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Slave Nation

Stephen

10:15 / 16.08.01

Anyone else watch that? Basically that Darcus Howe bloke wandering about the country looking at aspects of our culture that enslave us. Last nights programme was about attitudes towards work and the week before was about attitudes to sex. Quite interesting, and fairly funny in places due to the presenters uncompromising habit of saying exactly what he thinks to peoples faces. In both episodes he's reduced one of his interview subjects to tears.

Worth a glance if you're in on a thursday night. Last night they showed us inside this very scary call centre for the company 'Egg' which was half way between The Prisoner and a Chris Morris sketch. Egg only employs individuals. All employees must prove their individuality by taking part in our strict regime of 'fun' team building exercises. Or else.

sleazenation

14:23 / 16.08.01

'individuals' don't need groups... don't need collective barganing, don't need unions. not hard to see why a modern sweatshop like the egg call centre might be looking for individuals.

Ria

17:46 / 16.08.01

more happenings in the EggWorld:
link

"The demonstration will highlight that staff at the Egg site are so closely monitored, that they are even timed when going to the toilet, for which they are allowed only three minutes.

[ 17-08-2001: Message edited by: Tom Coates ]

Ganesh

19:57 / 16.08.01

I'm afraid I have very little respect for Darcus Howe. He's fond of making grand but largely meaningless statements based on minimal, retro-engineered 'evidence'. He's bollocks - and not in a good way...

Ellis

19:59 / 16.08.01

I just didnt understand what he was saying.

That thing about Egg is shocking though.

Fist Fun

16:12 / 17.08.01

The "We are individuals" brainwashing culture was disturbing but not really suprising. I work in a vaguely similar environment and the bosses would never let anyone who not "on message" near any of the cameras. The irony is that all the on-message "happy" workers trotting out their pre-programmed propaganda spiel showed that place for what it really was.
It would have been better to anonymously interview people leaving the building so you could get some real opinions.

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

20:29 / 17.08.01

That sounds horribly interesting. I wish we got UK TV over here in the US.

The company I work for uses a good deal of manditory fun. It's not nearly Prisoner-esque, but it's really damn annoying.

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