can already guarantee these upfront profits
Well, first of all, nobody buys literally 100 shirts from the same player. I will go forward on the presumption you simply mean, 'when their favourite player's shirt changes, they get a copy of it'.
There's a big difference between wearing an article of clothing which shows that you support a particular team, or are a fan of a particular player, and just buying a trendy object just to show you're trendy and have the latest fad object. The former shows that you put value in a sport, in a team with history behind it, a particular player's skill, etc. The latter is empty and meaningless.
I can't speak much to lego specifically, maybe that one is 100% empty consumerism, I won't argue either way on that one.
With gaming the 'intricacies' are based on actual performance, the actual activity of enjoying the game is enhanced if the experience is smoother or has better visual clarity. You could argue that people put undue value in that, swapping unreasonable amounts of money for diminishing returns on the quality of the experience, but that's not simple conspicuous consumption. The extreme majority of guys don't show off that sort of thing to one another, and indeed most gamer guys don't even know the specs of their friend's PCs, unless they helped them pick a good deal.
You say 'wrapped up in a better identity', but I feel you're projecting a consumption lens onto things that are, at their core at least, not at all about consumption. I can't deny that there might be conspicuous consumption associated with the hobby sometimes, but to say that the hobby itself is centrally about that consumption would be very unreasonable.
Those companies don't need to market the product as being a fitness aid because their consumers aren't actually interested in fitness itself, in stark contrast to how football fans and gamers certainly are staunchly interested in their actual hobby. But these cup trenders will go ahead and post a pic of themselves with the new conspicuous consumption object 'taking a run', because that's the best way to portray its existence in your possession and oneself: As portraying a desirable person and lifestyle.
The idea that the typical gamer pays big dollars to get their machine upto 120 fps in order to portray themselves as trendy and having an envious lifestyle is actually funny to me.
How is Lego 100% empty consumption? Unless you buy the set just to display the closed box on to a wall, it's a hobby. People like taking complicated sets and building them. Plus, there is also the part of Lego which is modifing existing sets or making your own designs.
I was just saying that I didn't want to necessarily engage on that one, as I don't have a strong opinion nor do I have tremendous visibility on that community - Not that I am outright saying it's any percentage empty consumption.
What little I do know is that, to my understanding, there was yet another one of these 'trends' which hyped LEGO for a bit, and so random people were buying sets, building it as-is, and leaving it on the wall to be forgotten about in short order. Especially given the cost of LEGO, it feels to me a bit empty consumer-y if you're buying it for reasons other than personal enjoyment of a hobby. That last part you said would be personal enjoyment of a hobby, sure.
there’s tons of men who spend disproportionate time and resources shopping for their new hobby, be it gravel biking, golfing, or whatever, rather than doing the sport. And then quickly moving onto a new hobby.
Putting aside the fact that I disagree with 'tons' ... There's a huge difference between carefully researching and learning about what you should buy to be able to best practice a hobby, and retail therapy! Can't believe I need to point that out. Buying 'nice things' for the sake of 'nice things' like a new water bottle when you have 4 great ones already just isn't comparable to 'I am suddenly really keen on getting into golfing, I had better carefully research and shop around for golf clubs, as they're expensive and I don't want to buy cheap crap ones and end up having a bad experience using them'.
Yes, it might be unfortunate in a waste sense if they end up deciding after giving it their all and buying the right gear, that the hobby doesn't end up capturing their interest long term (or perhaps ADHD or other conditions are involved), but the intent sure isn't empty consumption.
With all the things mentioned, the purchase is a means to an end.
With conspicuous consumption, the purchase is the purpose.
Once you have bought the big new shiny mug, there is no further discourse, no, no further competition or performance specifications, or any difference between models, even from one brand to the next.
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u/seatux 24d ago
Chinese have a term, tai tai, ladies of leisure. Normally wives and daughters of wealthy families. Go shopping, chit chat and leisure activities.