Video 1

I created this video as an extension of my post on commodification. I used a clip from a TurboTax commercial to begin to explain the idea that we are living in a “me” world where self-commodification seems to dominate. Then I showed images of Instagram influencers who make money off of their brand and image by promoting products. They capitalize on themselves and therefore are commodities. Then, I used a clip from Bachelor in Paradise with the goofy introductions of the reality show’s cast. They are real people, so the characters they “play” are themselves. They are marketing themselves  and therefore commodifying themselves. The theme song from America’s Next Top Model plays in the background, because it is another reality show where contestants promote themselves. Also, the lyrics ring true: “You wanna be on top?” This applies to these influencers and reality show contestants: the way to get “on top” is by ruthless self promotion and the enterprise of the self for fame, money, and power—in other words, access to resources.The quote by Ouelette,”The issue is not that the public and private spheres are blurred, but that more and more slices of experience, from employment to dating to health to work, are understood and modeled in enterprise form” describes this well.