Food, Inc.

What aspects of Food, Inc. did I find effective? A better question to ask would probably be what aspects did I not find effective. It's hard to really enjoy a movie like that, because the information being disclosed is so jaw-droppingly shocking, but I appreciated it for the information it disclosed.

Many different parts of the movie shocked me. First and foremost, I am an animal person; I've never hunted in my entire life, nor do I intend to. I love animals; even farm animals like cows and pigs come off as cute, albeit in a somewhat dirty way. Just look at those glassy brown eyes; they convey a sense of innocence that I just can't ignore. I'm not vegetarian, but I dunno... it definitely seems like something worth exploring. Because, seriously, the methods that national meat processing companies treat these animals is absolutely disgusting. Whether it be the chickens living their entire lives in dark holding pens or cows being tossed around with a fork lift, everything about the treatment of animals by the food industry disturbs me.

One of the most disturbing parts of the film came when discussing E. Coli strands that have infected various shipments of meat that have been distrubuted throughout the country. If the animals didn't capture the attention of viewers, then the story revolving around the two-year-old boy that died from an infected burger surely should have. Presenting an actual face when discussing the dangers of meat-processing plants was an extremely effective way to convey how much can actually go wrong if these slaughterhouses aren't regulated better.

In addition, I appreciated the part about the soy bean manufacturing company. The fact that these people have essentially acquired the rights to soy beans - a freakin' plant - is so over-the-top ridiculous that I probably wouldn't believe it had I not watched the movie. It represents capitalism at its absolute worst: major companies gaining power (in legitimate ways, I grant you), and then abusing that power to destroy all competition. They actually seem like villains in a classical, Evil Empire kind of sense. My heart went out to the farmers whose livelihoods were essentially ruined as I found myself getting actively pissed off against this corporation (whose name I regrettably can't remember - it starts with an 'M').

The documentary also hits the viewers with cold, hard facts that are too dramatic to ignore. My favorite one (or the one I've since shared with my friends): on average, a fast food burger contains meat from over 1,000 cows. Holly f*ck.

This documentary does a lot of things well, and I'm glad that I saw it. It uses a wide array of techniques to send its message: that consumers should be aware of the food that they are buying and, if financially possible, should make smarter decisions in terms of what we purchase.