The Commodification of the Self
SteveI did not invent the phrase in the title of this post, it comes from a piece by Shalom Auslander called 'Meet the Happy New Me, Same as the Crappy Old Me', in the March 2010 issue of GQ magazine, (only available online to subscribers).
Flickr - David Clow
The article alternates between funny, insightful, depressing, and funny (again) as it depicts the author's own 'personal branding' journey from, in his words, 'miserable and pissed off' to 'shiny and happy'.
After a series of assignments undertaken as part of an online 'Personal Branding' class, ('Develop a personal catchphrase' and 'Create a logo for yourself'), Auslander asks the question, 'Why didn't anyone seem to think that the commodification of the self was a problem?'
I think it is a valid question.
Has the ridiculously crappy economy and the widespread and persistent unemployment rate conspired to make us all little mini-moguls? Are we all getting overly obsessed with staying on message, carefully constructing our own tiny ad campaigns, looking for just the right post to Retweet, LinkedIn group to join, and event to attend (or vicariously attend). Are we trying too consciously to craft little marketing plans?
Think about all the things we always said we hated, incessant commercials on tv and radio, rampant product placement in mainstream entertainment (quick, what is the 'official' beverage of American Idol? I am sure you know), internet pop-up ads, and maybe most importantly people that simply have to be the center of attention all the damn time. At least in more traditonal entertainment and communication channels it is (mostly) easy to tell when you are being sold to.
When Simon takes a swig of his Coke, we know what is going on.
And I don't think I am confusing personal branding, which is more or less annoying, with individual entrepreneurship and initiative, which is inspiring. They are not the same thing, but I can't help but get the feeling that in this age of openness, status updates ('Starbucks Quad Shot FTW!!!!'), and thousands if not millions of people having mostly the same idea, reading the same books, blogs, and advice that the good work (or lack thereof) is getting mixed up with the message.
Some of the people reading this post are really active on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. I wonder if you thought about the list of the 50 or 100 or so people you interact with the most and relflect on how much do you know about the actual work they do, compared to what you know or perceive about their 'brand'?
I am guilty of all of this too. It seems many people are to some extent and that is what makes the whole branding/packaging/selling of the self so frustrating. When every network for communication and transmission of information becomes a sales channel for companies and individuals at the same time, I suppose it is only to be expected that everyone is selling. But selling Coke or iPods isn't the same as selling a person. Product brands usually stand for just one thing, but people, at least the most interesting ones you know, are deep, multi-layered, and complicated.
Maybe we need a TiVo equivalent for all these networks as well, so that we could fast forward though all the commercials and focus on the content.
And maybe I need some more coffee.
Reader Comments (9)
Great points Steve. I think if people asked more questions & listened more, they would be amazed on how much more they could connect with people. We are all guilty though. I think the Tivo for all this is somewhere between HootSuite, Tweetdeck and now Google Buzz!
Steve...i would say "great post" but i suppose that would fit into the personal-branding, suck-up problem you are describing. i disagree w Ben that the tools are keeping up with the need to filter out the crap. they're trying but not quite there.
good point Gregg on the tools. but it is all in what you filter.
But I guess I am sucking up ;)
Bullshit is bullshit, regardless of the medium. And I couldn't give a you know what about what people are eating, where they're eating it, or why they think anyone would care (except, perhaps, their mother). So I choose very carefully with whom I engage in the world of social technology, just as carefully as I choose with whom I engage in the physical world. Boring people are even more boring online. But there you can silence them with a quick unfollow. Perhaps a tool will come along that's smarter than smart which can pluck just what I want out of a very wide stream flowing past me, but for now I prefer to choose carefully and then listen to those smartly chosen. I loved being able to share my computer disaster pain with a sympathetic group of followers, but no one would want to listen to months of that -- or should they. So there's responsibility on both sides of the increased communications made possible by social technology -- don't bore/trivialize/sell incessantly/etc. and don't let it happen to you.
@Ben - Thanks - and I appreciate the comments and observations
@Gregg - No worries, I am as guilty as anyone so I agree with you. I do get the sense that many of the platforms are so saturated with branding and commercial messaging that it can be hard to keep up.
@Naomi - Agree with your points, and it does seem like more and more care should be taken to make sure that you are sending out the correct messages and making the right connections. Thanks as always for sharing your thoughts.
My personal catchphrase: I am impossible to condense. No logo available!
I didn't know Shalom Auslander's books, but this title really captivated me. I did my obligatory research and found "Beware of God". Looks like a very good book, so I'll have to purchase it. He also has strong critics against the generic viagra idolatry in the modern world. So, thank you for posting this.
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