Seven Oaks Magazine.

Hello, I’m Special (or How Individuality Became the New Conformity) by Hal Niedzviecki (2004 Penguin Press $25) begins with the premise that in the modern pop culture saturated world “the non-conformist has lost his identity” – in fact, rebellion, the non-conformist’s “primary behavior pattern is, essentially, obsolete.” In Niedzviecki’s world, every thing the ‘non-conformist’ hopes to do will simply become co-opted by the market to sell products.

To those of you still out there working for change in your life, your community, or your world, well, I guess you can all go home...

Niedzviecki suggests that today, “conformity is about doing whatever you feel like, whenever you feel like, so long as what you are doing is all about the new you. Individuality is the new conformity.” The idea that many people are selfish, egocentric, and greedy is neither new nor radical; still, for Niedzviecki, admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving it…

I’m not sure if I (or the author himself) actually understands what Hello, I’m Special is trying to say. Everyone isn’t special? People should simply accept their lot in life? Television is bad for us? Some people are selfish? Some people do horrible, degrading, unscrupulous things for money and fame? The pop-culture industry is exclusive? We shouldn’t buy into the myth of pop culture because we’re not all going be rich, famous, or happy? Stop the presses!

Early in the book, when the author introduces us to a group of ‘participant-performers’ from the Backyard Wrestling Federation, readers will notice that Niedzviecki’s idea of ‘special’ is, itself, severely impaired. The members of the young group write, perform, film, edit, and upload their amateur wrestling videos to the internet. Niedzviecki, however, claims that they are not “artists, philosophers, punks, anarchists, actors, activists, or intellectuals”; they are merely “conforming to the suddenly normal idea that they should, could, and will be special.” For Niedzviecki, the kids “articulate the kind of specialness that characterizes the new conformity, regardless of age, perspective, and nationality: a genuine desire to articulate genuine individuality that is nevertheless mired in cliché and convention.” I don’t like wrestling either, but Niedzviecki seems to be missing the point right from the start.

Although the author touches on the similar strategies taken by some religions and some members of the pop culture industry he does little more than skim the surface. After reading the sections dealing with religion, we discover that some religious leaders and groups are adapting to the changing times by trying new market-based strategies to increase their flock, while others are not. Some progressive religions embrace individuality, while other more fundamental religions seek to remove it. What about the marketing of religious icons? And don’t all religions and the pop-culture industry seek the same thing – control over the largest number of people?

While acknowledging that people are bombarded with daily images of celebrity excess, Niedzviecki never suggests ways we could actually address the negative effects of the advertising industry, but still seems to condemn people for simply wanting to become part of these elite celebrity groups. I’m reminded of a lyric from the band James: “If I hadn’t seen such riches, I could live with being poor.” Who wouldn’t want to be rich, famous, and spoiled?

Pop culture tells people stories that they want to hear. Surprise. Most people would rather eat pizza than asparagus. Surprise. The advertising industry wants to manipulate us. Surprise.

Niedzviecki claims that “The majority of us don’t want to destroy the system, challenge the mass-market capitalism that degrades culture, and expose celebrity worship as a fraud. To the contrary – we uphold the system; we live for the system. The amount of energy many of us expend to get into the pop-culture system suggests just how much we love and want to be part of it.”

What does this have to do with anything? Initially, the majority never wanted to end slavery, the majority never wanted women to vote, and the majority never wanted to end child labour… Initially, the majority never wants to do anything.

If, as Niedzviecki notes, “it is distribution and access to the market that creates an ever-more-controlled industry”, then shouldn’t the fact that so many people are starting their own companies, creating their own websites, and finding new ways to communicate with one another be inspiring? Could it not, at least, be a starting point?

It may be true that “Most of us ignore social issues, the plight of strangers, the workings of government, (and) the degradation of the environment” however, by moving from passive watchers to active participants in our own entertainment, are we not headed in the right direction?

Is the glass half full or half empty? Are we all special or are we all simply cogs in machines wheel?

Niedzviecki correctly notes that the “ mass-media system integrates newspapers, magazines, radio, and television into everyday life and comes complete with slogans, jingles, and memorable pop moments, each one seemingly spontaneous and individually empowering but actually carefully researched and derived from an ever-growing body of knowledge on the manipulation of crowds” but he is merely restating the obvious. While quotations and references abound, I found it extremely bizarre that a book by a Canadian author dealing largely with aspects of pop-culture and mass media made no mention of the works of Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, or Noam Chomsky.

The author goes on to claim that “The failure of the anti-globalization movement to figure out how to use the contrivances of mass media—either indie or corporate—to harness a groundswell of resentment into a genuine worldwide movement perhaps accounts for the frustrating way that these protests seem to degenerate.”

In the end, a lonely voice of reason finally comes from Heather Maxwell, an anti-globalization activist: “It is not about rebellion, “ she says, “As long as resources are unevenly distributed none of us will be free and I will have no choice but to speak out. That is the point.” Let’s hope Niedzviecki was listening.