Entry #7: Fresh, a Look into Industrial Agriculture

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     As the population in America grows, we keep looking for increasingly convenient and cheap ways to keep up with it. From things like toys and technology to essentials like food and clothes, people have sought out ways to get the most of what they can in a short amount of time, even if it means prioritizing quantity over quality. The 2009 movie "Fresh" aims to give us a deep dive into one of these categories, showing us how the industrial revolution has affected the farming and food industry as a whole. Throughout the film, we are offered a look into numerous different kinds of farms, from animal to crop, and corporate to family. We get to see and hear firsthand what industrial farming has done to the quality and longevity of our systems.

    Nowadays, much of the food we consume is filled with all kinds of chemicals, pesticides, and antibiotics. Whether that be the meat we consume or something processed like cereal. Not only that but since the 1960's, the nutrients in our food has depleted as well. These are both facts given to us by the film before they explain the reasons as to why, and show us some of the bigger issues related to the industrial farming industry.

    In order to maximize profits, companies want to make the most amount of food that they can in the least amount of time, and they don't care how. This means densely filled cages and lots stuffed to the brim with animals, running rife with disease and pumped full of cheaply produced feed to make them grow bigger faster. Fields are covered with pesticides and artificial fertilizer because the soil has run dry of nutrients. These problems are all caused by the standards of industrial farming, and family farms that do things the way nature intended — planting compatible crops together, simulating a more natural environment for the animals that copies their "cycle" in nature — show that it's much healthier for the plants, animals, and earth and produces much better results than factory farming can.

    Many Americans are extremely separated from the process of where their food comes from. They don't stop to think about it, they only focus on what's in front of them. Most won't question it, or they go as far as to say they don't want to know where their food came from, whether it be from a cow or crop. This mindset is what allows the problem of industrial farming to continue, and it's something we need to wake up from. It's important to know how we get our food and where it comes from because it affects more than just us — it affects the earth too. The current method for mass food production is unsustainable and unhealthy, and more Americans need to realize this so we can work together to make a change.

    The film mentions something very important near the end; voting with your dollar. What this means is that to make the change we want to make, we need to put our money where our mouth is. In this circumstance, that would mean looking into where you buy your food from and making sure to buy from the most sustainable source. Doing this means your money is funding these industries to continue producing and giving less to the unethical factory farms, which in turn, sends a message about what you want to happen. 

    It's never too late to make a change, so start now. Watch the film and do your own research. Learn more about the effects that industrial farming has on the environment and the products it creates, and start voting with your dollar. Even if you think you won't make a difference, one person is still a step to many more, and if enough band together, we can all initiate a change.

Entry #6: Collections of collections

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    Most people have a collection of sorts. Unless you're someone who is extremely dedicated to minimalism, you might have one too. There are all sorts of collections out there, ranging from museums or historical collections to more personal ones that may include things like cards or coins. The main point is that collecting is a huge part of our human nature, and most of us do it, whether intended or not.

   

    Collections are important in both our personal lives and the lives of those in the future, especially in the case of museums, exhibits, or archives. Things like those span generations, and continue to teach people long after we're gone. For example, collections of dinosaur bones in museums teach us a lot about the past, and seeing them up close and personal is an educational experience. Collections can also include things like antiques, which, if placed together and dated correctly, can teach us a lot about how people before us lived. These are some of the most commonly known collections, alongside art museums, aquariums, and the like. They're all collections with the benefit of educating us on their content, but can also be something for people just to enjoy.

    Aside from archival collections are some that are made purely for the joy of collecting. Take, for example, the largest rubber duck collection in the world, consisting of over 5,600 unique rubber ducks. This woman started her collection in 1996 as a way to decorate her bathroom and now has a full room consisting of just rubber ducks. While of course, this is on the more extreme side of collecting things, many people have similar collections consisting of objects that share the same use or category. Think for example, things like coins, mugs, stuffed animals, CDs, and figurines. All of these are common items that people love to collect, whether it be for sentimental value or just because it brings them joy.

    Collections range in type, size, importance, and monetary value, so there's something for everyone. Even if what you collect is different kinds of coins you find on the side of the road, that's still a collection. And as an avid collector of many different kinds of things, I think there's lots of joy to be found in doing it. Whether it be a series of objects you can complete or an endless abundance of one specific type, I think collecting is worthwhile to those that it makes happy. Being able to appreciate what you've already gotten and what there is left to get is an exciting feat that can be a motivation for many. Collecting is a behavior that's stuck with humans since the early ages and will continue to stick for eras to come, and I think everyone should be more appreciative of such a simple joy.

Entry #5: Allstate's Mayhem Bear

 

    Allstate has a series of humorous commercials that they use to advertise their different kinds of insurance labeled as "mayhem." This series shows a multitude of different accidents that would all be covered by some kind of insurance, most often using the same actor causing the accident, playing into the role of "mayhem." Today I'd like to focus on one of the commercials and explain how it's a good example of what all of these commercials are trying to achieve.

    The commercial titled "Mayhem Bear" begins with the main character in this series of ads walking through the woods, his face covered in the bandages and scrapes that are supposed to represent how he is "mayhem," consistently being the cause of or being hurt in accidents. He approached a car, explaining how he's meant to represent a hungry bear that had just come out of hibernation, ready to take some unsuspecting hikers' food from their car. He starts to shake and sniff the car, eventually tugging on and pulling the entire door car to get the door off to get to the food inside. Once he does, he rips open the cooler and starts digging into the food as if he were a bear, all while he explains that your regular cut-rate insurance wouldn't pay for an accident similar to what's being shown. After a small cut in the footage, he's outside of the van, taking a large swipe to take off one of the side-view mirrors as he approaches the camera, saying it would be better to switch to Allstate to be better protected from "mayhem like him."

    The symbolism in this ad is straightforward, saying that Allstate is a better insurance option for protection than other cut-rate options the viewer might have. The ad is humorous in how it uses a human to represent a bear breaking into some hikers' cars, possibly indicating that it's a somewhat ridiculous and unsuspecting situation to find yourself in, and one that some insurance companies won't cover because of that. Other ads in this series are similar in this way, showing how tiny mistakes can lead to unsuspecting damage to property, things that we overlook as regular humans. In this ad, the simple act of leaving the car window cracked open led to the bear finding the food, and the car was severely damaged as a result.

    Mistakes happen, and these ads are trying to show how Allstate understands that. They're trying to connect with us lightheartedly to show us that even if other insurance companies wouldn't cover any unsuspecting accidents or simple mistakes, Allstate would. With that, you can see how they're trying to influence the viewer, who is likely on a different insurance, to switch to Allstate because they would cover them better and protect them from mayhem.

Entry #4: Wolf Children: An Animated Tale About Parenthood

    In recent years, Japanese animated media has become widely popular in the West. It began with now famously known titles like Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon, but has now expanded into a love for the medium itself by many. Especially during and after COVID-19, Japanese anime became a mainstream form of entertainment that many had access to through streaming platforms. The widespread love for this media has allowed it to blossom and take on many different forms — from TV shows to feature-length films, this medium has taken on many different forms of portrayal and genre. Often, movies in this medium stem from already-existing TV shows, either to capture a bigger chunk of the storyline than it would in episodic format or to show a side story about one of the main characters' adventures. On occasion, however, some anime movies will be either entirely original or come as an adaptation of a one-shot manga — or Japanese comics, for those who don't know. There are many amazing stand-alone animated films that exist in Japanese media, and I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorites today.

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    Wolf Children is a 2012 Japanese fantasy drama film about the journey of a single mother raising her two half-wolf half-human children after the death of her similarly half-wolf lover, showcasing the challenges she has to face trying to raise two children that can turn into wolves in a moments notice. The film is a bittersweet representation of both the challenges of single-parenthood and the hardships of raising children that grow into their own separate paths in life. 

    The main character, Hana, shows a beautiful representation of struggling with motherhood in a harsh world. She struggles to keep her children quiet at night in her small apartment while neighbors complain and berate her when they suspect hearing dogs in her room, while also struggling with the simple fact of where she should take her children. She's unable to take them to the doctor for fear they'll be found out, but can also hardly take them outside because of her daughter's inability to understand that she needs to hide her half-wolf self. 

    In the end, for the betterment of her children, she decides to move to the countryside with what little funds she has left, buying an old abandoned house for cheap to fix it up and live there with her children, where she feels they'll finally have the freedom to discover themselves and decide who they want to be. From there, we get to watch her children, Yuki and Ame, go through the aches and pains of growing up, eventually going to school and figuring out who they are and where they fit in, deciding whether they want to be wolf or human.

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    Without spoiling too much, I think this film is beautifully bittersweet, depicting all the pain of living in a world where it's difficult to fit in and find your place. Even if you're not a regular fan of anime, I would urge you to give this film a watch. Especially if you happen to be the parent, because I think this movie shows too well the trial of raising children and the grief that comes with eventually letting them go. It's definitely worthy of a watch if you enjoy the beauty and love that comes with parenthood.

Entry #3: The Journey of a Mint

 

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    Small things can take you on large journeys.

    For me, it's a toasty fall evening. My days have been a blur up to now, my brain divided up to focus on everything at once, so I wind up accomplishing nothing at all. The week ends uneventfully, and I'm ready to start it all again after the last meal of the day at the local Olive Garden. The fettuccini alfredo is a good comfort meal; it's warm in my stomach and easy on the stress-riddled brain. As I slurp up the last noodle, wiping the remaining alfredo sauce off my face, its creamy texture and savory, cheesy flavor remains on my tongue. As much as I enjoy it, it's a taste better left in the moment than one remaining on the ride home. So comes my favorite part of dining out at this restaurant, to flush it all away and make my mouth feel anew.

    It begins with a simple opening of the small rectangle of tin foil, the tiny paper crumpling between my fingers as I carefully unfold it and reveal more of the printed restaurant logo patterned across. The half-green half-brown square I remove from it is my refuge, the very thing that will save me from the sticky feeling of savory food that's overstayed its welcome in my throat. It's small for what large effect it brings and feels soft and buttery as I pop it into my mouth and let it melt on my tongue. All at once, the memories rush back to me, and the tasty treat throws me back to a better time that was forgotten.

    In the back of my mind, I'm eight again. A small child with a bedazzled Fourth-of-July t-shirt and tattered jean shorts, running around the tall itchy grass with dirt-covered tennis shoes on my aunt's farm. My brother is only five, but he runs with me, chasing their golden retriever around until the sun sets and the mosquitos come out. The adults call us over to the fresh bonfire, handing both of us some chewy smores that warm our mouths while the cold air tries to claim us. The chocolate is melted and we make a small mess, but our mother only smiles and wipes our mouths, telling us to put some jackets on before we go off to play again.

    The finale of my meal tastes just like it did to go out into the cold again, into the chilly summer night as I take a sip from my water to spread the crisp flavor around my mouth, fully masking the dinner I'd eaten prior. I consider having another, just to experience that feeling again, but slip the second complimentary treat into my pocket for later. After that, I allow a few moments to relax in the warm glow of the hanging light above my table before the waiter returns, bearing my bill in hand. It's a small price to pay to start the next week off fresh. When I finally leave, I find myself a few dollars shorter, but a heart much fuller.