KonMari: A License to Throw Away?
“No, this one belongs in the trash.” Although heavily countered by my father’s exhaustive protests, the aged table linen did in fact find itself within the rubbish bin. As my father retreated to hide his remaining treasures, in hopes that they would live to see another day, my mother stood triumphantly against the large pile of items in the trash and donation pile. When it came to objects, my family always held a divided opinion. On one side was my father, who grew up in a rural village, which emphasized limiting possessions while maximizing their lifespan. This was sharply contrasted with my mother, who grew up with strict standards of cleanliness. While she as well wished to limit possessions, her view of objects came mainly from the idea that they must always provide value to us, or else it is simply clutter left within the home. Indeed the
Preliminary Thesis: While many claim that the enthusiastic acceptance of Mrs. Kondo’s book by American audiences is due simply to our excessive propensity to buy, I argue that the underlying reason for the mass popularity of her method is the semblance of control that she helps her American audience regain. Missing the important influence that led her to adopt this method- Shintoism, where respect towards all objects is a primary value, Americans may simply see this newfound control as a calling to both consume, and dispose of more.
When Marie Kondo debuted her show on Netflix about 3 years ago, the show caught on rather quickly among audiences across the world. Based on her original book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie presents her audience with a rather simple concept: treating objects with respect, regardless of their monetary value. For domestic audiences, this seemed obvious, Japanese culture takes cleanliness seriously — it is a defining virtue and a building block of community. From their childhood, citizens are taught the importance of not simply cleaning their surroundings, but respecting them as well. Indeed Shintoism, the dominant religion in Japan, teaches its followers this very concept. In the Shinto religion, Kami, or spirits, are deities that live among the environment. Whether it is the surrounding landscape, temples itself, or even items that are in everyday use, Kami is everywhere. Thus, when Mrs. Kondo released her KonMari method, which taught organization techniques with Shinto influences, some of her domestic audiences dismissed it as “cheesy”. Some Japanese citizens, looking at her tutorials, shows , and books wondered why something so obvious to them would be so popular and even further, need such a framing. As one Japanese writer puts it, “I feel the concept (regarding the Netflix show) is a bit too optimized for the western market and overrated” (Lark). While it is not a opinion shared by all Japanese, it is nonetheless one interesting to think about. Kondo’s original method devised through her personal experience in life, including her five year tenure as an attendant maiden at a Shinto shrine. Her first book was released in 2011, and remained exclusively in the Japanese language until an English translation was released 3 years later, in 2014. Thus, while the original copy was aimed towards the domestic audience. So what makes Netflix show so different? Jennifer Le Zotte, assistant professor of history and material culture at the University of North Carolina Wilmington explains that
“the show bears only a superficial resemblance to the book. The 35-minute episodes necessarily elide a number of important steps in Kondo’s tidying process and entirely omit much of the meaning. To appeal to a broader audience and in keeping with the brand of reality show it is, “Tidying Up” focuses on the individual stories of the people whose homes Kondo helps declutter, rather than the decluttering itself.”(Le Zotte)
While different than the book, what exactly makes it “optimized for the Western audience”? Why have Americans specifically taken such a liking towards ehr own methods.
Unhealthy relationship between the pairing of “throwing away” and “buying anew”
Americans instantly accepted and popularized it. Whether it be through popular culture, social media, or something else, it was generally accepted throughout North America as the new “trendy” way to clean, organize, and most importantly, get rid of the goods we no longer have use for
“the Kondo effect,” the American secondhand market did not then and does not now need a boost. Each year for many decades now, major thrift stores like Goodwill Industries sell literally tons of rejected donations to major profit-making companies who in turn ship them overseas for sale to poorer nations in a process that compromises any clear definition of charity and exposes Americans to accusations of cultural colonization.”
When Marie Kondo debuted her show on Netflix about 3 years ago, Americans instantly accepted and popularized it. Whether it be through popular culture, social media, or something else, it was generally accepted throughout North America as the new “trendy” way to clean, organize, and most importantly, get rid of the goods we no longer have use for. For the American, the appeal of the KonMari Method is quite apparent. In American culture of mass consumption, consumerism, and fast fashion, KonMari gave people a way to find order in places closest to their hearts and minds: their home. Yet, as the show became popular, an interesting phenomenon appeared: thrift stores, donation centers, and other charitable organizations in America became inundated with donated goods, some usable, but many of the goods were in such poor condition that they became a burden to the organizations, as they had to find their own way to dispose of the goods. Therein lies the problem. If the Americans had been paying closer attention to the original meaning of the KonMari method, this would have not happened. Based on her Shinto religion, Marie teaches her audiences that all objects should be treated with respect, as they all have an inherent Kami or spirit. Throwing the unwanted objects, without respect to whether a second hand owner would actually appreciate them translates to disrespect, which inherently misses the point of the original method. The missing of the original intentions of Mrs. Kondo’s method I believe is due to the fundamental difference between American and Japanese culture and religion. Americans, miss the point here as the KonMari method is in direct disagreement with consumerist values, which places as little respect on the product as possible, so the consumer will possess an inclination to purchase the next popular thing
Sources:
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/why-everyone-obsessed-tidying-up-marie-kondo-791315/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marie-kondo-white-western-audineces_n_5c47859be4b025aa26bde77c
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/04/opinions/marie-kondo-netflix-konmari-spark-joy-le-zotte/index.html
