Ben Stiller On Severance: Comparing Lumon Industries' Corporate Structure To Apple's

Natalie Brooks

5 min read

Post on May 17, 2025

4.4

Share

The Severance Procedure: A Unique Approach to Employee Management

The core of Severance's unsettling premise is the titular procedure: a surgical separation of an employee's memories and identity between their work and personal lives. Employees undergo a procedure that literally divides their consciousness, creating a "work self" and an "out-of-work self" who are completely unaware of each other's experiences. This radical approach to employee management raises profound questions about identity, autonomy, and the ethical implications of extreme workplace control. The impact on employee mental health is a significant concern. The blurred lines between reality and artificiality create a psychological landscape ripe for manipulation and exploitation.

• Impact on employee mental health: The severance procedure raises serious concerns about the psychological well-being of employees, potentially leading to identity crises, dissociation, and other mental health issues.
• Potential for exploitation and control: By severing the connection between work and personal life, Lumon gains almost complete control over its workforce, eliminating the possibility of dissent or outside influences.
• Comparison to real-world compartmentalization: While not as extreme as Lumon's severance procedure, real-world companies often compartmentalize information and responsibilities to protect sensitive data or maintain efficiency. However, the line between reasonable security measures and oppressive control is often blurry.

Secrecy and Information Control at Lumon vs. Apple's Culture of Secrecy

Lumon Industries operates under a cloak of extreme secrecy. Information is tightly controlled, with employees limited to their specific tasks and departments. This secrecy, while portrayed as essential for Lumon's operations, creates an atmosphere of paranoia and distrust. This resonates with Apple's well-known culture of secrecy, albeit on a different scale. Apple guards its product development processes and internal operations closely, aiming to maintain a competitive edge and protect its innovations.

• Lumon's extreme secrecy and its consequences: The intense secrecy at Lumon leads to a lack of transparency, creating an environment where manipulation and unethical practices can thrive.
• Apple's secrecy regarding products and internal workings: Apple's secrecy, while less extreme, is a key component of its business strategy, designed to protect intellectual property and create anticipation around new products.
• A balanced look at the advantages and disadvantages: Both Lumon and Apple utilize secrecy, but the motivations and consequences differ drastically. While Apple’s secrecy fosters innovation, Lumon's creates a dystopian workplace.

Compartmentalization and Specialized Roles: Lumon vs. Apple's Team Structures

Lumon Industries employs a system of extreme compartmentalization, where employees are assigned highly specialized roles with limited knowledge of the overall company operations. This contrasts with Apple's (and other tech companies') more collaborative team structures, where cross-functional teams work together to develop and launch products. While specialization can enhance efficiency, Lumon's extreme version sacrifices collaboration and overall understanding.

• Lumon's extreme specialization and isolation: The extreme specialization at Lumon isolates employees, hindering communication and collaboration, and ultimately damaging morale.
• Apple's team-based approach and cross-functional collaboration: Apple's approach encourages information sharing and collaboration, fostering innovation and a more cohesive workforce.
• Advantages and disadvantages of each approach: While specialization can improve efficiency in specific tasks, over-compartmentalization can stifle innovation and collaboration.

Ben Stiller's Directorial Vision and its Interpretation of Corporate Structures

Ben Stiller's direction in Severance masterfully creates a visual and atmospheric representation of Lumon Industries' oppressive corporate structure. The sterile, minimalist architecture, muted color palettes, and unsettling lighting all contribute to the show's unsettling tone. This deliberate visual storytelling reinforces the themes of compartmentalization, control, and the erosion of individual identity.

• Visual representation of Lumon's architecture and environment: The stark, clinical aesthetic of Lumon's office spaces visually represents the cold, impersonal nature of the corporation.
• Use of lighting and color to portray the mood and atmosphere: The muted colors and deliberate use of lighting enhance the feeling of isolation and unease.
• The impact of the show's unsettling tone on the viewer's perception of Lumon: The show's unsettling atmosphere makes viewers question the ethical implications of extreme corporate control and the potential consequences of unchecked power.

Conclusion: Understanding Lumon Industries and its Relevance to Modern Corporate Structures

The comparison between Lumon Industries and real-world companies like Apple highlights the potential dangers of extreme corporate control and the ethical implications of prioritizing efficiency over employee well-being. While Apple's culture of secrecy is a strategic business practice, Lumon's extreme secrecy and compartmentalization lead to a dystopian workplace. The "severance" procedure, in particular, serves as a powerful metaphor for the potential for exploitation and control within modern corporate structures. Analyze your own workplace through a Severance lens. Consider the ethical implications of extreme workplace compartmentalization. The disturbing reality presented in Severance compels us to critically examine the structures that shape our work lives and the potential for both innovation and oppression within them. The discussion surrounding Severance and Lumon Industries remains highly relevant as we grapple with the evolving nature of work and the power dynamics within modern corporations.