EARTHLINGS is a 2005 documentary about the use of animals as pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research objects. If you watch one video from this blog, make it this one. If you're busy like I am and don't have much time to spare in your life, watch EARTHLINGS instead of reading my blog. This movie is an essential introduction to the role of animals in the global economy, and how ideology and invisibility cause horrific suffering on a massive scale. I have to warn you: the film features disturbing, graphic images of living creatures being used as commodities. It is not easy to witness. However, seeing and hearing the realities of violence is crucial towards building a critical consciousness of animals' position in the human world. You need to watch this film if you want to engage meaningfully with the issues raised by this blog.
Watch the trailer below, and click through the link beneath it to watch the full movie in high quality. Seriously, watch it right now.
Watch the trailer below, and click through the link beneath it to watch the full movie in high quality. Seriously, watch it right now.
Okay I have problems with movies like these.The general public never sees these movies, the only people that sit through this torture are people who already agree with the message (and I believe they only watch it to strangely feel good about themselves). Humans come first, that's the bottom line and even that isn't completely true, only certain humans come first. It's not hard to believe that humans would treat animals this way when humans put humans in despicable circumstances every day. Also most people are too self important to even care (myself included). I could sit through this entire movie then not even an hour later go get a cheeseburger. I'm not going to hold these horrific images in my head. They're easily forgotten and I allow myself to be in blissful ignorance of where my food is coming from. Honestly they need to take a new approach with movies like this... showing an hour and half of people mutilating and hurting animals just doesn't cut it (for me at least). In general I like your blog even though it's a little wordy with some unnecessary, pretentious language.
ReplyDeleteHey Caroline, thanks for commenting. But I think you're being a little fatalistic here.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people elevate themselves over most everything else, that certain groups are valued over others. But just because a system runs a certain way doesn't mean that this is the most efficient or just arrangement. It doesn't mean that we can't change or try make ourselves and our world more sustainable, less violent and exploitative. And it definitely doesn't mean that we shouldn't care about anything but ourselves.
Just because people like to be lazy, hide from the truth and never take personal responsibility for their impact on the world doesn't make that attitude okay. This kind of apathy and denial of complicity is what allowed slavery to flourish in the US long after it was condemned by northerners.
One way or another, we are going to have to start addressing these issues in our lifetime. Human attitudes towards and treatment of nonhuman animals in the global economy is intimately connected to the environmental destruction that is already coming back to haunt (and kill) us. We can't just pretend the ocean is an inexhaustible resource that we can overfish and dump all our shit into. We can't pretend that industrial agriculture isn't killing biodiversity and poisoning the atmosphere. We can't pretend that global warming won't dramatically restructure global economic and political systems.
This movie isn't just a snuff film for people who feel superior because they assume they are removed from exploitative systems. I think EARTHlINGS is so powerful because it demonstrates how deeply ingrained violence against animals is into industrial systems of production, and how nearly every American consumer is complicit in this structural violence. I admit that I profit everyday off of animal suffering. And not just animals harmed by food production; but also animals objectified for their use as pets and medicine and entertainment and clothing.
I challenge you to watch this movie and go to McDonalds afterwards, see how it tastes. Seriously, watch the movie. I watched it once, about 2-3 years ago, and I still have several of the images stuck in my head. I never want to watch it again. I do think it's necessary to witness and confront reality though. Seeing violence makes it real - you can't hide behind rationalization, you can't feel apathetic because you can't easily forget seeing and hearing individuals suffer.
Wow i just realized I spelled your name wrong. Way to start off the wrong foot...
ReplyDeleteYeah about my name... lol
ReplyDeleteAnyways I never said that attitude was okay, I was just being realistic. There are so many other problems in the world that the animals take a backseat. I still believe that if humans don't treat humans better then there is no way that humans are going to start treating animals better.
I understand what Earthlings is trying to do but like I said Earthlings is not seen by the general public so its message is lost. The only way to really change these injustices is through legislation.
I don't need to do our challenge because McDonalds is the Devil. I avoid eating there.
Oh and that R.Kelly song is awful. I had never heard it before and never want to hear it again.