The Commercialization of Eat, Pray, Love
Elephant Journal has an article on the commercialization of Eat, Pray, Love, and I couldn’t agree with the author more:
“Do any of us really believe that we can achieve spiritual depth by buying prayer beads and a fancy glass teapot? Are we really that empty?”
As of this writing, the most recent post to the Twitter feed for “Eat, Pray, Love,” the movie, is a promotion for the Home Shopping Network (HSN):
Equating author Elizabeth Gilbert’s spiritual encounters on an Indian ashram with buying Indian goods from the Home Shopping Network is simply absurd. What’s disturbing is that this marketing campaign will work; dozens of women will buy these things, hoping to get a little taste of Gilbert’s experiences in exchange — as if stuff is ever an adequate substitute for authentic experience.
I want to say to these women, “Go out and live. Cultivate your own tremendous experiences.” As a yoga teacher once said to me, “No one can practice yoga for you.” No one else can live your life, and symbols of someone else’s existence will never add up to a fulfilling existence of your own.
August 7th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
My dislike for the book has grown to open disdain. The writing is fine, and there were parts of it that I thought were fine, but the reception and obsession with it irks me. I’ve been around a lot of women, and in a few book clubs, who without irony remark on their love of the book and their wish that like Elizabeth Gilbert, they could win a six figure book advance, travel and experience a spiritual awakening that ties itself neatly into a bow around a mythical true love millionaire. Sorry. I never bought any of it, and I still maintain for all of Gilbert’s whining, weeping, and self-flagellation at the start of the book that she never shared anything personal about her life, her divorce, and even this supposed spiritual awakening. That’s why this book is a mass market success and why it gives itself so easily to commercialization: it doesn’t demand of its readers much more than the wistful wish they were as lucky as Liz Gilbert.
August 7th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Here, here! I couldn’t have said it better myself, Amanda. And Namaste.
August 7th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Kim – good to have a kindred spirit
Kate – but what do you REALLY think?!
I agree with much of what you say – there’s a way in which she holds back, doesn’t really reveal herself. But I still found much to like about the story, particularly the parts in India.
August 8th, 2010 at 9:00 am
I know; I got carried away, and that was after a meditation class. Ha! I did find portions of the book, particularly India, interesting. I just made it through the first wave of EPL intact and I’m not sure I’ll get through this second wave without drawing blood from my comments. The commercialization of these things always gets under my skin. Loved your post. That should be the ultimate message of any book like EPL: People have it within themselves to experience life and find what they need to have, as you say, a fulfilling existence.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:04 am
perfect.
thanks for putting words to how i felt about all this.