Severance: Ben Stiller Compares Lumon Industries To Apple

Kenji Nakamura

4 min read

Post on May 17, 2025

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Lumon's Technological Sophistication Mirroring Apple's Innovation

Lumon Industries boasts advanced, almost futuristic technology, most notably the "severance" procedure, which surgically separates an employee's memories and experiences between their work and personal lives. This secretive, proprietary technology mirrors Apple's own guarded innovation processes. Apple, too, fiercely protects its intellectual property and keeps its upcoming product developments under wraps. The comparison extends beyond just secrecy; Lumon's sleek, minimalist aesthetic, frequently seen in its sterile office spaces and technological devices, directly echoes Apple's signature product design philosophy.

• Lumon's secretive, proprietary technology: The severance procedure itself is a marvel of fictional science, comparable to Apple's highly guarded development of technologies like the M-series chip or its advancements in augmented reality.
• Lumon's minimalist aesthetic: The clean lines and muted color palettes of Lumon's workspace strongly resemble Apple's minimalist design language, creating a sense of sterile efficiency.
• The mystery surrounding Lumon's inner workings: The show deliberately shrouds many aspects of Lumon's operations in secrecy, much like the enigmatic development processes often associated with Apple. This shared air of mystery fuels both intrigue and speculation.
• Technological parallels: Lumon's "Omen" system, a complex network used for data processing, has parallels with Apple's iCloud and other cloud-based services, hinting at the potential power and control held by these systems.

Cult-like Corporate Culture: Lumon vs. Apple's Employee Loyalty

Lumon Industries fosters an intense, almost cultish, employee loyalty, achieved through a combination of manipulative techniques and seemingly generous benefits. This dedication echoes, to a degree, Apple’s reputation for strong company identity and dedicated employees. However, the comparison ends there.

• Lumon's manipulation vs. Apple's perks: While Apple offers competitive salaries and employee benefits to encourage retention, Lumon utilizes psychological manipulation and invasive monitoring to control its workforce. This stark contrast highlights different approaches to fostering employee loyalty—one ethical, the other exploitative.
• Psychological manipulation: Lumon's methods, including isolating employees and controlling their information, are far removed from Apple’s comparatively more transparent (albeit competitive) employment practices.
• Harmful vs. ethical culture: Lumon's toxic culture, built on control and secrecy, stands in stark contrast to Apple's generally less ethically problematic, though still intensely competitive, workplace.

The Control and Surveillance Aspects: Lumon's Extreme Practices vs. Apple's Data Collection

Lumon Industries’ extreme surveillance and control measures are a central theme of Severance. Employees are constantly monitored, their actions scrutinized, and their personal lives effectively compartmentalized. This raises ethical questions, which also arise in discussions about Apple's data collection practices.

• Ethical implications: Lumon's blatant disregard for employee privacy and well-being contrasts sharply with Apple’s adherence (however imperfect) to legal data collection regulations.
• Consequences of excessive control: Both Lumon and Apple offer case studies in the potential dangers of unchecked corporate power. While Apple's data practices face criticism, Lumon represents a dystopian extreme, demonstrating the potential harms of excessive surveillance and control.
• Public perception: Public opinion on data privacy is largely critical of both companies, although the scale and nature of the criticisms differ significantly. Apple faces scrutiny for its data collection policies, whereas Lumon represents a frightening exaggeration of such issues.

Conclusion: Severance, Lumon, Apple, and the Future of Corporate Culture

Ben Stiller's comparison of Lumon Industries to Apple highlights both startling similarities and critical differences. Both corporations prioritize technological advancement and employee loyalty, but their methods differ drastically. Lumon represents a dystopian warning, illustrating the potential dangers of unchecked corporate power and manipulative control. Apple, while facing its own ethical challenges, serves as a (relatively) more ethical, though still competitive, benchmark. By exploring these parallels, Severance prompts viewers to consider the implications of these corporate structures on our lives and the future of work. Dive deeper into the world of Severance and explore the unsettling parallels between Lumon Industries and Apple, and consider what these comparisons reveal about the future of corporate structures. What are your thoughts?