Uh oh, NPR is flipping their narrative from snarky distain to normalizing prepping. Not gonna lie this makes me extremely nervous. Doomsday Prepping Goes Mainstream
I would say that "prepping" has been going "mainstream" since the "Doomsday Preppers" show aired. I looked at those "kits" that were referenced, they don't look all that great to me. Most of those kits looked like they will do little to no good in a real emergency. Just a way to separate a fool from their money.
Good audio interview in the linked article. I'm not sure that NPR is necessarily normalising prepping, but recognising that American society, in response to the Covid pandemic is moving towards prepping being a rational, sensible, responsible act of self reliance in the face of an uncertain world. Sydney is in its second lockdown since the pandemic began, (you know, the one that King Donald 1st said would disappear mid 2020), and toilet paper panic buying is evidence that the unprepared herd has still not yet worked it out.
Normalization refers to social processes through which ideas and actions come to be seen as 'normal' and become taken-for-granted or 'natural' in everyday life. There are different behavioral attitudes that humans accept as normal, such as grief for a loved one, avoiding danger, and not participating in cannibalism. DW
Why did I instantly picture a person in khakis trying to untangle the paracord bracelet they bought on EBay, to tie the lift gate shut on their Volvo wagon, so the rick of insta-flame fire logs they scored at Trader Joe's won't fall out?
