Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving
society prevention useless giving spug campaign group new york pointless gift christmas particularly exploitation junior employee supervisor founded actress socialite eleanor robson belmont anne morgan daughter jp morgan along dozen woman new york city lady rich philanthropically inclined improving lot working woman new york spug established response woman perceived unnecessary christmasrelated materialism well era’s custom employee giving gift boss higherups exchange workplace favour frequently gift given expensive costing two weeks’ worth wage would negatively affected female employee greater degree male counterpart woman found spend time money gift experience higher degree gender expectation social pressure around gifting group grew member rally held spug promoted female solidarity even class division lingered giving occasion air maternalistic charity sisterhood spug membership initially restricted woman however men later permitted join primarily result president theodore roosevelt december became first “man spug” promoting hundred others join movement reduce christmas gift giving “i believe group accomplish individual cannot—namely gradual substitution right spirit christmas giving place custom ‘collective’ ‘exchange’ present exists today” read society membership card roosevelt signed “i agree pay c year due wear campaign spug button” christmas society stalled result war erupted europe drew attention spug founder belmont morgan recent year spugs opposition consumerist trivia found favor