Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Merchants of Cool and Panopticism
View the Frontline documentary called Merchants of Cool (www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool) and read Foucault's "Panopticism" if you haven't already (http://foucault.info/documents/disciplineAndPunish/foucault.disciplineAndPunish.panOpticism.html). Then, post a comment about how the Panopticon relates to Merchants of Cool. How is it similar? How is it different? For example, how does the "giant feedback loop" mentioned in the documentary relate to the panopticon? By the way, what were your personal reactions to Merchants of Cool?
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I believe that there are a lot of similarities between panopticism and the documentary "Merchants of Cool". The giant feedback loop mentioned in the documentary is one example of how company's use the concept of a panopticism in order to keep themselves in business. I think the claim that "companies are just giving adolescents what they want" is completely true; however, I also believe that kids do not know what they want. Typically, I feel that adolescents believe they need to "buy something" in order to "be cool" or else they will consider themselves to be an "outcast" of society. It's ironic that everybody claims that they want to be "unique", but when faced with a decision to be part of a trend or not, they usually chose to be part of the "in crowd"-- the people participating in the trend. I believe that adolescents need a way to learn how to decide for themselves what makes them "cool". I feel like this could be accomplished by simple explanation of what it means to be part of the "in crowd"- You are a follower, not a leader.
ReplyDeleteThe “Merchants of Cool” documentary relates to the Panopticon article in a lot of ways. For example the documentary talks about how they are constantly targeting their products to teens. They have to constantly watch what teens are doing in order to keep them interested. In one part of the documentary they interviewed a young girl who was talking about how she’s constantly being viewed by society and it makes her want to always look presentable. They also showed her at a modeling agency, and she said that she’s 16 years old, but in the public’s eye she could be viewed as 17 or 18. In the documentary they mentioned, “Giant feedback loop”, which relates to the panopticon because it is what companies use to keep their work going in life. I feel that the documentary and the article differed because young teens don’t really know what they want. They tend to just follow whatever is popular at that time, and it’s always changing. The documentary was interesting. I wonder if things will ever change. Will teens ever be leaders instead of followers?
ReplyDeleteThe documentary "Merchants of Cool" and the article about panopticism has quite a lot in common. They both are talking about how things appeal to people and how to make things appeal to a person. In the documentary, they show MTV going to random individual's houses and studying their everyday life, to see how they can appeal to more and more teens. They have people out searching for the teens that are the 'trendsetters' so they can find out the newest trends. They want to find out what appeals to teens for marketing purposes, because our teenager generation is the largest generation and spend about $100 billion dollars yearly. Teens are one of the biggest demographics that are out and spending money and buying things. The giant feedback loop relates to panopticism, because the advertisers always need to find new ways to appeal to the teens and there is always that loop between the teens and advertising world. Like in the documentary, they talk about how the MTV world is almost what is influencing how the teens react versus the teens being the ones to influence what is broadcasted on TV. I think the documentary is very interesting, because it is crazy how advertising people try so hard to learn more about teens and learn new methods of advertising to teens.
ReplyDeleteThe Merchants of Cool documentary touches on the idea of the giant feedback loop that helps companies get reactions from their target audience, which compared to the panopticon theory, keeps these companies on top with competing markets and companies, who are trying to do the same thing (sell their products). The companies, in theory are in control, because of the information they recieve from these feedback loops. I’m not really surprised that companies go through such great lengths to persuade teenagers to buy or promote their products. Personally, I think its just a part of being a teenager. I feel teenagers are so easily influenced by media and society, because many teenagers at that age haven’t really found themselves, to necessarily consider these outside influences less of an importance or priority than, let’s say, a steady job, apartment rent, and car insurance. The majority of teenagers are more concerned on who’s wearing what, learn the secrets to being ‘cool’, and how to get the next best (insert product here).
ReplyDeleteThe Merchants of Cool documentary relates to Foucault's "Panopticism" in two different segments. The first being when they talk about the market researchers who run the Look Look website. They go around trying to find what the latest trends are. In the documentary they show the researchers talking to teens and taking pictures of them. They are watching what the kids do, wear, and where they go. In "Panopticism" Foucault writes about the person in the watch tower. The guard watch whatever the people confined to the "prison" are doing. Sometimes the people know they are being watched and at other times they do not. Same things go with the teens, sometimes they know they are being watched and that what they do is being sold to companies to know what the trend of the moment it, and other times they don't even know that what they're wearing or doing is being observed.
ReplyDeleteAnother part of the documentary that relates to the watch tower excerpt is the Under the Radar Marketing segment. Teens are being marketed to and most of the time they aren't even aware of it. Just like with the watch tower again, the prisoners don't know that they are being watched or that what they do is being taken into account. Many companies design campaign ads strictly aimed towards the teen market. These marketing campaigns become effective when the item or product they are selling starts being purchased by the intended market. If a marketing campaign is good it can discretely aim towards a target market without having to have their ads scream "I am intended for the teen market!" Teens are most likely not aware of how much work goes into campaign ads directed towards them. They are the largest group of consumers and companies want their cash, but they have to market to teens in creative and clever ways.
The documentary Merchants of Cool and the article “Panopticism” are similar in many ways. Both talk about how people want things and discuss how to make things (objects) draw people to them. Both involve targeting products to teenagers and the depths people will go to in order to make sure their advertising is successful. In the documentary, MTV actually goes to people’s houses trying to find teenage “trendsetters”. I definitely agree that most teens nowadays follow a select few “trendsetters” they deem “cool”. The documentary mentions the “giant feedback loop” which relates to the idea of Panopticism and how companies use it to keep themselves in business. To target products to teens, companies must constantly be aware of what teens are doing and the latest trends to keep them interested in their products. Most teens today are followers, and that is why these theories work.
ReplyDeleteKristy Candela
The documentary and "Panopticism" were similar on several accounts. With teens being the main source of profit they are continually targeted by many companies to be exploited by their marketing strategies. These researchers go out and try to find those people who set the trends among their peers in different environments to find new marketing."The giant feedback loop" is mentioned in the article and directly relates to "Panopticism". Many teen are easily influenced by what they and will always strive to be like what they see on t.v or what they feel will gain them social acceptance and status. It is quite easy for these companies to exploit the ideas of the trend setters to gain the make a profit from those who are trying to set the trends or just fit into it.
ReplyDeleteThere are defiantly similarities between panopticism and the documentary “Merchant of Cool”. All these companies that use ads to get teenagers to spend money are the law, the teens or people in general are the prisoners, and society is our mirror. We buy things as soon as they come out because we want to be considering “cool”. We have an obligation to dress a certain way, drive a certain car, and look a certain way because we put in our head that’s how society wants’ us to be. The law in this case the ads make the teens think that they know what’s best for them and if they go out and but the products they can make them fit into society. I think the documentary really showed how we all started as followers because at some point in our teenage life we wanted to fit in somewhere.
ReplyDeleteThere are major similarities between Panopticism and the "Merchants of Cool" video. It explains how major companies can use teenagers to sell there products. Just like the tower-watchers talked about in Panopticism we are the prisoners being watched. Advertising companies watch us as society and see what we are doing and what is the "cool" thing to do or be. Off of that they sell there products by playing into the insecurities of the buyers. The feedback buyers give companies by either buying a product, or using a product, gives the companies the power to stay in control and on top of the market. Essentially creating a giant feedback loop, buy keeping the products coming, and the feedback coming companies are able to make new products to fit new trends or new needs.
ReplyDeleteThe Panopticon relates to merchant of cool because in merchant of cool the trend setters are being watched constantly while in the panopticon there is a sense of being watched even when the prisoners or people are not being watched. There is a fear that they are being watched in the panopticon. It is different because the merchant of cool are constantly watching the teens and come into interaction with them and reveal themselves to the teens while in the panopticon there is no interaction at all. The giant loop relates since the teens see the image they want and the cool hunters package what the teens are doing and want and sell it back to them causing this giant loop.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to the Merchant of Cool is amazement that the 5 corporation control 90 percent of the mass media and have such power over people and their life style. I was also amaze to learn that the average teen with be subject to 3000 discrete advertisements a day and 10 million advertisement by the time they reach the age of 18.
My personal reaction to Merchants of the Cool was shock. The media corrupts young teenagers in manipulating ways. They look for specific trends and target the most vulnerable audience. This reminded me of a billboard sign I saw about a cigar store. The ad said “Are we there yet?” but it was written in child-like handwriting. Clearly, the ad was not meant to be targeted only at adults.
ReplyDeleteI think Merchants of the Cool and Panopticon were alike and different in the same ways. In the article Panopticism, the prisoners were aware of the fact that they were being watched. However, they did not know when they were being watched and that is what kept them in line. While Merchants of the Cool focuses on how the media “watches” teenagers, this concept is different from Panopticism. The media was getting and giving feedback to the teens they were watching; the teens were also giving and getting feedback from their peers. This was called the feedback circle.
Although the prisoners were being carefully watched too, there was no interaction between them and the guards. They had to behave all the time because they were not able to depict whether there was a guard in the tower or not.
I feel like "Merchants of Cool" makes marketing sound like the most exhausting and circuitous profession. In reaction to the documentary I feel that market researchers are fighting a losing battle. As stated in the film trends are constantly changing and moving forward, and it is true that once a trend is marketed is dies. I find this very sad in a way because it is robbing the creative individuals of self expression and handing it to people that have no value in the meaning of what they are representing. The theory of Panopticism, I feel, is extremely effective. Like I mentioned in class, when I babysit I always wonder if there are cameras throughout the house watching me interact with the children. Just the idea that there could be someone watching keeps me on my toes. However, in relevance to the documentary I don't feel that market researchers will be able to apply the theory of Panopticism when researching teenagers. Although they are sometimes able to disguise their questions, the subjects are constantly aware that they are being surveyed and will only allow the most insignificant things to be revealed. The aspect of a teens life that are truly meaningful to them they will not give up so easily and therefore the illusion of a Panopticon falls flat
ReplyDeletePanopticism and the Merchants of cool are closely related in the sense that there is always a third eye watching every move you make. Whether it be the market researchers that target young teenagers in Merchants of Cool, or the guards of the panopticon, someone is always watching. In the case of the cool hunters, they seek out trends that appeal to the teenage generation. In order to do this, they must be constantly searching and watching for new, “cool” fads. This in turn shapes the giant feedback loop that is the premise surrounding the ever-changing popular trends. With the panopticon, the same idea is implemented in an effort to instill order within the prison. The prisoners fear they are being watched therefore their behavior is based around that belief. Personally, I was not extremely surprised by the Merchants of Cool documentary, although I didn’t know that marketers went to that extent to get the information to target teens.
ReplyDeleteThe Merchants of Cool documentary was much like the panopticon theory. Market research groups and advertisers for companies are much like an all seeing eye. They are examining what you buy and when, and for what reason. But you are not aware of what strategies they are using, the consumer just makes a decision on what he or she thinks is "cool" and buys that product. Much like the panopticon, the consumers are prisoners to an all seeing eye of market research and advertising. I found a lot of similarities when the Merchants of Cool explained the connection with sprite and hip-hop, and how they connected marketing and a brand name to culture and social trends to identify with. Advertisements are directed at finding our weaknesses to reach into our wallets and buy that product. The advertisement business is not genuine by any means and like the panopticon they are looking down on you as a target.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Lowe-
The documentary “Merchants of Cool” is similar to the article “Panopticism” because is discusses how teens are a major target for marketing companies. Teens are constantly being observed so companies know what they are interested in and how to appeal to their desires. The giant feedback loop goes back to panopricism because there will always be that “loop” between the teens that are being targeted and the companies and advertisers. Most teens don’t really know what they want, they see what the latest trends are or what the hottest item is for the present time and that is how they decide what it is they desire. Advertising companies do not look at the well being of the consumer they only look for the best ways to sell the products they need to. I found this documentary to be interesting, now that I am older looking back to middle school and high school I can understand what the documentary is talking about. It is funny to see that at one point we all were that target of those advertising companies. To this day we probably still are however just too different products.
ReplyDelete