First of all, congrats to oso reader Michael Benton who has just published his first column for the Ezine, In The Fray. It’s an interesting and articulate look at media’s influence on identity, culture, ethnicity, and sub-culture and how the media always manages to incorporate (and define) sub-cultures that came into being as a resistance against that very process.

Immediately the article reminded me of a piece I heard on On The Media while driving up to work yesterday. Teresa Wiltz of the Washington Post basically made the argument that each year reality television creates a stereotypical two dimensional character to represent complex individuals. She cites this year’s stereotype as “The Evil Sista with Attitude” who is represented by:

Alicia Calaway on “Survivor: All-Stars,” she of the Finger and the forked tongue. The lithe and lanky Camille McDonald (a Howard University student) on “America’s Next Top Model,” pilloried on Internet message boards for her “stank attitude.” And let us not forget the elegantly icy Omarosa “I’m not here to make friends” Manigault-Stallworth, the star of Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” and arguably the most hated woman on television.

But as On The Media says, all we’re getting is what is salvaged from the reels of video left back on the editing floor. Not to mention that all of these characters were chosen precisely because they fit into caricature representations that average Americans can immediately identify and judge based on their personal stereotypes and biases.

I read further in Benton’s essay and he brings up the youth market research company, Look-Look and how their use of language on their website. Look-look begins their Who We Are page by stating that,

Look-Look believes that youth culture has always been a subculture.

If that is not contradictory then it is vague beyond understanding. On the left of the screen, two iconic portraits of upper-class San Francisco hipster types are staring out at you with slanted eyes. They are probably on their way to drinking $5 lattes while surfing on their apple computers which are tucked away neatly in their bike messenger bags.

Look-look says,

We want people to be inspired by the creative and brilliant young minds from around the globe that shoot photos, write poems, make art and think.

But after the nice paragraph of fluff they get to their point:

Do you remember discovering the world? Getting your own money? Buying your own stuff? Being first on the block?

In other words, if you use us, the coolest people will start using your product and then everyone else will too. Then later:

Do you remember picking your friends? Of course not. Friends aren’t chosen, they just become. This is the power of a truly viral system. You don’t even know why it is, it just is. Look-Look knows exactly how viral works.

This I thought was the most interesting statement in the website. That we do not pick our friends but rather that they infect us. Furthermore that we do not understand how we are infected by friends, but Look-Look has in fact figured it out. They give us hints at how they unlocked all the secrets. First of all they have “Field Correspondents:”

The Christiane Amanpours [a well-connected CNN reporter] of youth culture, these strong beat reporters cover their local communities with flair. This includes reports on the latest trends, styles, events, politics and attitudes found on the streets.

Notice how they are called “strong, beat reporters. I can just picture Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Whalen “on the road” asking what jeans are the hippest, if the Cosmo is the drink of the 50’s, what kind of typewriter kids are typing on these days and then emailing it all back to their (probably 50-something bosses at Look-Look)

Look-Look offers all sorts of services for corporate CEO’s who are out of touch with their young clientele. More than just typical marketing surveys and field reports, they will also come to your company and offer:

Youth 101. Is it time for your company to go back to school? More then just a one shot engagement, Youth 101 is a university level youth marketing course for your company. Contact us if you want to see the syllabus

Look-Look claims to know more than just what “youth” wants now; they say the know what today’s youngest customers will want tomorrow. Which sadly is probably true because most of today’s youngest customers are waiting for firms like Look-Look to shape their tastes.

I guess what I’m trying to say is turn your TV off and turn your mind on. A lot of my closest friends are reality TV addicts. From my 14-year-old sister to a 26-year-old Psychology Ph.D. candidate. They say that reality television offers thought-invoking reflections of American society. From what I’ve seen though, American society is becoming a thoughtless reflection of unrealistic reality TV.