Thursday, June 14, 2012

Teenagers have come to feel that consumer goods are their friends

In an effort to save some money I'm trying to read more of the books on my shelves. Now I don't actually have a huge TBR pile* so this means most of these end up being re-reads. Which is actually fine by me. I like re-reading. Sometimes it's like visiting old friends. Sometimes it's seeing if something I originally read stands the test of time. So I was scanning my shelves for something to read that would be very different from Emma. Not that I thought Emma was HORRIBLE, I just struggled through the style and needed something that wouldn't be so much work. Which is how I stumbled on Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers by Alissa Quart.

At some point early in college I went through a "advertising is evil and warping your mind" phase. Actually, it started in high school thanks to a teacher who showed us a PBS documentary called The Merchants of Cool** but it really came to a head in college when I read both Branded and Naomi Klein's No Logos (as well as a number of other titles that I no longer remember).*** Branded is about the advertising techniques used on teenagers and more than that, how advertising is affecting teenagers, not only in spending habits but in general development.

One thing to keep in mind with this book is the age. It's not THAT old BUT because youth culture shifts so quickly, the book did feel dated. By focusing on brands you have to mention those brands. Some brands which aren't a thing anymore, or at least don't have the hold on today's youths that they held in the early 2000s. I know Delia*s and Abercrombie & Fitch are still things (I can't walk by A&F in the mall without a potent odor reminding me I AM HERE AND I DON'T KNOW THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF COLOGNE TO WEAR) but they aren't as front and center in the world of teen fashion as they were when i was in high school. There was no Facebook or Twitter when this was published. Which is too bad because I think the conversation about how social media is affecting teen's perceptions of brands would have been very interesting. But alas, Quart is not a psychic.

The book is split into 3 sections: Branding, Self-Branding and Unbranding.

Branding focuses on how teens are being marketed to and how it's changing them. I especially liked the section on peer-to-peer marketing, which is essentially having teens work for the brand (though not for salary or anything, don't be silly) by giving the brand feedback and telling their friends all about how amazing X brand is. This section plays up the general insecurities teens have, especially the desire to fit in and be heard. In this case teens are being heard by the brand and their opinions are being taken seriously. It makes sense teens think of these brands as friends when the marketing liason is the one that listens to them and treats them like an adult. There's also the pervasiveness of branding in places like video games, such as Tony Hawk Pro Skater. (Remember, the book was published in 2003 and most of the references are from before that...)

Self-Branding is looking at how teens and young adults internalize the marketing messages, through cosmetic surgery, steroid use, anorexia, "Logo U" (the self-branding to get yourself into one of the top colleges), and even the aura of celebrity that has infiltrated markets such as Sweet 16 parties, Quinceaneras and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. This section argues how much further the intense teenage marketing goes. It's not just getting teens to connect with (and buy) certain brands, but actually change their physical and emotional self to fit a predetermined example of what they should be like.

Unbranding is about the reaction to this branding and teens taking a stand against this threat. It's kids who are home schooled instead of going through traditional "branded" schooling, or even teens that stay in the public school system but hold rallies against the advertisements in their school.

For the most part it's a good book. It brings up interesting points about not only teens who view consumer goods and brands as friends but the general commodification of teens.However it does have its faults. When Alissa is stating facts or interviewing teens, the book works nicely. When she puts her opinion in there, it seems heavy handed and awkward. I don't remember this bothering me back when I first read it, but this time around it was obvious.

The other thing is she says mean things about Clueless, which you may have noticed I'm currently having a second love affair with. She talks about the sheer awesomeness of '80s teen movies and how that has been lost in a time of Bring It On, Clueless, and She's All That (again, published in 2003) when the popular kids are the stars and watching them go shopping or getting a make-over is the highlight of the plot. She acknowledges that Clueless is a satire but then says that most tweens and teens don't understand this and they'll just focus on how important it is to be popular, beautiful and have expensive things. LIES madame. Lies.

But my main problem with the book is who she's talking to. This book could be sub-subtitled "First World Problems". Or at least "Rich Kid Problems". The issues faced are real but for the most part every teen she talks to is from the upper class and can afford to drop money on name brand gear like Gucci and Dolce&Gabbana, whose families can spend $50k and up on a party, who go to the cream of the crop private schools and thus have the pressure to continue that trend and get into the most exclusive ivy league schools. It's not the sole focus but it's the majority.

*Not a physical TBR pile anyway. I have a fairly large (and growing) wish list tbr pile
**Which a friend of mine got me on DVD one year for my birthday or Christmas or some gift giving holiday. Which I now have a desire to watch...
***And now I work in PR because I appreciate irony. Or I'm a hypocrite.

Title quote from page 35

Quart, Alissa. Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers. Basic Books, 2003.

Comments (20)

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I think with your book and my book, the thing is that they're talking about dumb people. So then it's like "but...why would one think tha--ohhhh 'cause they idiots. Ok."

Also, I read this when I was like eight and it became my entire philosophy on advertising: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uwfKbyUVayI/Tg3iGvO2GyI...
7 replies · active 664 weeks ago
That Calvin & Hobbes comic pretty much sums up this book. Because C&H can distill all complicated questions into a simple comic. I heart them so.

Yes there is a lot of "you know, you don't actually HAVE to buy all the stuff just because of some ads" and you'd think she would have tackled that in Unbranding, but that section was really for people fighting against advertising. Not just people who acknowledge it's there and then do their thing. She does advocate for classes teaching young kids about advertising so they know how to recognize and respond to it, which I think isn't a bad idea. Though most kids seem to get this. Except the dumb ones...
That just reminded me that when my little brother was very tiny, commercials would come on, and as his siblings we thought it most important indeed to teach him that "they're just saying that because they want you to buy it." Which I think he then later repeated. Aw, little siblings.

CALVIN AND HOBBES 4VR.
Similarly, I'm often reminded of this strip - not as good, but same idea:
http://cdn.svcs.c2.uclick.com/c2/dc513a9a250a102d...
I love this one too. I love all of C&H
Attempt 1 at reply: "______ has the box set of Calvin and Hobbes, right?"

Wait, no, I don't think you've ever used his name on the blog, so I probably shouldn't.

Attempt 2 at reply: "Your husband has the box set of Calvin and Hobbes, right?"

Welp.

The boyfriend does, though, right?
Haha Boyfriend does not. At some point I was going to get it for him and then, just, didn't. Cos I'm awesome like that and all. you have it, don't you?
I do! It was a christmas present from my parents. They rock.
Yeah, those silly kids. At least I'm grown up and completely above this.

Except for Apple and the new Retina Macbook. Which I'm salivating over. But that's not my fault - they're the only people who make a laptop that awesome. But other than that, you know, totally grown up.

Oh yeah, and the subset of men's clothing that I love. But that's only because they use higher-quality textiles and pay people a living wage to stitch them.

And the luxury cars that I'm jonesing for. But that's completely understandable; it's a performance automobile. I have to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds on a regular basis.

And the brand of watches made by a dead swiss designer, but c'mon, they're functional antiques made by an /artist/.

So what I'm saying is pretty much I'm the same as I was in high school, except everything costs 10 to 1000 times as much. (Except the Polo shirts. Those stayed the same price.)
1 reply · active 665 weeks ago
hahahaha so you're just a big teenager :) But don't worry, they aren't marketing to you like they are the kiddies.
I do like the sound of this, I was a teen in the early 2000s so rather than minding that the book is a bit dated, it might take me back to my youth :P
1 reply · active 665 weeks ago
It is fun for that nostalgia part (even if it's telling you how all those nostalgic things were manipulating you) and the points are still valid, just not very timely anymore.
But but but Clueless! Clueless is clearly a satire, (it's called Clueless, ffs!) and it's not like 'oh hey, buy loads of shit and then you can be cool' but more like 'buying stuff won't make you happy unless you're honest with yourself with what you want and stop trying to control other people.' To be honest, I take offence to the whole teen movie bashing thing, because like, has she never seen 10 Things I Hate About You? OR Mean Girls?!

So, I watched too many teen movies when I was a kid. That's been established. I don't necessarily want to read this, but I DO want to read an updated version that may or may not exist about the effect of social media on these kids because I think that's SUPER interesting- I like *just* missed the point where social media could have been like really really really influential on the things I decide (so I just use it to talk with american people on twitter. It's fun!) so I'd be interested in things people have to say about that. Or maybe I should just write it myself!
3 replies · active 665 weeks ago
I remember reading this the first time and going "Oh no, you did NOT just say mean things about Clueless" and I think she simplifies it too much to say "well the teens don't get the satire". She does mention 10 Things briefly but just to bring up the "I love my Prada backpack" comment Bianca makes. I would have loved to see her take on Mean Girls, but that hadn't come out yet so it didn't make it in here.

I'm sure there's a book out there somewhere about social media's affect on youth culture and advertising. and now next time I'm in a bookstore I will trawl the Current Events section looking for it. Or you write it and maybe send me a copy of your book :)
YOU CAN'T BRING UP 10 Things as an example of cOnsumerism in films based on that one example! The whole point is that you're meant to dislike Bianca for being so vapid and only like her right at the end Of the film when she's learnt about what it's right to value! Which isn't he Prada backpack! And teenagers get that, for reals. Also, Kat used to be my idol. And actually, she still kind of is...
She only brings up that example but doesn't mention the movie as a whole. I'm trying to remember what else she says. But yes, I agree the whole point of her talking about her Prada backpack was about how shallow her character is and how more like Kat she is at the end. And yes, Kat is an idol of mine to because SHE. IS. AMAZING.
Hmmm, I think someone else I follow may have reviewed this recently because I was just reading about it a few days ago. Sounds interesting, though maybe it could use an update? I've toyed with the idea of reading No Logo for years...which should I start with? I should really read more nonfiction. Also, you and/or your early college self would probably really like Adbusters.
1 reply · active 665 weeks ago
Random that someone else recently reviewed it.

I like No Logos better than this one. Or at least I like it better having just read Branded now and having haven't re-read No Logos in awhile. Branded and No Logos especially talks about Adbusters.
I read a book very similar to this one called Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children and Infantilize Adults (of something like that). Makes me so nervous about becoming a parent.
1 reply · active 664 weeks ago
I'll need to look into that book. It sounds similar to this one and is hopefully slightly more updated. Which is sad considering this one isn't quite 10 years old.

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