Food Inc is a Commercial for Rich People

        I was unimpressed by Food, Inc's attempt to dig up sympathy from me. For example, I was not fazed when I watched how cruelly the pigs and cows were treated on the farm. That is because I knew that no matter how well they were treated, they would end up in the slaughterhouse anyway. The film seems to call for a more civilized method of animal farming, but what would be the point of that? There is no such thing as civilized slaughtering.
         I was bothered by the film's ending that made it sound like a two-hour long commercial geared for middle-upper class citizens. The ultimate message was basically "Buy organic food." This is not bad advice, but I was hoping for a more realistic solution. After all, not many people can afford to shop at Whole Foods. One of these poor people is me, and so although this film opened my eyes to a big problem, it did not give me a solution. This film has only made me realize that I am forever doomed to suffocate from processed food until I make some money.

         I did not appreciate the film's criticism of corn because I am grateful towards artificial corn syrup for providing me with an abundance of cheap, convenient food. My immigrant parents were able to make a living in America by relying on such food. While growing up, I would eat with them at McDonalds everyday because there was no money for healthy food and no time for cooking; each of my parents struggled to maintain a minimum wage job. Even with the help of fast food, the bills and rent were rarely paid on time. I cannot even imagine where we would be if we were forced to spend money on expensive organic food. Even today, I am grateful that I have the privilege of purchasing from a dollar menu.
          Although Food, Inc attempted to encourage me to eat organic food, I will continue to eat whatever I want because of one vital fact; I work out. As long as I stay active by playing basketball and lifting weights, I will allow myself to eat as many Big Macs as I want. However, because of my passion for working out, I tend to choose healthier foods for the sake of my performance. Nevertheless, I do not restrict myself from any specific foods. I have had this outlook all my life and I am not even close to being obese nor have I had any heart attacks. I rarely even catch a cold. So why should I listen to what Food, Inc has to say? I trust myself more than I trust a movie.

Extra Credit Playing Devil's Advocate

        Sheila Jasanoff made valid points in her rebuttal against Bharati Mukherjee's ideas in "Two Ways to Belong in American." Unlike Mukherjee, Jasanoff believe that there are many ways to enjoy life in America. Instead of adhering strictly to either her native culture or American culture, she incorporates a healthy mix of both into her life. She argues that one of the greatest benefits in living in America is that this country encourages people to be unique. She also argues that an identity is made up of more than just patches of black or white like how Mukherjee may have us believe.
        However, Mukherjee does has a point. When describing someone's identity, we use adjectives that are only black of white. For example, Arnold Schwartznegger is famous for being courageous and buff; his identity is created by his courage and muscles. He cannot also be cowardly and scrawny. Likewise, a person cannot be a conformist and an exile; a person cannot love and hate America at the same time.
        Although Jasanoff criticizes Mukherjee for being close-minded, I believe that Jasanoff is naive. I agree that a gray area does exist, but only by mixing black and white. I have always believed that our true selves surface when life takes a turn for the worst. For example, only when I am in grave danger will I realize whether or not I am a coward. It is also the moment I can see which of my friends are worth calling my brothers and which are not. I cannot be a coward and be brave at the same time, much like how I cannot consider my friend to be my brother and a traitor. Likewise, Mukherjee cannot be an American and an Asian when those two ethnicities wage war against each other. Which side will she choose? Her decision will become the black or white that warps the shade of gray that is her identity.
        Jasanoff and Mukherjee have different interpretations of what an identity is. While both have general beliefs about it, they do not define it. However, I will: Our identities are not the people we pretend to be when life is going well, they are the people we will become when our lives are at stake. Many of us never get to find out who we really are. 

Food is Everything

      In his article, "What We Eat," Eric Schlosser discusses his views on the fast food industry's rise to power and how its influence has revolutionized American culture. He scornfully states how the fast food industry, which used to be nothing more than a few hot dog stands, has "infiltrated" our society and has established chains of franchises practically everywhere. Although many may believe that our society's food choices does nothing more than affect our diet, Schlosser argues that it also plays a role in the general quality of our lifestyles by shaping our landscape, economy, workforce, and pop culture. He uses McDonalds as an example that influenced our workforce by raising the fact that it has been annually hiring one million people. He employs a method of comparing and contrasting to emphasize the extent of McDonald's influence; For example, he states that Ronald McDonald is as well-known as Santa Clause. We all know how influential and well-known Santa Clause is. Schlosser uses many other methods to convey his ideas.
         "Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk in, get on line..." By using such descriptive narration and process-analysis, Schlosser embellishes an experience that people have come to take for granted. By doing so, he demonstrates that purchasing fast food has become as routinely for us Americans as watching Hollywood movies and putting on blue jeans. With narration, he shows us that fast food has not only been absorbed by our stomachs, but by our American culture too.
          Schlosser analyzes exactly how fast food has caused our culture to change, and he gives his opinion on the effects. For example, he raises the fact that when the McDonalds franchises were established, they each employed the same, prescribed business model that maximized efficiency and profit. It was only natural for other industries (besides those involved with fast food) to adopt and incorporate a similar model into their own businesses. Those that conformed to this standard set by McDonalds got big while many that did not conform went bankrupt. The ultimate effect can be seen all over our country that is now filled with Gaps, Starbucks, Foot Lockers, and other franchises that have made strides towards monopolizing their own industries.
          By using a multitude of methods, Schlosser constructs a solid argument. He chose perfect times to use each method which led to flawless transitioning between paragraphs. This paved the way for a smooth flow of ideas that climaxed into his thesis about American culture being changed by food.
           I had never thought that food could be so influential, but I am now enlightened after reading "What We Eat." Schlosser does a fine job by backing up every one of his assertions with a carefully-placed example. It is hard not to agree with him.

Compare Contrast

   

        The abilities to generalize and differentiate yield many benefits. A person who is afraid of dogs may adopt a fear of other mammals such as cats, squirrels, or even humans if he cannot find differences between them. Generalization can protect us from harm by making it possible for us to the notice that the aspects of a potential danger is similar to those of a definite danger. For example, the first time I touched the blue fire of my kitchen's stove I became forever aware of what fire looked like and from then on I would have been able to recognize a flame even if it appeared red, yellow, or orange in the future; I would never make the mistake of burning my finger again. Imagine trying to navigate the complexity of life without lumping things together that share common characteristics - we would be "flabbergasted by every new thing we encounter" (Pinker, 2002, p.203). Comparing and contrasting also make it possible for us to pinpoint what our interests and dislikes are. With this knowledge, we can get a sense of who we are and achieve self-actualization.
          In, "Two Ways to Belong in America," the author, Bharati Mukherjee, compares and contrasts her identity with that of her sister's, Mira. At first, Bharati states that they could have passed off as the same person because of their practically identical appearances, personalities, and beliefs. However, the bulk of her piece focuses on how their similarities started to blur after they each took a different approach towards living their lives in America.
         Unlike Mira, Bharati welcomed American culture and donned brand named t-shirts and jeans; she even got herself a White husband. Mira was unwilling to conform; she adhered to the traditions of her homeland and married an Indian man. Their differences in their values became apparent when the United States government started to scrutinize and scapegoat immigrants such as them. Bharati acted more indifferent; she asked "Have we the right to demand, and to expect, that we be loved?" She was grateful towards the U.S. for letting her be a citizen and did not feel entitled be loved by it. However, Mira felt that she deserved better treatment from the U.S., and because of new anti-immigration policies, she felt betrayed. Despite these discriminating policies, Bharati still wanted to fit in with the country and its culture even though her sister rejected all of that.

        The question that this piece raises is: Which sister is the weirdo? I would answer this question with a question of my own: Who cares? They each have their own reasons for having their beliefs. Nobody is sanctioned to criticize either of them for their decisions. I can honestly sympathize with both sisters. Although my parents immigrated from China and adhere strictly to their traditions, I adopted American habits even if they contradicted with the values of my Asian culture. There is nothing wrong with this; after all, I was born and raised in the U.S. However, I know that if I suddenly decided to reject t-shirts and blue jeans, I would think no less of myself because I would be respecting my parents and my preserving my culture. To me, nobody is a weirdo.

No Lie = No Jailtime

(Highlight bottom half to continue reading)

             I am impressed by how Stephanie Ericson was able to classify lies into categories in her essay, "The Ways We Lie." She even cited a quote for each category to instantly paint a broad picture before explaining. Before reading her essay, I believed that there was only one kind of lie, the "Out-and-Out Lie," which is simply an intentionally false statement. I cannot even fathom the possibility of there being even more lies than the ten her essay addressed. Reading Ericson's analysis of each category was a valuable and intriguing learning experience for me.

             I was especially intrigued by the view that "Ignoring the Plain Facts" could be considered lying. I had never thought that being negligent could constitute as lying until now. The Catholic Church in Massachusetts that knowingly employed a pedophilic priest was used as the perfect example to portray such a lie. Although the church did not claim that there was not a pedophile working for them, simply remaining silent created danger in a sacred sanctuary where people trust the priests not to molest their children. Because people's trust got taken advantage of, I can acknowledge how there was a lie.   
              Although I learned a lot from her essay, I believe that Ericson wanted to do more than educate her reader. She expressed her purpose clearly when she stated that "We must consider the meaning of our actions. Deception, lies, capital crimes, and misdemeanors all carry meanings." With this thesis she urges us to ponder the morality of our actions and how they affect other people and ourselves. For example, ignoring the plain facts can actually be a serious crime that is punishable in the form of a prison sentence; it is called criminal negligence. The employers at the Catholic Church are guilty of this crime because they should have considered the consequences of their lie that they probably thought was harmless. If they did, maybe no one would have had to get molested.

The Real Question

       Robert Connors employs a unique plot in his story, "How in the World Do You Get a Skunk Out of a Bottle?" As its title suggests, this piece is about how to free a skunk from a bottle; having that question as its title makes this clear. However, such a simple plot can be analyzed to reveal a far more intricate question than it at first presents.

        Although we are unlikely to meet a skunk trapped in a bottle, we are likely to encounter a stranger that needs help at some point in our lives. For example, a giant African-American man once pleaded with me to borrow my cell phone so that he could call his mother who was at the hospital. This man needed my help as much as the skunk needed Connors'. However, I contemplated that helping him might not be my best option because he could just run off with my precious phone if I gave it to him; this is like how Connors' hesitated because the skunk could have just sprayed him if he got too close. Like Connors, I felt responsible for helping the person (or skunk) who was practically begging for help. That is why I eventually handed over my cell phone so that this man could rest assured that his mother was safe. And then he ran off with it.
        The real question is: When should you help a stranger? Robert Connors benefited from saving the skunk. After all, he was filled with "joy, joy, joy" after doing so. Thus, the purpose of his story was to convince readers to always (or at least sometimes) offer a hand to anyone who needs it so that they too can experience such "joy, joy, joy." I have yet to experience this kind of satisfaction so my answer to the real question is: Never.

Partying Ads

           

           Partying is a common activity among the schedules of college students. Although being studious during the day, these scholars can often be found chugging down life-threatening amounts of alcohol at night. Their reputation as voracious party animals has been etched in our society. As a college student myself, I must say that this reputation is well-deserved. Even I, a nerd, would sometimes cast aside my backpack and stride onto a dance floor. How could I resist when the advertisements for the parties are so convincing?

            For example, the upcoming Halloween party, "Liq or Treat," is being advertised on a colorful poster. The most eye-catching part of this poster is a picture of the renowned pop star, Miley Cyrus, striking her signature pose. Although the event coordinators know Miley Cyrus will not be at the party, they were clever to depict her in the advertisement anyway, especially after the release of her new hit single, "Wrecking Ball." That is because when Miley Cyrus fanatics see the poster, they will feel excitement and interpret this feeling as a desire to attend the party. Even if the audience is not comprised of many Miley Cyrus fans, they may still get excited after seeing a picture of such an attractive maiden sprawled across the poster. Either way, a mere image of such a famous celebrity will often allure more customers than an image of the average Joe. 
            I feel that the Halloween theme of the poster was meant to exploit my childhood memories. This is because although I am considered too old to go trick-or-treating to gorge on junk food, none of my classmates will make fun of me if I go to Liq or Treat to play beer pong. Thus, I might attend because I feel that I should celebrate the holiday for tradition's sake. I imagine that many other college students feel the same way. Hosting a party on the national night of thrills is an effective way to make money off a Halloween lovers such as myself.
           Besides employing colorful ads, event coordinators take advantage of social media networks, which can act as a highly profitable medium for advertising, in order to promote their parties. They will often share their advertisements with all their so-called friends and followers. When they do, those advertisements will spread like wildfire. For example, when I received an invitation for "Liq or Treat" last night on Facebook, it had only ten confirmed guests. Today, it has over 500 confirmed guests. Since these guests are being encouraged to invite everyone on their buddy lists, I would not be surprised if the number continues to skyrocket. After all, people would be more inclined to attend if all their friends plan on going. It seems that advertisements such as this one tend to initiate chain reactions.