Like most of you, I have Netflix, and as I’m sure you’d agree, their streaming selection sucks. (I can only watch so many episodes of Futurama and Arrested Development before I get restless— notably because I already own both series on DVD.) But where I will say their streaming selection excels in is their Documentaries. Example: Bill Cunningham: New York is already on there— which, side note, is off-the-hizzie aweeeesome. That being said, I finally got around to viewing Food Inc. I’ve seen King Corn, read all of Michael Pollan’s books, Fast Food Nation, etc, and took a Food and Farming class last semester (by choice! Voluntary academia, holllllla!) but something about this film hit a different nerve.
I know enough about the meat industry and the politics behind food, in general; I was, after all, a vegan in college. Well, for a year, anyway. I sort of think giving up meat is a rite of passage for anyone breaking into the anarchist/punk/indie scene in college, because seriously, those vegan punks can be persuasive, persuasive in that they will hit you with a guilty, emotional punch you every time you drink a milk shake or talk about the awesomeness of buffalo wings. Man, 20 year olds punks are annoying. But anyway, I’m already privy to a lot of the facts: that corporate America is the meat industry, there’s no real chicken in chicken nuggets, frosted flakes are really just poisonous specs of plastic laced with cyanide, and that we’re all disgusting human beings for drinking liquid that comes from a cow udder. None of this is new knowledge. But as you age, you gain more responsibilities, your income is no longer expendable, and these govt/health issues become secondary since we’re all just trying to survive. And as much as I love the farmer’s market and food co-ops (and the movement towards their expansion), at the end of the day, I can’t let go of the fact that the people do not belong to the neighborhood food co-op, the people shop at Pathmark and Key Foods. And the people – like my parents – generally do not enjoy a handout or having someone preach the good word to them – like I try to do.
This is why I liked Food Inc, though. It doesn’t patronize or frown upon the unaware or those of a lower socioeconomic class, or belittle their struggle, and it doesn’t entirely focus on how terrible the food itself is. Which, it is, but its emphasis is on humanity. It simplifies the corporate concepts behind the food and farming industry without underestimating the viewer, and rather than tackle the topic with a holier-than-thou approach (read: unlike the lectures of Gwyneth “I’d rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can” Paltrow—Jesus, she can be ignorant) it strives to hit home with an empathetic and “no one is escaping this issue” undertone. In other words, it incorporates everyone into the equation: rich/poor, White/Black, tall/short, ugly/fugly, American/Swiss, dominant/non-dominant, Khloe/Kim, etc.
Since I’m not White, immigration and racism are two particularly important issues to me, and both are heavily involved in the food and farming industry. These issues are addressed in Food Inc., though in a sugar-coated fashion. Personally, I value an upfront approach rather than a light tackle on the elephant in the room, like my friend Jenny says: hats off to the Mexicans, you all do the shit no one else wants to do. But I understand that audiences don’t necessarily want to hear that. Although, to them I sort of want to say: wake the eff up. Since that is just the tip of the iceberg. But there is an undeniable link between low wage factory workers and minorities. Which, of course, goes hand in hand with the class disparities in America and the racial ties associated with them. It’s all one big cycle. That is not to say poverty and low end paychecks do not span across the entire racial board, but it’s clear who is on top, and who is not. It is statistics, people. However, at least Food Inc. addresses this topic, and I appreciate that.
In a nutshell: Food Inc., focuses on not only the maniacal ways of the farming industry, and the corporate influence that is at the root of its evil, but also the politics behind it and its effect on the entire nation. I want to say something sarcastic such as, after watching this film I feel as though my only safe eating options are the rocks and pebbles outside my house which have accrued naturally and more likely than not have more nutritional value than high fructose corn syrup, but instead I’ll end with, everyone should watch Food Inc. You’ll be a little smarter from it, and maybe a little thinner too, since you won’t want to eat meat for at least a few days. It’s a win/win.
-jbm
