Rage For The Machine – the Corporatisation of Youth
I see two major problems with the corporatisation of youth – the effect it has on youth, and how it reduces the potential of youth rebellion to create real change.
Corporations target the teenage market
Corporations target teenagers to sell products. This is no surprise: in the year 2000 teenagers spent 100 billion dollars – a huge amount of money.(1) The scrabble to sell to teenagers has corporatised youth - brands and labels often sell identities or attitudes rather than products. Corporations spend big money trying to keep up with trends - some people have full time work figuring out what’s cool! (such as 18tracker, which is a youth market research company)
There is nowhere that advertisers cannot get you. One high school in America once held “Coke Day”. Coke were offering prizes for being the most effective school at promoting Coke.(2)
Anti-corporate rebellion has even been sold! The (now dissolved) rock band Rage Against The Machine advertised T-shirts for sale in the lyric sheets of their albums! Pictures of Argentinian guerilla revolutionary Che Guevara have sold everything from T-Shirts to soap powder.
Building branded youth stereotypes
Labels and cosmetic companies exploit teenagers deepest fears and insecurities to sell products. Perhaps you have heard this on Clearasil adverts. “your skin’s so unpredictable, if it was a guy, you’d dump him” and “you want the girl, but you have oily skin, so you can’t get the girl”. Huge sections of NZ youth live in poverty, yet spend ridiculous amounts of money on labels and cosmetics. If they don’t, they face exclusion and bullying.
The ugly side of branding
As far as I’m concerned, this is, plainly and simply, a form of terrorism. It isn’t hard to imagine how this type of marketing contributes to teenage suicide and depression. We all know how corporate-funded supermodels – used to sell labels – cause low self esteem which can lead to anorexia, bulimia and other health problems. Corporations terrify teenagers into going to insane lengths to conform to fashions and body images, and then sell them the products to do it with.
Rebellion as fashion
Even youth rebellion has become a fashion trend. Think of all the products you own which have a rebellious image. It could be a T-Shirt, or a CD, or a haircut or anything. Now, ask yourself the question “How really rebellious is this?” There’s a reasonable chance some of these rebellious pieces of clothing were produced in sweatshops. Many musicians are choked and controlled by their record labels – remember how Shihad had to change their name for America because it sounded like Jihad? Buying commercial ‘rebellious’ CDs does little to help independent voices. Rebellion is more about the sale of an attitude than global justice.
Keeping rebellion about the real issues
One of the most intensely covered protest movements I read about on an independent news site(3) was J-Day (A.K.A international marijuana day). In the midst of huge global issues, why did protestors and independent journalists care so much about cannabis and pot smoking?
Rebellion is often a trend and subculture, not a push for change. Lets use George Bush as an example. Bush and America are fun to ridicule(4) – but how many ‘anti-Bush’ people really care about anything more than a laugh? One person at an anti-war protest had leaflets supporting Iraqi insurgents.(5) O.K, Bush is bad. So is war. However, supporting terrorists that blow up civilians, threaten democratic elections and support a dictatorship is just as stupid. Another person yelled “hooray for us!” This suggests a group of people out for an event and a laugh, and to look rebellious – not a group genuinely fighting for global peace and justice.
Taking the power back
But how can consumerism be fought when rebellion is a product for sale? I don’t know, but here’s an idea: teenagers spent approximately $150 billion in 2001 - about twice the GDP of New Zealand! (6) This power of the consumer is power over corporations in the fight for global justice. Imagine the impact if, for instance, a multibillion dollar dmographic suddenly decided to boycott everything that wasn’t fair trade
As to how to rebel authentically, I don’t know. However, shouldn’t there be some actual push for change involved? It shouldn’t just be about smoking pot, and certainly not about buying into a corporate terror state.
“When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use” – Joseph Stalin
***Or am I completely wrong? Please feel free to disagree with and discuss everything I say in the forum.
References:
(1) Transcript of documentary about similar topic
(2) This story is from the book Stupid White Men, by Michael Moore.
(3)Indymedia , Independent news site which is very informative about lots of things
(4) This is a good example of anti-Bush /America comedy.
(5) Article in student magazine about contemporary Anti-Americanism
(6) Global stats site. Teen $150 billion spending stat from reference (2)
Learn More:
Article about market researching teens in New Zealand
Take Action:
Ethical Consumer - Good advice on boycotting
Otherwise, be creative.
This illustration was first published in Tearaway magazine and is reprinted here with their permission
Illustrator: Rebecca Ter Borg
Photographer Eva Lawrence
