The question of whether a corporation is a person has been an important political topic of debate for many years. However, since the Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee decision in 2010 it has gained even more attention.
The case allowed unlimited spending by corporations on political issues. The idea came back to the political main stage in 2014 with the highly controversial Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores decision, which awarded closely held corporations some freedom of conscious exceptions to the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate.
This case gave corporations the right to refuse to offer some contraceptives in their health care plan. Although these cases are the most recent and well-known, they are certainly not the first times the personhood of corporations have been brought into question at the courts and beyond.
The topic reaching the Supreme Court as early as 1809 in Bank of the United States v. Deveaux, which allowed corporations to sue in federal court as citizens. Perhaps the issue even dates back to the medieval Catholic church acting as a corporation with the rights of an individual.
We must resist humanizing corporations, as this affords them extra sympathy we would apply towards actual people.
In the current age of social media, this idea of personhood of corporations is taking on an entirely new meaning.
As a means of advertisement, many corporations are attempting to develop individual personalities as a social media brand. This phenomenon is most observable on Twitter.
The Twitter account for the popular fast food chain Wendy’s has taken to posting jokes and roasting Twitter users online.
For example, a Twitter user tweeted the account, “I just ate Burger King, what are you going to do about it?” This prompted the sarcastic response of “Feel sorry for you” from Wendy’s Twitter account. Most recently, the Wendy’s Twitter account offered a Twitter user free chicken nuggets for life if his tweet received 18 million retweets.
These tweets have gone viral, which prompted countless tweets and news articles about how fun and quirky Wendy’s is.
Buzzfeed even published an article titled “15 Times The Wendy’s Twitter Was The Most Savage.”
Other corporations have been building internet personalities for themselves as well.
Denny’s, the popular breakfast restaurant, runs a Tumblr blog that is known for posting jokes and memes.
The idea of humanizing corporations with personalities is not a legal issue, but it changes the mindset of the general population when they view these corporations, subconsciously creating human sympathy and admiration.
Not only are we giving corporations more legal rights than they should have, we are giving them friendly and funny personalities. While it seems harmless, it humanizes the very corporations that exploit real people every day.
It seems a bit cruel that a corporation can deny necessary health care and then turn around and interact with the public as if it is everyone’s beloved childhood friend.
After the Citizens United decision, comedian Jon Stewart said, “If only there were some way to prove that corporations are not people. Maybe we could show their inability to love.”
Little did he know that these corporations would soon take to the internet in an attempt to prove their humanity in this very way.
emmagetz@umail.iu.edu
@emmaagetz
