“Conspicuous nonconsumption” ( Alessandra Stanley, NY Times article) very fittingly captures the tailored lifestyle of celebrities (like Angelina Jolie) interested in molding a public persona that appeals to the liberal-cause-identifying ‘bobos’, an acronym for ‘Bourgeosie Bohemian’ as coined by NY Times columnist, David Brooks.
In a way, there is nothing new to this trends. Celebrities have always chosen to consume ‘appropriate’ ‘well-regarded’ brands except once upon a time money was the sole criteria (never made explicit) behind discriminating between what was well regarded and what wasn’t. Now, ‘well meaning’ liberal rational has come to be used to justify (almost equally expensive) consumption habits. So now you have to drink organic fair price near sourced soy-chai-latte with extra Karmic force instead of some $100 cup of coffee at a fashionable restaurant. Smarter yet, do both.
The identity affiliation with brands is a convenient way to rope in ‘righteousness’ and ’self-concept’ along with merely ‘looking good’. For that is really the final frontier of consumption. What wouldn’t you pay for what you consider is ‘right’ and ‘believe in’. Both concepts by the way are generally disjointed from reality.