I received a "cute" video. I was told it would "make me smile".
In defense of whoever originally sent this out, multinational corporations do this constantly and in a psychologically stealth manner. I don't mean to insult the people who originally sent this out. I understand how strong the hook is, but I believe I see that hook. It doesn't make me especially observant. It merely means that, having worked for a multinational corporation who used the word "empower" to mean "you're going to take on more responsibilities for the same pay you're now receiving", I know greed when I see it.
I'll
entitle this video Exploitation
In Action :
"At the University
of Columbia, for instance, students have been unable to find out what is in the
text of an agreement between their school and the Coca-Cola company. Despite the fact that UBC is a publicly
funded institution, the soft drink company demanded that the amount it paid for
the vending rights be kept secret for reasons of corporate
competitiveness. (Coca-Cola also refused
to cooperate with requests for information for this book, claiming that all of its
campus activities --including the precise number of campuses with which it has
agreements --are confidential "for competitive purposes.")" -- Naomi Klein, from NO
LOGO
Muhtar
Kent, CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, raked in $29,115,573 in total compensation
in 2011.
So, yeah, this makes me smile in a sort of psychotic way. It's just so heartwarming that Coke was able to "utilize" the talents of these kids to get a free ad on YouTube.
I
know, I know, I'm the most cynical and negative person you all have ever met.
It
truly is a very cute stunt by people who can just as well pay for their ads and
employ a lot more Americans than they do.
How
many parents of those kids does Coke employ and to how many do they pay a living
wage?
How
many parents have been thrown out into the streets like torn dish rags; thrown
away as if they were less than human by this "cute" company?
This isn't cute. Oh, sure, Coke wants us to believe that this is cute, but it's exploitation and so many of us fall for it day in and day out.
Those of us who aren't really doing so poorly look past what Coke is really
doing with this "student project". We
look at the students and the way the stunt was shot. What energy, what interest! We don't give one thought to the weasels who "challenged"
these kids.
And
why is the Coca-Cola Company giving kids "educational" assignments? Isn't that up to the teachers and
educators? Not when there's money to be
made.
Could
the project just as well have used water as its medium? I think so.
We
are Americans. Those of us who are doing
well will think that this is cute. Those
of us who are struggling won't even receive it.
Those
of us who do the least bit of critical thinking will see it for what it is, a
large multinational corporation exploiting kids and, then, us.
We
are Americans and we will never get it until it hits us personally. We never get anything unless it hits us
personally.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).