Detournement Internet Media Site: Situated

Detournement

Internet media site: Situated theory and a proposed reality TV show Unbranded

One of the core concepts of situated theory is that we as human beings are losing authorship of our lives. Our lives and our senses of 'self' are becoming more and more associated with corporate brand names and images. People wait online overnight to be the first to get the next Apple product; they wear corporate logos on their t-shirts; even the television characters we watch endorse brands between commercials. What we think of as 'real' has instead been replaced by spectacles and images that merely gesture towards 'the real.'

Ironically, reality TV shows are some of the most 'sponsored' television shows of all. But this reality television offering will feature something of a 'twist.' Instead of encouraging people to buy the products advertised and used on the show (like the Biggest Loser encourages watchers to buy diet products and the challenges of Donald Trump's Apprentice revolve around the show's sponsors), this reality show will encourage people to give up their cherished brand identities. Each of the ten episodes will feature people with strong brand affiliations and then, for the second half of the show, they must give up that brand to see if it affects their lives.

The show will be called Unbranded. The first three episodes will focus on clothing brands and examine how it affects the ways in which we view the body and sexuality. The first brands that will be featured will be Victoria's Secret, the Gap, and Nike. The show will revolve around a person who has an obsession with wearing these items. Through interviews and shadowing, the reporter will explore why the person's sense of self has become so attached to the brand. Then, when the person goes 'cold turkey,' giving up wearing that particular item, the person will discuss how this loss has affected his or her sense of self, and what the brand fulfills (or does not fulfill) in his or her life.

The next three episodes will focus on food brands, specifically Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Weight Watchers. It will examine the negative consequences of these food products upon consumer health through the lens of a person who is 'addicted' to these particular substances for a variety of reasons. Whether the foods represent excess or control, the underlying idea behind these food products is that corporate brands rather than individuals should have control over the food system. After shadowing the people who define themselves by these brands, the show will then focus on their struggles to learn to cook and cope with making food in an independent and less 'branded' fashion.

The next two segments will focus on technology, specifically upon Apple and Google. The persons profiled who define their lives by these brands will be effectively forced to give up technology for a week, or technology as they are accustomed to using it. Of course, they can use Microsoft and other search engines, but this will force them out of their 'comfort zones' and they will see the degree to which corporations have shaped their access to information and their social and work lives.

The final brands that will be featured will be the popular discount merchandizes Costco and Target. Because of their advertised cheapness, which is paradoxically fused with an aura of exclusivity due to Costco's membership fees and Target's attractive store designs, many consumers view shopping at these stores as 'experiences' rather than as chores. Consumers may buy all of their household's items in bulk from Costco; Target markets itself as offering beautiful items at bargain-basement prices to consumers. The close relationship of consumers to these brands will make it all the more difficult for frequent patrons to abandon their favorite shopping locations.