Lizzo, Instacart, and America’s Problem With Overindulgence

America is not only considered an indulgent culture, America is an indulgent culture. 

What got me thinking about this was my own strange addiction to paper towels. I realized when I cook dinner I use nearly an entire roll of paper towels. I’ve been using paper towels like a psychopath. It’s a small, indulgent behavior, but just because it’s small doesn’t mean I should be engaging in it.

And, as it turns out, I am not alone. A report from Euromonitor international says the U.S. spends more on paper towels than every other country in the world combined. But to indulge – this is what we do! We use more and more, in excess and excess. We like wealth, and we like money. Perhaps this is a result of living in a free-market capitalist society, but it is definitely a result of being a part of a society that glorifies Hollywood so much.

It’s worth paying attention to where we are specifically seeing this type of indulgent culture. Enter: Lizzo.

Lizzo, to me, is so emblematic of our society of excess. In fact, she might be the first artist to be unbelievably fat and simultaneously claim that being fat is delicious. She proclaims her audience should want to be more like her — and be more fat — because it’s amazing. Whether she’s taking photos half naked in front of a private plane or sitting on the sidelines at a basketball game, she’s saying that she’s wealthy, fabulous, fat, and happy.

But Lizzo doesn’t just stop with the fact that she’s fat and happy: She thinks you should be fat, too! And people applaud her for this — all the time. They love it, and rather shockingly, they want more of it. But what is it that people are wanting more of, exactly?

Ironically, people seem to be wanting more of less. Lizzo is pitching a lack of substance and persuading her followers to want more of, well, nothing. But Instacart recognized her brand and her powers of persuasion and capitalized on them by making her the face of their company.

In their latest commercial, Instacart has Lizzo in a bathtub ordering everything her heart could possibly desire while surrounded by food, fairies, and luxury. And why is this the featured commercial? Because this. Is. America. We want more, we want excess, and what we don’t want is the truth.

Because the truth is, Lizzo isn’t actually happy — and having “more” won’t make you happy either. Lizzo is clinically obese. It’s worth recognizing how exhausting it is to carry around such weight all day.

I recently had my own experience with overindulgence. I was in Los Angeles and went to In and Out Burger. The taste was fabulous and the instant high from bad food seemed almost worth it, but afterward, I felt disgusting. Couple that with sitting on a plane for four hours, and I desperately felt like I needed to move my body. Impulsive behavior followed by instant gratification is never really worth the long-term consequences of feeling so bad.

That temporary high isn’t really happiness, but that’s what Lizzo is selling you. It’s a lie. And what Instacart is selling you is a lie. These indulgences don’t make us happier. 

Whether it’s the little rush of bad food or the short-term kick from a purchase, you don’t really have money for  it never leads to true happiness. You end up uncomfortable or financially stressed. Anxiety and angst always follow, and that’s what Lizzo experiences every day.

I do not doubt that Lizzo has to be suffering from some form of depression, if for no other reason than the amount of weight she is carrying. Her apparent happiness is a lie. This commercial is a lie. And what do these lies lead to?

When we are told that having “more” will lead to happiness, we are a society primed perfectly for socialism. Why do you think people respond so well when politicians say, “this should be free!”? Because it’s not just that we’re told we should have “more” — that “more” should be free.

And if you can’t afford it, the message becomes that it’s the upper 1% who should afford it for you because they’re the real problem anyway. They have too much! Tax them! We’re told to forget responsibility. This is someone else’s responsibility. “Give us more free stuff.”

That is the incredibly unfortunate state of American politics today. So, what’s the answer to this? Where does it end?

Well, if it’s left up to the Left, it won’t end until the irresponsible are given their “free stuff.”

So, take note, and caveat emptor.