[Ed. Note: A hundred years ago when I first started blogging — straight politics, believe it or not — on a small site no one’s heard of, somehow Lorie Byrd found me and became an early champion of mine. As I was already a fan of hers, that meant more than you can imagine. Lorie is a friend, a fellow North Carolinian, a wonderfully warm and insightful writer, a consumer of pop culture, and I’m thrilled that she’s now a part of our BH family. Please welcome her aboard. — JN]
In the current political and economic climate where bashing corporate executives has been politically popular, the new CBS reality show, Undercover Boss, shows a different face of corporate America. The show’s social or political message (if there is one) may or may not be getting through to those watching, but the entertainment value is and millions of viewers like what they see.
The reality show, which premiered following the Super Bowl and continues to air on Sunday nights, follows the leaders (presidents, CEOs, etc.) of large companies such as Hooters and 7-Eleven as they go undercover in their own organizations doing entry level jobs in various divisions. There are many reasons to love the show. Undercover Boss highlights those at every level. Every week workers demonstrating a strong work ethic are showcased. Through the examples, we are shown value in every job no matter how lowly or seemingly insignificant. And we see a side of corporate “bosses” that is seldom shown on television.
As the camera follows the undercover bosses around (under the guise of capturing the experiences of an average entry level worker for a documentary) the viewer meets some incredible characters.
My favorite employee featured is Igor Finkler, a Russian immigrant driving the night shift for 7- Eleven. It is clear that he is thrilled to be living the American Dream. He is hard working and positive and appreciative of all the opportunities this country offers. We later learn that as a result of what 7-Eleven CEO Joseph DePinto saw during his undercover operation, Finkler gets a store of his own.
We see other employees working hard in spite of medical and other challenges.
This celebration of the common man is just one facet though. What is even more striking is how we see the “bosses.” They are shown as men (so far no women have gone undercover) who care not only about the bottom line and their company’s public image, but about the individuals who make the companies run.
It might seem glaringly obvious and just good common sense to believe that most bosses would want their employees to be happy. After all, a happy worker is going to be more productive and loyal and a greater asset to the company. No boss wants the costs associated with high turnover that result from unhappy employees. Yet in much of the news and entertainment media we have been led to believe corporate bosses don’t care about their employees, just the bottom line. Through the examples on Undercover Boss we see the correlation between these two things.
Undercover Boss, like most reality-based television programs, is orchestrated. But as television critic Mary McNamara noted, “Like all storytelling, television is essentially manipulative. The point of any drama is to evoke thoughts and emotions that the audience, left to its own devices, might never experience. So to call CBS’ new reality show Undercover Boss manipulative is almost beside the point.”
She points to a few examples: “What I’m not willing to buy is that the workers… were not the product of an extensive and exhaustive search of the company’s 45,000 employees for the most TV-ready. The trash picker with the kidney condition? The multi-tasking mom who’s about to lose her house? To which she invites O’Donnell? The sanitation worker so beloved by the families on her route that a mentally challenged woman just happens to have a letter of appreciation in her hand the very day the camera crews arrive?”
I’m not willing to buy that either. I am sure the people featured are not chosen randomly, but are well vetted by the companies they represent. Even with such manipulation, though, there is something to be learned from the examples shown.
Time’s James Poniewozik asked did those watching Undercover Boss “see an entertaining, emotional work that celebrated American workers? Or a manipulative, cheesy piece of big-network p.r. for executives looking to burnish their image while they keep squeezing every dime out of their workforce?” His answer: “Yes! And yes!”
He is probably right, but it also lets television-watching America see that it is possible to treat employees well and also make a profit. Although orchestrated and manipulative, the glimpse the show offers of corporate CEOs as living, breathing human beings is something far too rare on network television and definitely worth a look.
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