Chris Barrett (filmmaker)

Last updated
Chris Barrett
Born (1982-07-24) July 24, 1982 (age 41)
Education Pepperdine University
Occupation(s)Internet Entrepreneur, Filmmaker, Spokesperson, Author
Political partyDemocratic Party

Chris Barrett (born July 24, 1982, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is an American Internet entrepreneur, film director, spokesperson, and author who is featured in the 2004 Sundance award winning documentary The Corporation and its 2020 sequel The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel .

Contents

Early life and background

Barrett grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and graduated in 2001 from Haddonfield Memorial High School in 2001. [1] [2] [3] [4] Barrett attended Pepperdine University. [3]

Career

First Corporately Sponsored College Student

Barrett launched his entrepreneurial career in high school, during a national search for a corporation to sponsor his college education. [5] In exchange for college tuition, Barrett was willing to be a company's “spokesguy” and wear clothes with the sponsors' logo on them. [6] The inspiration for this came after Chris saw a TV commercial featuring professional golfer and Nike spokesperson Tiger Woods wearing Nike logo on his hat. [7]

Barrett became the first corporately sponsored college student, when he was named a financial responsibility spokesperson for the credit card company First USA, which was owned by BankOne. The corporate sponsorship announcement happened on NBC's The Today Show in June 2001. [8]

Powerhouse Pictures

In 2006, Barrett co-founded Powerhouse Pictures with actor Efren Ramirez, where he directed the documentary After School, about teacher-student sex scandals, [9] which was announced on CNN's Larry King Live . [10]

Political career

Grassroots For Sanders

In 2015, Barrett co-founded #BernItForward, a web app where you would donate $3 on behalf of three friends to the 2016 Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign. [11] He then joined Grassroots for Sanders as an assistant fundraising manager, the organization behind the subreddit r/SandersForPresident, where he helped raise $10 million dollars directly to the 2016 Sanders campaign. [12]

Elected to Office

Inspired by Bernie Sanders' progressive politics, Barrett joined the Collingswood, New Jersey, democratic ticket in 2017 and was elected to the Camden County Democratic Committee. [12] While elected to office, Barrett worked with the Democratic party to make the voice of younger, more progressive, voters heard within the New Jersey Democratic Party. [13] Barrett is an advocate for legalizing marijuana and social justice reform, [14] eliminating student loan debt, [13] and gun control. [15]

The Corporation

Barrett was featured in Sundance Film Festival award winning documentary film The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film written by University of British Columbia law professor Joel Bakan, and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott. The documentary examines the modern-day corporation. Barrett was interviewed to discuss being the first corporately sponsored college student. [16]

Barrett was also featured in the 2020 sequel, The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel , a Canadian documentary film, directed by Joel Bakan and Jennifer Abbott that premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. The film profiles new developments in the political and social power of corporations since the release of the original. After 17 years, Chris Barrett returned in the sequel to share his transformation from being the first corporately sponsored college student to pay for his college education to now being a Bernie Sanders-inspired progressive grassroots politician. [17] [18] The film also showcases Barrett's run for political office in New Jersey and becoming an elected official. [19]

Documentary appearances
YearTitleRoleRef
2003 The Corporation Himself [16]
2006 Maxed Out Himself [20]
2020 The New Corporation Himself [21]

Direct Your Own Life

Barrett is co-author of the non-fiction business book Direct Your Own Life: How to be a Star in Any Field Your Choose, published by Kaplan Publishing ( ISBN   9781427797667). [22]

Barrett and Napoleon Dynamite actor Efren Ramirez co-authored the book aimed at encouraging readers to achieve their life goals. [23]

Related Research Articles

<i>Manufacturing Consent</i> (film) 1992 film

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media is a 1992 documentary film that explores the political life and ideas of linguist, intellectual, and political activist Noam Chomsky. Canadian filmmakers Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick expand the analysis of political economy and mass media presented in Manufacturing Consent, a 1988 book Chomsky wrote with Edward S. Herman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haddonfield, New Jersey</span> Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States

Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 12,550, an increase of 957 (+8.3%) from the 2010 census count of 11,593, which in turn reflected a decline of 66 (−0.6%) from the 11,659 counted in the 2000 census

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Reich</span> US academic, former Secretary of Labor

Robert Bernard Reich is an American professor, author, lawyer, and political commentator. He worked in the administrations of presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, and served as Secretary of Labor from 1993 to 1997 in the cabinet of President Bill Clinton. He was also a member of President Barack Obama's economic transition advisory board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Sanders</span> American politician and activist (born 1941)

Bernard Sanders is an American politician and activist who is the senior United States senator from Vermont. Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history but has a close relationship with the Democratic Party, having caucused with House and Senate Democrats for most of his congressional career and sought the party's presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, coming second in both campaigns. He is often seen as a leader of the U.S. progressive movement.

<i>The Corporation</i> (2003 film) 2003 Canadian film

The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film written by University of British Columbia law professor Joel Bakan and filmmaker Harold Crooks, and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott. The documentary examines the modern corporation. Bakan wrote the book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power during the filming of the documentary.

Mark Achbar is a Canadian filmmaker, best known for The Corporation (2003), Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1994), and as an Executive Producer on over a dozen feature documentaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Bakan</span> Canadian legal scholar and filmmaker (born 1959)

Joel Conrad Bakan is an American-Canadian writer, jazz musician, filmmaker, and professor at the School of Law of the University of British Columbia.

Jennifer Abbott is a Sundance and Genie award-winning film director, writer, editor, producer and sound designer who specializes in social justice and environmental documentaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngawang Choephel</span> Tibetan film director

Ngawang Choephel is a documentary filmmaker, director, producer, and musician.

Haddonfield Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Haddonfield, in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Haddonfield Public Schools.

The notion of a legally sanctioned corporation remains controversial for several reasons, most of which stem from the granting of corporations both limited liability on the part of its members and the status and rights of a legal person. Some opponents to this granting of "personhood" to an organization with no personal liability contend that it creates a legal entity with the extensive financial resources to co-opt public policy and exploit resources and populations without any moral or legal responsibility to encourage restraint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Fox</span> American film director

Josh Fox is an American film director, playwright and environmental activist, best known for his Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning 2010 documentary, Gasland. He is the founder and artistic director of a film and theater company in New York City, International WOW, and has contributed as a journalist to Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, NowThis, AJ+ and Huffington Post.

<i>A Small Act</i> 2010 American film

A Small Act is a documentary film produced by Harambee Media and HBO and directed by Jennifer Arnold. The documentary chronicles Chris Mburu's search for his benefactor, whose sponsorship allowed him to continue secondary school in Kenya. He would go on to earn degrees from the University of Nairobi and Harvard Law School.

Katherine Dodds is a Canadian Impact Producer, writer, artist, and filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political positions of Bernie Sanders</span> Full coverage of the policies of Bernie Sanders

The political positions of Bernie Sanders are reflected by his United States Senate voting record, public speeches, and interviews. He is a self-described democratic socialist. Bernie Sanders is an independent senator from Vermont who has served in government since 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Sanders</span> American social worker and college president

Mary Jane O'Meara Sanders is an American social worker, college administrator, activist, and political strategist. Sanders was provost and interim president of Goddard College (1996–1997) and president of Burlington College (2004–2011). In June 2017, she founded the think tank The Sanders Institute. She has been married to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders since May 28, 1988. She has also served as the first lady of Burlington, Vermont, during her husband's term as mayor.

<i>Blair Witch</i> (film) 2016 film by Adam Wingard

Blair Witch is a 2016 found footage supernatural horror film directed by Adam Wingard and written by Simon Barrett. It is the third film in the Blair Witch series and a direct sequel to the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project, while ignoring the events of its 2000 follow-up film Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, given the events of that film being a film within a film. It stars James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Brandon Scott, Corbin Reid, Valorie Curry and Wes Robinson. The film follows a group of college students and their local guides who venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the prior disappearance of Heather Donahue, the sister of one of the characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media coverage of Bernie Sanders</span> Media bias controversy about 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders

The media coverage of Bernie Sanders, a U.S. Senator from Vermont, became a subject of discussion during his unsuccessful 2016 and 2020 presidential runs. His campaigns, some independent observers, as well as some media sources have said that the mainstream media in the United States is biased against Sanders. Others say that coverage is unbiased or biased in his favor. The allegations of bias primarily concern the coverage of his presidential campaigns.

<i>The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel</i> 2020 Canadian documentary film

The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel is a 2020 Canadian documentary film directed by Joel Bakan and Jennifer Abbott. A sequel to the influential 2003 film The Corporation, the film profiles new developments in the political and social power of corporations in the seventeen years since the release of the original.

Alexandra Rojas is an American activist and political commentator who is the executive director of Justice Democrats. She has provided political commentary on CNN.

References

  1. "Graduates get corporate sponsorships for college", The Trentonian , June 19, 2001, updated August 22, 2021. Accessed November 2, 2023. "Chris Barrett and Luke McCabe, both of Haddonfield, hatched an ingenious plan to get corporate sponsorship for college: they have exclusive deals with First USA to serve as 'Spokesguys.' They were graduated earlier this week from Haddonfield Memorial High School."
  2. "Chris Barrett". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  3. 1 2 ALLISON, MELISSA. "Pair's 1st year of college on First USA". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  4. Zernike, Kate (2001-07-19). "And Now a Word From Their Cool College Sponsor (Published 2001)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  5. "Corporate Kids". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  6. Powers, William (2001-08-01). "The Art of Exploitation". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  7. "Sponsored Students Set For College". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  8. Piccalo, Gina (2001-07-09). "Big 'Spokesguy' on Campus". LA Times. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  9. "SUNDANCE: Wintertime For The Producers" . Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  10. Stone, Adam (2008-10-06). "He wants the big picture". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  11. Reyes, Juliana (2016-01-18). "These Philly technologists are on Product Hunt right now for their Bernie Sanders project". Technical.ly Philly. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  12. 1 2 Bakan, Joel (2020-09-22). The New Corporation: How "Good" Corporations Are Bad for Democracy. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN   978-1-9848-9973-6.
  13. 1 2 Trethan, Phaedra. "Norcross meets with millennials to talk guns, DACA, debt". Courier-Post. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  14. Barrett, Chris. "LETTER: Sen. Beach should listen to his constituents on legalizing marijuana". Courier-Post. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  15. "Violence, Finances, and DREAMers: Oaklyn Roundtable Talks Concerns with Congressman". NJ PEN. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  16. 1 2 Achbar, Mark; Abbott, Jennifer (2004-06-04), The Corporation (Documentary, History), Mikela Jay, Rob Beckwermert, Christopher Gora, Nina Jones, Big Picture Media Corporation, retrieved 2020-11-23
  17. "The Corporation Doubles Down – Point of View Magazine". povmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  18. "Planet in Focus 2020: The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel". 3 Brothers Film. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  19. "Democracy, not consumption is "how we will amass power to challenge the corporate behemoth"". Salon. 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  20. Scurlock, James D. (2006-03-10), Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders (Documentary), Beth Naef, Mike Hudson, Louis C.K, Catherine Brown, Trueworks, retrieved 2020-11-23
  21. Abbott, Jennifer; Bakan, Joel (2020-09-13), The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel (Documentary), Anjali Appadurai, Chris Barrett, Heidi Boghosian, Wendy Brown, Screen Siren Pictures, Grant Street Productions, retrieved 2020-11-23
  22. "Direct Your Own Life - How To Be A Star In Any Field You Choose". directyourownlife.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  23. "Napoleon Dynamite pens self-help book". v5.femalefirst.co.uk. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 2020-11-23.