Episode 81 - The Lipstick Effect: Bad Analysis From Economists

In this episode, we dive deep into the lipstick effect — a phenomenon described by bourgeois economists where consumers continue to buy small luxury items like lipstick during economic downturns.

But this isn’t just about makeup. It’s about cognitive dissonance, survival, and the subtle manipulation of consumer desire under capitalism. We unpack how capitalism doesn’t just respond to needs — it creates them. Through decades of psychological advertising and cultural conditioning, we’ve been trained to seek small pleasures to cope with larger instability.

From the contradictions of frugality in a crisis to the deeper logic of production-for-profit, we ask: 👉 Why do we keep consuming even when we can't afford it? 👉 What does this say about how capitalism structures our desires? 👉 And is this loop manufactured? Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on economics, psychology, and ideology in the age of crisis.

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