Confessions of a Shopaholic as Metaphor for Our Current Economic Meltdown

 

I confess to having watched "Confessions of a Shopaholic" last weekend at a movie theater in Boca Raton. And, I confess to hating it. Full disclosure: Like the movie's protagonist, I was once a financial journalist who lived in Manhattan. But that's not why I subjected myself to this flick. My sister -- a bona fide shopaholic who seems to know all the shopkeepers at the Town Center mall -- decided it would be a fun excursion for her 12-year-old daughter and gaggle of little friends. The movie, she heard, had a positive message. I got to tag along.

I'm not going to spoil the movie's ending, but let's just say the supposedly  "positive" message was drowned by a series of far more insidious lessons for kids.

You see, protagonist Becky Bloomwood -- played by Isla Fisher (above left) -- is a complete trainwreck. Debt collectors are hounding her. She can't pay her rent. She drinks copious amounts of alcohol to drown her sorrows. No editor in his right mind would hire her...even at an (ick!) financial magazine.

But she sure is cute and stylish! Like too many of our fairy tales for young girls, this one involves a rich white knight coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress. (For hapless Becky, it seems like the dude has to rescue her over, and over, and over again) Did I mention that she dates her boss? Yeah. That's a BIG no-no in the real world, girls. Thanks, Disney. As an added bonus, the movie's official website redirects you to bluefly.com, an online store that describes itself as "the ultimate hook-up for the fashion obsessed." 

Come to think of it, Becky Bloomwood is a little like our nation's bank CEOs. She's a self-absorbed liar who can spend herself into a hole and still find some sucker to bail her out. Don't believe me? Check out the movie trailer below: