Escape from Affluenza 1998
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by John de Graf, Vivia Boe, and KCTS/Seattle
Director n/a
VHS, color, 57 min.
High School - Adult
Sociology, Popular Culture
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Gerald Notaro, University Librarian Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, University of South FloridaEscape from Affluenza is a sequel to the recent (1997) Affluenza, which decries the evils of over consumption and waste. Less camp and cheek than its predecessor, we nonetheless see the well-known Joneses, whom we supposedly have been trying to keep up with, waving the white flag of surrender. They are now willing to give up their fast lane lifestyle for recycling, compost heaps social activism, and volunteerism. Narrated and hosted by former Los Angeles newspaper reporter Wanda Urbanska, Escape from Affluenza asks the ultimate philosophical question, "What is the good life?" She and her family describe their search in the books Simple Living: One Couple's Search for a Better Life and Moving to a Small Town. There is even testimonial from a former Microsoft employee who now enjoys the life of an actor. Others give up Maple Street for a houseboat or professional careers for message therapy. An interesting historical perspective describes the Utopian, commune, and transcendental movements of the 19th century. Voluntary simplicity has even made its way into campus a curriculum. Local support groups have formed to give advice on reducing waste and costs. The movement is now international, a stepchild of Green and Greenpeace. Like Affluenza, Escape from Affluenza, is an interesting, but not essential, purchase.