Writer Buzz Bissinger Opens Up About Shopping Addiction


Friday Night Lights writer Buzz Bissinger recently opened up about his shopping addiction.

The 58-year-old author admitted to purchasing a large amount of designer clothing over the past three years. Bissinger said his obsession was not unlike those who are addicted to drugs or sex.

“There are similarities: the futile feeding of the bottomless beast and the unavoidable psychological implications, the immediate hit of the new that feels like an orgasm and the inevitable coming-down,” Buzz Bissinger said of his addiction.

In a recent article in GQ magazine, Bissinger admitted to owning “eighty-one leather jackets, seventy-five pairs of boots, forty-one pairs of leather pants, thirty-two pairs of haute couture jeans, ten evening jackets, and 115 pairs of leather gloves.” The writer said he often didn’t care if the clothing was designed for men or women.

Bissinger added that he loved looking at himself in the mirror after purchasing new clothes. He likened the experience to a “sexual rush.” He also wondered if his addiction was actually a replacement for sex itself.

“But just like [sex] the magic of new clothing wears off quickly, and you can’t resist the cravings for new purchases,” he added.

Buzz Bissinger said that he has a particular fondness for the Gucci brand. He stated that his reputation as one of the company’s top clients helped him land a choice seat at the Gucci’s Pitti Uomo show in Milan last year. The writer explained:

“The Gucci brand has always held special power for me, ever since the 1960s, when the Gucci loafer with the horsebit hardware was the rage, and my father, who fancied himself as being anti-status when he secretly loved it, broke down and bought a pair.”

Bissinger told NBC News that he wrote the essay to help those who were struggling with their own form of addiction. He said that he has “no regrets about what I wrote but I also have nothing to add.” Shortly after the piece was publisher, the writer checked into rehab.

Buzz Bissinger said that his shopping addiction ultimately cost him $587,412.97 over the past three years.

Share this article: Writer Buzz Bissinger Opens Up About Shopping Addiction
More from Inquisitr