Ben Stiller Compares Severance's Lumon Industries To Apple: A Striking Parallel

Pedro Alvarez

4 min read

Post on May 17, 2025

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Lumon Industries' Cult-like Corporate Culture and Apple's Brand Loyalty

Lumon Industries fosters an intense, almost cult-like atmosphere within its walls. Employees are deeply invested in their work, often at the expense of their personal lives, exhibiting a level of loyalty that borders on the obsessive. This resonates with the devoted following Apple enjoys. Apple cultivates a powerful brand loyalty, creating a sense of community among its users, and an almost religious devotion to its products.

• Severance: The "Innie/Outie" separation, enforced by Lumon, creates a distinct divide between employees' work and personal lives, limiting outside communication and fostering dependence on the company. Company-sponsored activities further reinforce this sense of community and belonging, all while subtly controlling employees' lives.
• Apple: Apple's highly successful product launches, creating a buzz and anticipation, mirror Lumon's controlled environment. The vast, interconnected "Apple ecosystem" encourages user loyalty, making switching brands a significant challenge, reminiscent of Lumon’s subtle control tactics. The highly devoted customer base mirrors the almost cult-like devotion employees show to Lumon.

Technological Control and Innovation: Lumon vs. Apple's Technological Advancements

Lumon Industries' advanced technology, particularly the unsettling "severance" procedure itself, is a key element of its control over its employees. This technological innovation is used not just to increase productivity, but also to enforce a rigid separation between an employee's work and personal life. This parallels Apple's position as a pioneer in consumer technology. Apple’s innovation drives the market, influencing how we interact with technology, much like Lumon's technology fundamentally alters the employees' reality.

• Severance: The severance procedure, the mysterious nature of Lumon's products (which are never fully explained), and their advanced surveillance technology all contribute to a sense of unease and corporate control.
• Apple: From the iPhone to the Apple Watch, Apple's products define the landscape of consumer technology. The integration of these products within the Apple ecosystem creates a seamless, yet controlling experience, not unlike Lumon's controlled environment.

The Ethics of Workplace Practices: A Critical Examination of Lumon and Apple's Approaches

While seemingly disparate, both Lumon and Apple face ethical scrutiny regarding their workplace practices. Lumon's extreme methods, including unethical experiments on employees and a lack of transparency, are clearly problematic. Similarly, Apple has faced criticism concerning its labor practices, particularly regarding supplier relations and working conditions in manufacturing facilities. Although Apple offers better employee benefits and compensation compared to Lumon's dystopian environment, the ethical considerations of both companies' practices deserve critical examination.

• Severance: The extreme separation of work and personal life, unethical experiments conducted on employees, and the lack of transparency regarding Lumon’s operations raise significant ethical concerns. The company's complete disregard for employee well-being is a stark example of unethical corporate practices.
• Apple: While offering better working conditions and compensation than many competitors, Apple faces ongoing criticism related to supplier relations and working conditions in manufacturing facilities. The pursuit of innovation and cost efficiency sometimes overshadows ethical considerations regarding fair labor practices and employee well-being.

Conclusion: Ben Stiller's Insightful Comparison and the Future of Work

Ben Stiller's comparison of Severance's Lumon Industries to Apple isn't a direct equivalence; the differences are significant. However, the comparison highlights unsettling parallels between a fictional dystopia and aspects of modern corporate life. Both entities represent powerful organizations with advanced technology and the ability to exert considerable control. While Apple operates within a far less extreme context than Lumon, the comparison prompts a vital discussion about corporate culture, technological advancements, and the ethical responsibilities of large corporations. It forces us to consider the potential pitfalls of unchecked technological advancement and the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between innovation and ethical workplace practices. The future of work hinges on addressing these issues proactively.

What are your thoughts on Ben Stiller's comparison of Severance's Lumon Industries to Apple? Share your views in the comments below and join the conversation about the parallels between fictional dystopias and the realities of modern corporate life.