Did Spurlock sellout with Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Some would argue that this was the point of the movie, right? But isn’t the point of a documentary to challenge our thinking and present controversial findings? One of his interviewees makes a remark that Morgan’s integrity is on the line and I’m sorry but you’ve crashed and burned Spurlock. This film made a clever point by allowing these companies to advertise their products in the film, but by no means was it a “boundary-pushing” documentary. Critiquing the art of advertising and doing so by getting these companies to fund the production is hilarious but the point he was trying to make was totally washed out and toned down. The mission he sets out to accomplish falls flat and his true message gets lost. If the film wasn’t controlled by corporate sponsors here’s what I think Spurlock would have really said.
Branding and advertising is the business of persuasion. I wouldn’t say all ads are deceptive but I wouldn’t say business acts in the interest of the consumer either. The problem is that not all consumers have the same level of education. At the heart of this conversation is the idea that big business effects, shapes and influences our choices and it has a significant impact on how we eat, live, behave and consume. The problem here is that there aren’t any controls or filters to remind us that not all of those businesses care what happens to us so long as we are buying. If they did Pepsi wouldn’t still be trying to sell sugar water to over weight kids in the inner city.
The good thing is that we’re starting to see a change. Not only is social media making business practices more transparent but I think we’re honestly seeing a new generation of business owners interested in doing good even if it’s means making compromises that affect the bottom line.
