Entry #5: Wall-E

Buy and Large, sound familiar? 

The American culture today is all about buying and consuming whatever the clever marketing professionals have told us to buy. We are unable to escape the "prison" of the screen: tv, phone, and computer. These devices have been weaved into our daily life (unless you live under a rock). I found it ironic that the messages were coming form B&L (Buy and Large).

The most obvious connection I made with this video to today's society is the obesity of all the characters glued to their chair watching the screen. According to the American Journal of American Medicine, "More than 34.9% of U.S. adults are obese." This is a staggering number compared to 1-2% in India (World Obesity Federation). I believe this epidemic is directly related to our lifestyle of eating processed foods and leading a sedentary life (i.e sitting in a chair staring at a screen). Ads on tv, the internet and our phones flash messages of fast food; it is nearly impossible to escape them. One of the characters in this clip is so overweight that he falls out of his chair and can't get himself up. Yet another message that we are prisoners of marketing in that we cannot seem to survive without subscribing to their world.

Another message I found amusing was, "try blue, it is the new red". Instantly the character said, "ohhhhh" and clicked a button to instantly wear the new blue fashion (that looked just like the red one). Isn't it true in the world today, when the new fashion trends come out we "HAVE to buy it" or we are "out of style"? In reality the ones telling us it is out of style are the very ones who said it was "IN style" 6 month prior. Yet, fashion is a billion dollar industry that most of us buy into one way or another. Why do we feel we have to buy a new pair of jeans with wider legs because the fashion industry said skinny jeans were out? I don't care, my skinny jeans are still in excellent condition and I refuse to throw them out about because a magazine said they were "out".

The entire clip was reminiscent of today's society. From the fast food cup and ads, the overweight characters, the disconnected people existing in the same space yet only interacting online, the fast pace, and instant gratification. Although it was a cartoon, every aspect of this clip was revealing how our world interacts. Thank goodness Wall-E was there as the voice of reason. He observed and attempted to break through the invisible handcuffs the people appeared to be imprisoned by. He demonstrated these invisible cuffs were a choice. What choice will you make in today's society?