Recession Tales: Health and Welfare Edition

Photo: powerbooktrance

If this Detroit News article is indicative of behavior around the country, then the recession is turning out to be a good time to be:
a) a wig maker;
b) a medical company that needs human research subjects; or
c) an infertile woman who wants to have a baby.
That’s because the recession is leading people in Michigan* to “mine their bodies for cash to make ends meet.” So there’s an uptick in:
a) people selling their hair;
b) people renting themselves out for medical research; and
c) young women selling their eggs.
So look for an abundance of supply — and, quite possibly, a price drop — in these realms.
Before you go wringing your hands about how our capitalist monstrosity is forcing people to degrade themselves — remember, people are free to choose — consider what’s happening in China’s Hubei province, where people are being ordered to smoke more cigarettes to shore up the local economy.
*On a separate note, the headline of the Detroit News article refers to “Michiganians,” which is apparently interchangeable with “Michigander” — but don’t we all very much prefer the latter?