The worker-run restaurant Bartertown is offering the first in a series of classes designed for working class people on December 27.
Bartertown, which opened earlier this year, wants to provide a forum for people to share information on ways to eat better, eat local and promote food justice. The promotional information for these workshops states:
The idea is to discuss, teach and learn from each other on how to make good food at a reasonable price, and in a responsible fashion. The smartest thing you can do is arm yourself with the knowledge of food.
The first class will be addressing the local food movement along with the slow food movement. For a lot of us these new trends seem to be targeted towards the upper class. If you can afford it then you can be a part of it. Also what is local? Do you really know what you are buying? Many don’t and get fooled everyday. We will be preparing a meal and having an open discussion.
These classes will be free and open to anyone. No need to register beforehand.
Class War Kitchen #1
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 6:00 – 8:00PM
Bartetown Diner
6 Jefferson, SE, Grand Rapids
Naomi Klein – Interview with Occupy Vancouver
This video is reposted from Common Dreams.
On Dec. 1, Naomi Klein joined “Occupy Condos: Take the Pantages!” to show support for affordable housing in the DTES.
After the march, members of Occupy Vancouver media team were able to sit down with Naomi and capture her thoughts on the Occupy Movement, the tar sands pipeline, and how to prepare for the largest economic shock yet.
New Media We Recommend
Below is a list of new materials that we have read/watched in recent weeks. The comments are not a “review” of the material, instead sort of an endorsement of ideas and investigations that can provide solid analysis and even inspiration in the struggle for change. All these items are available at The Bloom Collective, so check them out and stimulate your mind.
The United States of Fear, by Tom Engelhardt – This new book, by the creator of TomsDispatch, is one of the best critiques of US foreign policy in the Bush/Obama years. Engelhardt not only writes well, he presents information in a way that would allow you to talk with anyone sitting in a bar about what drives US foreign policy. While the book is focused on post-9/11 policy matters, the author weaves in other historic examples over the past century. Engelhardt covers issues like the US occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the use of private mercenary forces, US bases abroad, the increased use of un-manned predator drones, military spending, the US intelligence establishment and the propaganda-like reporting from the major daily news sources on Washington’s activities abroad. Engelhardt makes it clear that not only have Bush administration policies continued since Obama took office, the current administration has actually gone further in some areas than the previous administration.
Class War 2012, by Eric Michael Moberg – Class War 2012 is a collection of essays that deal broadly with the topic of class warfare. Written in a populist-style, the essays cover a broad range of examples of resistance to oppression and slavery. There is a chapter on the Vietnamese resistance, Algerian resistance, the Mexican resistance of 1910 and today, the Haiti Slave revolt and Native American resistance to US colonialism. Readers will learn of the courage of Geronimo, Ho Chi Minh, Comandante Ramona, Emiliano Zapata and countless people who have fought is campaigns of liberation. The book also is mixed with criticism of US corporate control of the electoral system, the power of corporations and the attack on the poor and middle class. Where the book falls short is not linking the great examples of resistance Moberg cites with the possibility for resistance in the US today. He does cite the Occupy Movement, but most of his recommendations focus on electoral reform, redirecting funding from the military to social spending and better government regulation. It’s as if the author didn’t learn from his own examples from history about how change has come about around the world. Despite this flawed analysis, mot of the book is valuable and inspiring.
Anarchism and Its Aspirations, by Cindy Milstein – If anyone is looking for a clear articulation of the principles of the political philosophy of anarchism, Cindy Milstein’s small book would be an excellent choice. Milstein presents anarchism is a very readable and practical way. Her presentation of anarchism consists of current and historical examples, demonstrating the viability of such a political philosophy. The author also discusses ideas such as autonomy, horizontal organizing, accountability, liberation, freedom, affinity groups, direct democracy, direct action and the importance anti-capitalist analysis. In addition, Milstein talks about why joy, spontaneity and beauty are also central aspirations of anarchism. A short, powerful book that should be in the back pocket of all those who truly want a better world.
The Camden 28 (DVD) – In August of 1971, 28 people participated in an action to take and destroy draft records from a federal building in Camden, New Jersey. This film documents that action with archival footage and interviews with most of the 28 who were arrested for protest the US war in Vietnam. What is interesting about this case is that there was one person, who was a friend of several of the protestors, who had cooperated with the FBI to thwart the action. The film deals with this infiltration and the sense of betrayal by many. The Camden 28 also includes information about the trial, where Howard Zinn gave testimony on the real reasons for the US actions in Vietnam. An excellent film that not only reveals something about US resistance to the Vietnam war, but what motivates and gives people courage to take such actions.
US Militarism in 2011 Hollywood Films
In the past week we have posted articles looking at both product placement in films for 2011 and the sexual objectification of women. This posting will focus on militarism, particularly US militarism.
Presenting the US military in a positive light is nothing new for Hollywood, which has been producing pro-US military movies since WWII. However, as Carl Boggs, author of the book The Hollywood War Machine: U.S. Militarism and Popular Culture states, since 9/11 the cooperation between the US military and Hollywood filmmakers has deepened.
Filmmakers since 9/11 have not only sought out the cooperation of the US military, they have given over screen rights to the most powerful military in the world. It is now common practice for the US military to have say in the scripts of films where the US military is involved, such as allowing the use of equipment, weapons, locations and actual personnel.
The US military as backdrop
There were several films where the US military was not central to the plot, but still made their presence known. One example is the film Warrior, a film about the Ultimate Fighting Competition (UFC). In this film one of the main fighters is a former US Marine who served in Iraq. At one point in the film US soldiers in Iraq recognize this UFC participant from video circulating on the Internet. Word gets out that this fighter had risked his life to save other Marines. As a tribute to the former soldier, dozens of Marines show up to the UFC match to show their support.
Now there have no doubt been examples of individual heroism by US troops in Iraq, but acknowledging such heroics outside of any context is extremely misleading. Warrior, like so many other films, did not communicate contextual facts such as, the US invasion of Iraq was based on a lie, that over a million Iraqis have been killed since 2003, that the US has set up dozens of military bases, which are not closing down and that the US drastically re-wrote the Iraqi constitution during the time that Paul Bremer was in charge of the country just after the initial invasion.
Other films that have US military representation in a secondary role are Contagion and the Green Lantern. Contagion is based on a world wide viral breakout and the US military plays a role in keeping the public misinformed and contained. In the Green Lantern, the US military doesn’t have a prominent role, but we do see the main character in a US fighter jet early on in a scene where the Pentagon is testing new drone planes. In films like this that use US weaponry, even in a minor role, it serves to normalize the idea that US weaponry is a necessary part of American life.
When films are commercials for the military
There were also films in 2011, where the US military plays a central role. The three films we want to look at are Captain America, Transformers and Battle Los Angels.
Captain America is set during WWII, after the US has entered the war in 1941. The enemy portrayed in this film is the Nazis, which is why the character who plays Captain America wants to enlist. The film uses scenes from US military bases in the US and Europe, along with the use of military aircraft. Captain America promotes the US on USO tours and encourages audiences to buy bonds.
Once Captain America joins the soldiers at the front line he is presented as only killing bad guys, which of course it not what really happened during WWII. Plenty of civilians died in Europe and the Pacific at the hands of the Axis countries and the Allies, something overtly missing in the film. In Captain America we are led to believe that the US involved in Europe was for nothing more than a noble cause, even though Captain America doesn’t fight Nazis, he fights against a group called Hydra. Hydra has one maniacal leader and a legion of followers that are presented as very Nazi-like, thus making any and all US military actions seem just and pure.
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon continues the central role of the US military just like the first two films in the series. An elite group of US soldiers works with the robots to thwart evil around the world. There is one scene early on the film where the US soldiers & their robot friends attack an “illegal nuclear site” in the Middle East. There is no clear indication which country this scene takes place in, but one could easily conclude that they are referring to a country like Iran, despite Iran being a credible nuclear threat.
The other overt military theme in Transformers is the role of NASA. NASA is presented both in a historical role and contemporary role. The film uses in the early moon landings as a context for the robot wars and even includes former astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the film. In the present day of the film NASA plays a significant role as a place to store alien weapons and we even see a space shuttle liftoff as an opportunity for the robots allied with the US to deceive the Decepticons. Lastly, in order to destroy the enemy robots the US soldiers use Tomahawk missiles to blow them up near the end of the film.
Transformers not only uses US military locations and personnel, it portrays US weapons as playing a vital role in keeping humanity safe. This last point is what makes a film like Transformers so dangerous in terms of maintaining the propaganda that justifies the massive US military budget in the real world.
The last film we looked at was the movie Battle Los Angeles. This science-fiction movie is centered around an alien invasion on the west coast. The main characters are US soldiers who rescue US civilians and fight off the alien invaders who seem to have them outmatched in terms of weaponry. However, the US military has soldiers who are driven with the will to win and the film is filled with scenes of acts of courage.
After an intense battle with the aliens a small group of US soldiers finally figures out the weakness of the aliens. Exhausted and bloodied, the surviving soldiers return to base, where they are greeted with a heroes welcome. A commanding officer tells them to get some R&R and go have breakfast. However, the platoon Sgt. Decides to load up his gun and the other soldier follow, demonstrating that US soldiers won’t rest until the enemy is defeated. Battle Los Angeles not only utilizes US weaponry, US military locations and military personnel the film is essentially a 2-hour commercial for the US military.
Normalizing Sexual Objectification: 2011 Hollywood Films
The other day we posted an analysis article looking at product placement/branding in Hollywood films. This article will take a look at examples of hyper-sexualization in 2011 Hollywood films and messages about sexual assault.
Like previous years, 2011 was not much different for Hollywood in terms of how women were represented as sexual objects for male pleasure. In the film Just Go With It, Adam Sandler continues to play a character that gets to act out his male fantasies. Sandler plays a plastic surgeon who gets his female assistant to play his ex-wife as a means to get a young woman to like him even more. Both the young woman and his assistant (played by Jennifer Aniston) are presented as being hyper-sexual objects for the camera, with the slow motion and accompanying music, which has become the standard when women’s bodies are shown on the big screen.
Other films that objectify women and presents them as being available for men are films like 30 Minutes or Less and 50/50. In 30 Minutes or Less (filmed in Grand Rapids), both the “good guys” and the “bad guys” in this comedy use women for nothing more than sexual pleasure. One of the good guys gets a blowjob early on in the film while his friend watches from the porch steps. After the woman performs oral sex on this character says thanks just seconds after he has an orgasm and gets out of the car. One of the “bad guys” in the film goes to a bar, where a woman takes her top off and tells him sexual fantasies based on his claim to have access to a million dollars.
In 50/50, the main character is diagnosed with cancer and struggles to come to terms with his disease. His best friend, played by Seth Rogan, convinces him to use his cancer as a means to “get pussy.” While at a bar the guys pick up two women and play up the cancer angle. After having drinks and spending time on the boardwalk, the guys end up taking the women home with them. Before they take the women home the character with the cancer tells his friend he is tired and wants to go home. His friend says, “Don’t throw this all away. Don’t waste my time, man.” While the film does a good job of personalizing the struggle people can have with cancer, the sexual use of women by men adds nothing substantive to the plot and just adds to Seth Rogan’s resume of play characters which treat women as nothing more than objects.
Another film that presents women in a hyper-sexualized way is the Bad Teacher. The main character is played by Cameron Diaz, a teacher at a middle school with no real teaching skills. She decides she needs breast implants in order to win the affection of a fellow teacher. While at the plastic surgeon’s office she is shown felling and talking about another woman’s breasts. Not only does this scene fulfill male fantasy it presents women as willing to go to any length to get a man.
However, the breasts implants are too expensive, so Cameron Diaz’ character tries numerous ways to get the funds she needs. In one scene she shows up to at a school car wash dressed in short shorts and revealing top. As she washes the cars she acts in very sexualized ways, again accompanied by slow motion and a hard rock song, Sweet Cherry Pie.
Other films that objectify women are Conan the Barbarian and The Change Up. In Conan, the female objectification takes place when Conan liberates slaves. Ironically, the male slaves look dirty and undernourished, but the women just happen to be clean, healthy looking and topless. Of course, their “freedom” also means they now become “available” for Conan and his other barbarian friends.
In The Change Up, the two main characters are men, who because they pissed in a public fountain together end up switching bodies. In this comedy, Jason Bateman’s character is now inside Ryan Reynolds’ body. Reynolds’ character is a bit of a slacker but does have an upcoming acting gig, which Jason Bateman’s character must now fulfill. The surprise is that the acting job in a role in a pornographic film, which is also presented in a humorous way.
Another scene in The Change Up has Ryan Reynolds in Jason Bateman’s body. Bateman’s character is married and now Ryan Reynolds thinks he has the opportunity to sleep with Bateman’s wife. He is waiting in the bed as she comes in the room with nothing on and walks towards the bathroom in, you guessed it, slow motion. Viewers see the woman’s breasts close up and then as she moves past the camera here is a tight shot of her butt.
Male attitudes about sexual harassment
The last example we want to take a look at is the film Horrible Bosses. In this film the three main characters are men, all of which have bosses they hate. The plot in this comedy centers around these three guys trying to figure a way to get their bosses killed.
One of the characters has a female boss who is sexually harassing him on the job, coming on to him and doing things that would certainly be considered sexual harassment as it is legally defined. Early on in the film the three guys are at the bar talking about how much they hate their bosses. When it gets to the guy who’s boss is a woman, the other two guys don’t show any empathy for his situation. Here is how the dialogue goes at this point:
“At least you’re boss isn’t sexually harassing you.” (guy 1) “Oh my god here we go.” (guy 2) “You are never gonna get any sympathies from us.” (guy 3) “It’s like a totally hostile work environment. It’s not funny. Today my boss started spraying water on my crotch so she could see the outline of my dick.” (guy 1) “That’s great. Why don’t you just fuck her.” (guy 2)
The dialogue continues with his friends who don’t consider it sexual harassment what is happening to him and then one of them sees a woman in the bar that he is going to go talk to. This guy says, “I’m going to go talk to that woman about her vagina.” Imagine if a group of female friends were talking in a bar and one of them said she was being sexually harassed by her male boss. Do you think that her friends would tell her that she would get no sympathy from them and that she should just “fuck” her boss?
Not only does this scene in Horrible Bosses dismiss that men can be sexually harassed at work, it normalizes that men always want to have sex and that to not take advantage of an opportunity to have sex means you are less than a man. Lastly, what we found in the 2011 Hollywood films we looked at was that sex was almost exclusively presented through the eyes of men, where women were simply made to be available for male pleasure, often in demeaning ways.
More taxpayer money goes towards Urban Market Project
On Wednesday, MLive published a brief update on the proposed $27 million urban market that is slated to be built on Ionia Avenue.
Originally, the Urban Market planned on rehabilitating the old Sonneveld building just south the Wealthy St. overpass, but now the building, along with 6 others, will be demolished to make way for the new Urban Market project.
The MLive story does not specify which buildings along Ionia Avenue will come down, but they do identify it will be between Wealthy and Logan.
This is the latest twist in the ongoing coverage of the development of this urban market concept that has been evolving since 2009 when it was first proposed.
According to the MLive story the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has applied for a $1 million grant from the DEQ for demolition, which is in addition to a recent $4.5 million grant from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority. At a Grand Rapids City Commission meeting in September the City approved the use of “water funds” for other improvements related to the market.
The funding mechanism appears to be changing over time and those behind the market continue to get funds from a variety of taxpayer-financed sources. Despite the high level of taxpayer funds being used in this project, the public has had virtually no say.
Minutes from the September DDA meeting provide us with some details on where some of the funding will come for this project:
- DDA would continue to own the property
- DDA would lease property to Urban Market Holdings, LLC (UMH) for 99 years
- UMH would rescind its request for development support from the DDA
- DDA would retain assets if the market ever failed
- Tax Increment from the project would be used to: Pay for street improvement to adjacent streets; Reimburse UMH for eligible redevelopment costs; Planned street improvements include street, utilities, street lighting, streetscape, putting Consumer Energy lines underground
- Ionia Avenue and Logan Street will be bring and McConnell Street will be asphalt
- Street improvements would be financed: Issuance of bonds payable over 20 years, UMH cash, DDA cash, and Grants; Bonds to be issued by the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority; Priority for bond payments using Tax Increment Revenue.
- An amount budgeted annually by the DDA for 20 years – $75,000 per year
During that September 2011 DDA meeting, DDA member John Canepa could not vote on these matters since he is on the board of Grand Action, the private group behind the urban market plan. In addition, another DDA member, Kayem Dunn, had to abstain from voting on this matter since she also sits on the board of the Urban Market.
These conflicts of interest reflect how interlocking systems of economic power work, something we pointed out in a previous article about the Urban Market. (another look article) Unfortunately, the commercial media has not focused much attention on who is behind this project and who will be the primary beneficiaries.
Instead, the local media coverage has mostly focused on how this project will be a benefit to the ongoing development of downtown. There is no doubt that this project will be a tremendous boost for downtown development, but the question that journalists should be asking along with this is, “who benefits with this development?”
Looking at a Grand Action document, we can see who the likely beneficiaries of such a project will be. They state:
The core of the Urban Market will be 16-20 vendor stalls that house independent, owner-operated businesses featuring a wide range of local fresh and prepared foods. These stalls have been designed to maximize food production within the Market, such as bread baking, butchering and sausage making, cheesemaking, ice cream/candy making, and pasta production. The tenant mix will also include produce, seafood, flowers, and a variety of ethnic foods. Tasting rooms for Michigan wineries and beer makers will complement several restaurants that feature Michigan food and drink.
So, ask yourself, who do you think will be spending their money at this urban market? One demographic that is not likely to buy food at the urban market will be people who live directly east and southeast of the 400 block of Ionia market location. The residents of this area are disproportionately Black and Latino with limited income levels and are not likely to purchase expensive cheeses or visit the wine tasting rooms.
The upscale aspect of the urban market will be in sharp contrast to what residents of the neighborhood I am describing have been accustomed to for decades. The only places to buy food in the immediate area are Family Dollar, various fast food establishments and convenience stores/gas station with a very limited amount of fresh produce. This area of the city could be classified as a food desert and the introduction of fresh food options is a good idea in principle. However, it would be naïve for people to think that low income and working class minorities will be frequent visitors to a market that has been described by the downtown power brokers as “tourist attraction” that would be “Disneyland like.”
Grand Action states in their background paper on this project, “To address the exploding youth obesity epidemic, the Urban Market will provide hands-on opportunities for kids to be involved with every aspect of planting, harvesting, preparing, and eating healthy foods, including the country’s first teaching kitchen designed specifically for elementary school-aged children.” On the surface this sounds noble, but the question is, will the parents of these children be able to afford and feel comfortable buying food at such a location?
The new urban market will likely target urban professionals who live in or near downtown Grand Rapids and potentially some of the residents in the Heritage Hill neighborhood. There will be others who make the urban market a destination that might be incorporated into other downtown activity, but those activities disproportionately attract a more upscale, racially homogenous crowd.
An additional concern with this project should be to ask whether or not it will gentrify the neighborhoods east and southeast of its Ionia location? As someone who lives in the neighborhood just east of the urban market location it seems that this project adds to the gentrifying nature of the downtown expansion that will negatively impact the poor communities of color that have been my neighbors for the past 27 years.
Community Stops Local Immigrant’s Deportation: Calls for Deportation Relief for More Families
This article is re-posted from the Alliance for Immigrants Rights & Reform in Michigan. GRIID was pleased to receive such news, both because it speaks to the power of direct action and because it means that there are plenty of people who support immigrant rights and immigration justice.
On Tuesday, Ann Arbor immigrant Lourdes Salazar learned that her December 27th deportation had been postponed for one year through Deferred Action. She will remain in the country to enjoy Christmas with her family in the United States.
Lourdes came to the United States in 1997 with hopes of creating a better life for her family. She is the mother of three U.S. citizen children ages 13, 9, and 7 who need Lourdes to stay in the United States with them. Lourdes’ husband was deported back to Mexico in 2010 leaving Lourdes as the only parent these children have.
Lourdes is extremely happy that she has been granted deferred action. “I want to thank everyone who has signed my petition, made phone calls and sign onto letters of support. This experience has taught me so much. I want to teach others about my struggle so that they can learn how to stand up for their families. No one else should have to go through what my family is going through.”
Efforts to stop her deportation included the support of various local and national advocates including the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, the Social Work Allies for Immigrant Rights, Dreamactivist.org, Alliance for Immigrants Rights – Michigan, Migrant Immigrant Rights Advocacy, Immigrant Rights on Campus, St. Francis of Assissi Catholic Church, Michigan Immigration and Labor Law Association, and St. Mary Student Parish Catholic Church.
Lourdes would like to thank the 2,500 supporters who signed onto her petition, and the letters of support from the Ann Arbor County Commission, Senator Levin, Congressman Dingell, the Jesuit Provincial of Chicago-Detroit, and the Bishop of Lansing.
“Although we are very happy that Lourdes has been granted deferred action and she will get to spend a wonderful Christmas with her family, we want to push on President Obama to implement Prosecutorial Discretion for all those families that did not get Lourdes’s support and will spend this Christmas separated from their loved ones.” Priscila Maritnez from the Alliance for Immigrant Rights.
In an announcement on August 18, 2011, Secretary Napolitano stated the Administration would instruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement to suspend the prosecution of non-criminal immigrants with long-standing ties to the United States, especially in cases involving families. Lourdes has been in the country for 14 years, has three US Citizen children, and a U.S. citizen brother who has applied to fix Lourdes’ immigration status.
Social Justice Training opportunity begins in January at GVSU
Last year GVSU launched its first social justice training — Change U: Training for Social Justice. The community response was overwhelming. This program impacted West Michigan by fostering community collaboration and movement building right here in our towns and cities. 
Change U brought community members, faculty, and students together to explore the importance of solidarity. Over 100 people were a part of these successful trainings and have since begun to utilize their new skills and knowledge in West Michigan communities to create effective and collaborative justice groups. GVSU invites you to join our Change U community and continue on your path to create change!
Grand Valley State University is hosting Change U: Training for Social Justice again this year in the winter of 2012. The purpose of Change U is to further strengthen social justice movements on and off campus by fostering cross-issue, intergenerational, and diverse partnerships between the GVSU community and social justice efforts throughout the area.
The four-month training will look at how issues such as racial and economic justice intersect with issues such as gender and disability justice. Participants will have the opportunity to learn concrete skills and strategies from a diverse team of trainers, including nationally recognized leaders in social justice movements, who specialize in multi-issue and cross community organizing. Participants will also develop skills enabling them to have an institutional analysis as well as the capacity to develop strategies and tactics to respond to institutional oppression. These trainings will build community, develop capacity and support movement building here in West Michigan.
Community members in West Michigan, as well as Grand Valley State University students, faculty and staff are invited to apply to participate in this social justice training series. Pursue your passion to create change in your community, join the revolution.
Availability is limited, so visit http://www.gvsu.edu/socialjustice/ for more information and to fill out an application today to ensure a spot. The social justice training session begins the second or third week of January, depending on which sessions you sign up for.
Sign the Petition for the Repeal of Snyder’s Emergency Manager Law
Michigan Forward is arranging for an allied group of labor organizations, civic leaders, and community organizations across the state to collect signatures for the repeal of Public Act 4, Snyder’s law that allows the state seizure of city and school assets, the firing of elected officials, the cancellation of union contracts, and the privatization of public services such as water and sewage.
Grand Rapids is one of the cities that will have a signing station with petitions.
Petitions have been circulating for months, and Michigan Forward is nearing its goal. If the required number of signatures can be submitted by the deadline, Public Act 4 will be suspended until it can be voted on by the people of Michigan. The law would revert back to the previous version of emergency management, which has many more checks and balances and does not give sweeping powers to appointed managers.
In Grand Rapids, you can sign on petition on Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18 at:
Teamsters Local 406
3155 Eastern Ave SE
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49508
Phone: (616) 485-3024
Special Office Hours: Noon – 3PM
Help put a stop to Snyder’s seizure of assets and control of local governments and school systems. Make a point of stopping by between noon and 3PM on either day to sign the petition, and help push this repeal into the hands of Michigan residents. Your signature is a holiday gift you can give to our community and citizens across the state.
Image from Lansing Online News
Films as Commercials: Product Placement in 2011 Movies
Last week I heard a radio commercial that was a cross promotion for the new Mission Impossible film and a local BMW dealer.
The cross promotion wasn’t just a coincidence, since BMWs are featured in the new Tom Cruise film. The radio spot was not only encouraging people to head to the theater to catch the fourth installment of Mission Impossible, they were letting people know that the local BMW dealer would be present at the theater to promote their cars.
This kind of marketing of films is becoming more commonplace as Hollywood producers are using product placement as a means to generate addition funds for film production. Even the new Twilight film features products and brands such as Apple, Belstaff, Crest, ESPN, HTC, LG, Pepto-Bismol, Rainier, Volvo and Yahoo. After all, vampires are consumers too.
Basically there are two kinds of product placement in Hollywood films these days. First, you have films where products are used as merely background items, used by main characters or sometimes even named by characters. A film like Contagion contains 44 different products or brands – Audi, BBC, BMW, Bud Light, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chevrolet, Citibank, CNN, Coca-Cola, Dasani, Dell, Delta, Dole, Facebook, FEMA, Geico, Kellogg’s, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Lenovo, Lumix, Lysol, Mazda, Medex, Mercedes, Minnesota Department of Health, NBC, Panasonic, Purell, Rayovac, Red Cross, Rimowa, Samsung, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Sperian, StarKist, Taco Bell, The North Face, Twitter, USA Today, Vicks, World Health Organization and YouTube.
However, no one product or brand are dominant in the film, not do they become integral to the plot in any significant way. These products and brands are presented in such a way that normalizes their use in our daily lives without beating us over the head with obvious intent. For instance, one character is told to leave town because of the deadly virus and is seen in a store buying items to take with her on the road, items such as the Dasani brand of bottled water.
Other movies such as Limitless (24), Battle Los Angeles (19) and the Green Lantern (18) also include a significant number of products/brands, but none of them are integral to the plot or overtly presented. However, with superhero films like the Green Lantern (Dos Equis, Miller, Pabst, Guinness, Harper Lager), Thor (Budwesier) and Captain America (Cornona), each of the superheroes either consume branded beer or beer logos are prominent. This is a not so subtle way for beer companies to normalize the consumption of alcohol to the underage audiences that consume these movies in high number.
Then there are the films where the products/brands are more woven into the plot, where characters not only use the products, they discuss them and utilize them in very overt ways.
The Transformers franchise is not only based on Hasbro toys, but the each of the three films has been 2 – hour commercials for Chevy vehicles.
There are numerous other products/brands presented in Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, such as NASA, Waste Management and Fox News, but it was another car that stood out in terms of overt product placement. The girlfriend of the main character gets a Mercedes from her boss, which is viewed online at one point and in another scene she slips into the $200,000 car. In the end, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon was the absolute winner of most products/brands of films in 2011, with 69.
Another films that is loaded with product placement and brands is Hall Pass. In Hall Pass, 2 men are given permission from their wives to take a week off from being married. They go out with 3 other friends to a local Applebee’s to start their week of freedom. For several minutes the 5 men are in Applebee’s and at one point one of the friend’s says, “Are you guys sure that Applebee’s is the best place to meet hot, horny women at?” One of the men with a hall pass responds, “What are you thinking Olive Garden?” In fact, it is difficult to find a spot in the film where the characters are not using products or naming them, whether it is asking for Splenda in the coffee shop, eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the hotel or talking about a friends Toyota Prius.
The last film worth mentioning that is riddled with product placement and brands is the Adam Sandler film Just Go With It. There are numerous sequences in the film where products and brands are front and center. Early on in the film, Sandler’s wife goes shopping in brand name stores such as Barney’s, The Gap, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Old Navy.
In another scene in Just Go With It, Adam Sandler takes 2 kids out to eat at Pizza Hut, where the of the place is displayed prominently and a discussion happens with pizza and Pepsi being consumed during this sequence. There is another long sequence where the main characters all vacation in Hawaii and stay at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where all sorts of products are consumed, including a scene where two characters are testing on Sony Ericsson phones. All total, there are 51 products/brands used in Just Go With It.
2011 may have broken all records for the use of product placement and brands in films and it speaks to the increasing level of hyper-commercialism in our culture. The increased use of products and brands in films is not only an assault on the public it is an insult to millions of Americans who are living in poverty and just trying to survive.
For more information on Product Placement in 2011 films go to http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp. Also, check out our 2010 film study or product placement and other films themes.
