Attention Economy and the Recognition of a Proprietary Interest in Personhood

• Date: 24 May 2019
• Author: LM Bester
• Published date: 24 May 2019
• Citation: (2016) IPLJ 93
• Pages: 93-100

93

ATTENTION ECONOMY AND THE

RECOGNITION OF A PROPRIETARY

INTEREST IN PERSONHOOD



  

Norma Jeane Mortenson wa s an unremarka ble young woman who became

the emblematic face of the commercial isation of personhood. Her image

was moulded and forged until she was rec reated to become the ultimat e sex

symbol of the 1950s: Marilyn Monroe. As poet TT Cloete s o elegantly put it

‘hoe skaamteg root die lippige mond

oop lag pront

pruilend na t rooi rond

gewelf soos ’n gekoesterde so et kriewelige wond.’1

Cloete’s description of Monroe can be likened to that of an a rt critic recounting

a painting. Her image was fash ioned and sculpted until she became a n

artistic repr esentation of the pop culture of her d ay. Details of her private

             

on her commercial worth. Not only t he glittering aspe cts, but also the ugly

messes of her life played off in the public eye. Her vulnerabil ity and humanity

fascinated her followers and her glamorous lega cy prevails to this day. Her

image was a well-manufactu red product. Monroe set the bench mark for

persons as marketable produ cts, objects of commercial value, inst ruments of

attention economy.

However, proprietary worth in a n individual stretches int o the annals of

civilisation. Slavery and slave markets have abounded si nce the Bronze Age.

       

ascertai ned worth. An enslaved Visigoth warrior cou ld be trained as a

gladiator and sold for a large amount of gold Aureus, while a sickly pea sant

could sell for a handful of denar ii. Said gladiator’s worth would increase were

he to successfully compet e in the Circus Maximus causing his fame to s pread

through Rome. The owner could t hen resell his asset for a larger amount.

             

obscure South Afr ican sprinter became a n international supe rstar within

the space of 43.03 seconds. Wayde van Niekerk won gold at the 2016 Rio

Olympics, setting a new world record with his t ime. Within a matter of

days, endorsement deals wort h millions were concluded with this i nstant

               

Triebel Inc, Bellvi lle, Cape Town. This article for med part of an LLM diss ertation submit ted to

the University of Ca pe Town in 2015.

1 AP Brink (ed) TT C loete ‘Marilyn Mon roe Foto in Blou’ Groot Verseboek 1 ed (2008) at 849.

(2016) IPLJ 93

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