Feed: The Art of Manipulation

OH MY GOD GUYS I FINALLY DID IT!! I don’t understand why I didn’t start this earlier! Everyone, even my own brother, kept on telling me how good it was and that I should try it, but I was so skeptical about it. But now I’m happy as a clam because I’m hooked and I just can’t get enough. *Insert high pitched squeal*

Wait, did you guys think I was talking about… *whispers*sex or drugs*whispers*. You little nasties, get your heads out the gutter. Actually, reading back I did lead you guys on. But no I’m not talking about sex or drugs, I’m talking about GAME OF THRONES!!!!! I’m pretty sure half of you guys were like “oh no, not you too”, but I’m like “oh yes, me too!”

Before I even get started, I’m going to give you the 411 on Game of Thrones;

• There are Several noble houses in the Kingdom; House Arryn, House Frey, House Greyjoy, House Lannister, House Stark, and House Tyrell. They are fighting a civil war over who should be king, while a princess from a fallen house; House of Targaryen, plans to take the throne for herself. Also, the kingdom is being threatened by some rising supernatural threat in the north.

Awesome, now that you’re all caught up, I just need you guys to concentrate on House Lannister;

• Tywin Lannister, the current head of the family, has three children Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion. Cersei and Jaime are twins and also lovers, even though Cersei is married to the king. Cersei and Jaime have passed their children; Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen off as the children of the king. Oh and Tyrion is a dwarf.

Are you still following me? Yes? Okay cool! Now I need you guys to focus on Tommen;

• He is currently the king, which sucks because he is like that one perfect apple in a basket filled with rotten apples. Tommen lives in a world of sin, however, he is the personification of innocence. I know it sounds like I’m exaggerating, but I’m not! He's just too good for this world, he is just lovable, kind and is just the sweetest little thing. But the sad thing about him is that he is very naive and easy to manipulate.

I know you guys are probably like “ where is she going with this?” Just hold on and bear with me guys ok? Have you heard of or read the book Feed by M.T. Anderson? Yes, no, maybe so? Well if no, the novel takes place in a futuristic dystopian society where feednet, a computer is implanted into everyone's brain. Issues such as corporate power, consumerism, information technology, data mining, and environmental decay are discussed in a satirical way. The people in Feed are all trend followers and indulge deeply in the consumerist lifestyle.

Great now that the introduction is done, let dive right in because I’m pretty sure you're all like“WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET AT!” Well, ima tell ya! Tommen from Game of Thrones and the people from feed share similar characteristics;

• "Advised” by his wife, Tommen sent his mother back to her hometown because he believed it would make his mother happier. Even though he wanted her with him.
• In Feed, the corporation creates a profile on people filled with information of what they bought or usually search up and sell it to the highest bidder. “But the braggest thing about the feed, the thing that made it really big, is that it knows everything you want and hope for, sometimes before you even know what those things are. It can tell you how to get them and help you make buying decisions that are hard. Everything we think and feel is taken in by the corporations, mainly by data ones like Feedlink and OnFeed and American Feedware, and they make a special profile, one that's keyed just to you, and then they give it to their branch companies, or other companies buy them, and they can get to know what it is we need, so all you have to do is want something and there's a chance it will be yours.” (page48). In simpler terms, the feed knows what they want before they do and they’re all okay about it.

• After speaking to his wife and the High Sparrow; the priest of the kingdom, Tommen decided to partner up with the High Sparrow and his religious group in order to free his wife.
• In the beginning of feed Quendy was worried and disgusted by her lesions, “...Omigod! Like big thanks to everyone for telling my lesion is like meg spreading….It's huge, and it’s right on my forehead.” (page 21). But she soon thought otherwise when the stars from her favorite t.v show started getting them. “...the stars of Oh? Wow! Thing! Had started to get lesions, so now people were thinking better about lesions, and lesions even looked kind of cool.” (page 96)

Do you guys see the similarities between the people in feed and Tommen from Game of Thrones!? They’re both easy to manipulate!! I’m going to break it down for you guys;

• Tommen was manipulated by his wife to send his mother away, just like how the people of Feed are being manipulated by the corporation into believing that it was okay that they were making profiles on them because the corporation helps people to "make buying decisions that are hard.”
• Tommen was manipulated by the High Sparrow to join his religious group,  just like how Quendy and every else in Feed are being manipulated by the corporation to believe that lesions were cool and to disregard any health concerns about them.

“Okay so?” or “What’s your point?” Is what you’re probably thinking. But before I explain I need you guys to understand that M.T. Anderson has foreshadowed a lot of shit 15 years ago in his book Feed that is coming true now. He foreshadowed how technology will rule the world that nature will become extinct and how corporations will start to sell customer information. You're most likely saying “That’s not true” or “You’re lying” but it’s true. Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram holds a lot of power and influence a lot of the youth today, 3.5 to 7 billion trees are being cut down each year and our president will soon sign a bill allowing ISPs, internet service providers,  to sell customers browsing information. *Insert gasp here*

What I’m getting at is that we will start to become like Tommen and the people of Feed, we will start to become susceptible to technology and corporations. We're literally taking the steps to become that futuristic dystopian society that M.T. Anderson created, and it sucks because we don’t even realize it.

Alabi O.

Word Count: 1133