Obsolescence: Origins and Outrages

The movie directed by Cosima Dannoritzer, The Light Bulb Conspiracy, attempts to trace the history of planned obsolescence in the twentieth century and some of its implications. The movie succeeds in conveying the message that planned obsolescence (and associated techniques such as model changes and advertising) is a powerful force for profit and the source of significant environmental problems, from dangerous waste dumps (particularly in underdeveloped nations) to massive resource depletion. The film does not succeed so well in accounting for the origins of obsolescence, as it focuses on "conspiracies" among manufacturers to reduce quality and increase consumption. The primary example is the Phoebus cartel assembled by the world's light bulb manufacturers in the 1920s. The cartel sought, according to this account, to shorten bulb life to increase consumer demand. The history, however, is much more complex, and the movie does not take into account important (and useful) technical changes.