Summary: Youth Radio's Sophie Simon-Ortiz reports on what happens when clothing retailers push their teenage employees to wield the powerful psychology of teen relationships in order to move the merchandise.
Back in the day, I used to work at a bakery selling cupcakes. And let me tell you, the store reeked of the phony friendliness that Sophie addresses in this piece. I had a work personality: my voice was a good octave higher, I was quick to joke, laugh and compliment. I knew exactly what she was talking about the instant that the piece started. The intro really picks you up and places you right in the middle of the retail psychology. The contrast between Sophie's greeting and her sarcastic "come on" was the perfect example of the "phoniness" retail stores exude. The piece flowed well and didn't stray from her original point about the twisted psychology of retail. I really appreciated that there were several other voices from an expert to other retail workers. It wasn't just Sophie on a soapbox. There were other voices to back it up and stand behind her. The piece might be a little stronger if there was another teen up there with her on that nice little box, who isn't part of the retail business, to agree with her. Other than that, the piece flowed easily like smooth peanut butter, no chunky transitions. And it'll really make you think the next time you're inside a clothing store and one of the workers compliment you.
These days, it seems that when shopping, you make a lot of new friends--the salespeople. At shops aimed towards teens, the ever-present, ever-perky salesgirl or boy is always there to tell you just how cute you look.
This piece is a fascinating yet disturbing look at the tactics of young employees at trendy shops. The vox from these teens was really interesting--I couldn't believe it when one of the young women was talking about the certain kinds of fashionable clothes she had to wear to work!
I also really liked the vox from the teacher at UC Berkeley. He brought a more formal, academic view to this piece that was really smooth. Hearing him toss about phrases like "emotional labor", "walking advertisements", "instant friendships" and "brand representatives" was sickening and hopefully served as a wake-up call to listeners!
All in all, this piece is a really nice look at the world of retail. It would have been great to hear a little more, but at 3:07, it's a smooth, tight piece for radio. Kudos to Sophie Simon-Ortiz for exposing this!
We all have been "welcomed" by sales associate who want to be our friend at least once. Putting on a smile after being scolded by a fellow customer, holding the door open as you walk in, saying "have a great night" as you walk out of the store; we all know it's fake, but it's done none the less. Sophie did a good job bringing us back into that world, one where those interactions are included in your job description. The piece was well put and easy to flow with. I loved how Sophie noticed and explained the "lying" that occured during her interview. There was a good connection between her fellow teenagers and the informative scholar. I loved how she brought in the scholar right after an interviewee and followed it up with a hard working teenager. It worked well to show us that not all teenagers have their daddy's plastic at their disposal.
If you’re a cynic like me, you’ll know what Sophie is talking about. You’ve noticed the patronizing and overly enthusiastic salespeople at “teenybopper” or “trendy” stores; listen to this piece and you’ll understand the Machiavellian forces behind them. Having an expert is important but sometimes sounds stuffy, not here. Stewart knows what he’s talking about and his quotes are kept short and to the point. High quality field recording in a noisy mall is the mark of a good producer, well done. I liked how the actualities don’t just appear out of thin air but are part of a scene, very effective. This piece could work wonderfully in any radio magazine show talking about peer-pressure and the advertising industry. I would only recommend you clarify for the listener when the reporting ends and your personal opinions begin.
This is really fine work, and really interesting too. In fact, it owuld be a lot better if it was a lot longer--there is a realy Fast Times at Ridgemont High story to be told here, about clothes stores instead of fast food places. Give us a half hour on it!
As I prepare to make my surgical holiday shopping strike this weekend I was wishing this piece would armor me with some insight into why I feel so alienated and creeped out by the malls. Ok, a bit of a tall order, but this short piece (that could easily expand into and really informative and fascinating longer piece) answered a bit of my wondering. Hollow fabricated fashion offerings (no surprise there) propped up by preprogrammed chords of "conversation" by the young adults helping sell the stuff that they generally cant afford, either. I will make a point of going into one of these stores this weekend and see what happens....The Youth radio stuff generally sounds so refreshing in its reality. It reminds me of old live recorded rock, BuddyHolly-like 3-minute songs. The best have innocence and knowing.
I love Youth Radio's material, and this piece has a lot to offer, but it has a bit of personality disorder: it needs to decide if it wants to be a reported piece or a commentary.
The premise of the piece is interesting: the reporter/commentator offers that retailers have caught on to the power of a shopping companion who tells you that you look good in the merchandise you are trying on. Thus, the retailers encourage/require their employees to have those type of dressing room bonding moments, even if it is not a sincere or genuine interaction. The not only offers a window into the experiences of youth as retail consumers, but into the "emotional labor" required of retail employees.
The split between reported piece and commentary is a light one, but should be noted. At points during the enterprise reporting (and especially at the very end of the piece), the reporter/commentation slides in her own opinion about the subject--which is confusing.
This would make an interesting segment on a general magazine show with some possible uses in programming about marketing, the teen economy, and young people in general.
Comments for Teen Retail Psychology: Playing the Popularity Game at Work
Produced by Youth Radio
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Rating Summary
7 comments
Sandra Chen
Posted on August 19, 2009 at 01:42 PM | Permalink
YEB review of Teen Retail Psychology
Back in the day, I used to work at a bakery selling cupcakes. And let me tell you, the store reeked of the phony friendliness that Sophie addresses in this piece. I had a work personality: my voice was a good octave higher, I was quick to joke, laugh and compliment. I knew exactly what she was talking about the instant that the piece started. The intro really picks you up and places you right in the middle of the retail psychology. The contrast between Sophie's greeting and her sarcastic "come on" was the perfect example of the "phoniness" retail stores exude. The piece flowed well and didn't stray from her original point about the twisted psychology of retail. I really appreciated that there were several other voices from an expert to other retail workers. It wasn't just Sophie on a soapbox. There were other voices to back it up and stand behind her. The piece might be a little stronger if there was another teen up there with her on that nice little box, who isn't part of the retail business, to agree with her. Other than that, the piece flowed easily like smooth peanut butter, no chunky transitions. And it'll really make you think the next time you're inside a clothing store and one of the workers compliment you.
Zoe Cordes Selbin
Posted on October 10, 2006 at 10:07 AM | Permalink
Review of Teen Retail Psychology: Playing the Popularity Game at Work
These days, it seems that when shopping, you make a lot of new friends--the salespeople. At shops aimed towards teens, the ever-present, ever-perky salesgirl or boy is always there to tell you just how cute you look.
This piece is a fascinating yet disturbing look at the tactics of young employees at trendy shops. The vox from these teens was really interesting--I couldn't believe it when one of the young women was talking about the certain kinds of fashionable clothes she had to wear to work!
I also really liked the vox from the teacher at UC Berkeley. He brought a more formal, academic view to this piece that was really smooth. Hearing him toss about phrases like "emotional labor", "walking advertisements", "instant friendships" and "brand representatives" was sickening and hopefully served as a wake-up call to listeners!
All in all, this piece is a really nice look at the world of retail. It would have been great to hear a little more, but at 3:07, it's a smooth, tight piece for radio. Kudos to Sophie Simon-Ortiz for exposing this!
Carlos Maeda
Posted on October 31, 2005 at 03:30 PM | Permalink
Review of Teen Retail Psychology: Playing the Popularity Game at Work
We all have been "welcomed" by sales associate who want to be our friend at least once. Putting on a smile after being scolded by a fellow customer, holding the door open as you walk in, saying "have a great night" as you walk out of the store; we all know it's fake, but it's done none the less. Sophie did a good job bringing us back into that world, one where those interactions are included in your job description. The piece was well put and easy to flow with. I loved how Sophie noticed and explained the "lying" that occured during her interview. There was a good connection between her fellow teenagers and the informative scholar. I loved how she brought in the scholar right after an interviewee and followed it up with a hard working teenager. It worked well to show us that not all teenagers have their daddy's plastic at their disposal.
Dulce Maria Mora
Posted on April 28, 2005 at 01:07 PM | Permalink
Review of Teen Retail Psychology: Playing the Popularity Game at Work
If you’re a cynic like me, you’ll know what Sophie is talking about. You’ve noticed the patronizing and overly enthusiastic salespeople at “teenybopper” or “trendy” stores; listen to this piece and you’ll understand the Machiavellian forces behind them. Having an expert is important but sometimes sounds stuffy, not here. Stewart knows what he’s talking about and his quotes are kept short and to the point. High quality field recording in a noisy mall is the mark of a good producer, well done. I liked how the actualities don’t just appear out of thin air but are part of a scene, very effective. This piece could work wonderfully in any radio magazine show talking about peer-pressure and the advertising industry. I would only recommend you clarify for the listener when the reporting ends and your personal opinions begin.
Bill McKibben
Posted on February 14, 2005 at 04:44 PM | Permalink
Review of Teen Retail Psychology: Playing the Popularity Game at Work
This is really fine work, and really interesting too. In fact, it owuld be a lot better if it was a lot longer--there is a realy Fast Times at Ridgemont High story to be told here, about clothes stores instead of fast food places. Give us a half hour on it!
paul cheevers
Posted on December 17, 2004 at 06:32 AM | Permalink
Review of Teen Retail Psychology: Playing the Popularity Game at Work
As I prepare to make my surgical holiday shopping strike this weekend I was wishing this piece would armor me with some insight into why I feel so alienated and creeped out by the malls. Ok, a bit of a tall order, but this short piece (that could easily expand into and really informative and fascinating longer piece) answered a bit of my wondering. Hollow fabricated fashion offerings (no surprise there) propped up by preprogrammed chords of "conversation" by the young adults helping sell the stuff that they generally cant afford, either. I will make a point of going into one of these stores this weekend and see what happens....The Youth radio stuff generally sounds so refreshing in its reality. It reminds me of old live recorded rock, BuddyHolly-like 3-minute songs. The best have innocence and knowing.
Eric Nuzum
Posted on November 24, 2003 at 10:26 AM | Permalink
Review of Teen Retail Psychology: Playing the Popularity Game at Work
The premise of the piece is interesting: the reporter/commentator offers that retailers have caught on to the power of a shopping companion who tells you that you look good in the merchandise you are trying on. Thus, the retailers encourage/require their employees to have those type of dressing room bonding moments, even if it is not a sincere or genuine interaction. The not only offers a window into the experiences of youth as retail consumers, but into the "emotional labor" required of retail employees.
The split between reported piece and commentary is a light one, but should be noted. At points during the enterprise reporting (and especially at the very end of the piece), the reporter/commentation slides in her own opinion about the subject--which is confusing.
This would make an interesting segment on a general magazine show with some possible uses in programming about marketing, the teen economy, and young people in general.