I've raved a lot about the movie Wall-e, a futuristic Pixar film about a robot living in a world inhabited by garbage instead of humans. But one of the scariest things about it was its vision of the humans, living aboard spaceships since Earth is uninhabitable.
They're obese, to the point of being like blobs, and float around on hover armchairs, eating all of their food in liquid form from a Slushee cup with a straw. They move around, but all they see is the screen in front of their face, playing games, watching TV and talking to friends via video messenger.
The thing is, I really think we've come a little close to that, and I myself am guilty. I notice that people walk everywhere with their cell phones plastered to their ears, Starbucks in hand, not really paying attention to their surroundings. People bring their laptops to cafes, only to talk to friends virtually. People fiddle with their Blackberries and Iphones on the subway, on the train, on the street, in line, in the park, in the elevator. And don't get me started on the obesity part.
It just seems to me that we've begun relying so much on technology that we've become practically blind to the world around us and personal, face to face relationships have changed, for the worse. Why talk to your co-worker across the room when you can email them?
The other thing that Wall-e touches on is how big businesses have basically come to control the world, and people have fallen hostage to a constant bombardment of ads and promotions, as well as getting everything they own from a monopoly.
It really does seem that big business has gotten completely out of control, more so than I've ever noticed while living here. I can't do anything without being flooded with ads--on the street, on the Internet, on the subway, even in the bathroom. It's unbelievably annoying.
But the other, creepier thing is the hold corporations seem to have on America. I'll talk a little about the health care system later this week, in which big business have a firm and iron grip, but it's not just that. Oil companies obviously have us all on a short leash at the moment, but many Americans don't seem to realize how corporations control our entire lives. I've been reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, which has showed me that major agricultural corporations control what we eat and actually want us to eat more calories than we can process per day, due to a corn surplus. (We're walking corn chips, apparently, since so much of our food has a corn base).
In turn, this has made me think about all the other companies that benefit from Americans eating more than they can handle, and as a result, getting fat: diet pill companies, gyms, weight loss programs, therapists, health magazines, plastic surgeons...it's endless, really. There are the car companies, the realtors, the insurance companies, the investment banks, the regular banks, the credit card companies...what do we have that isn't controlled by big business?
Another thing that's brought me to this realization is the American economic crisis. So many Americans got loans and mortgages from companies that were looking for big, short-term profits for their own benefit, which has, in the long-term, screwed the consumers big time. Credit card companies target people who will rack up big bills, whether or not they can pay, since they charge ludicrous interest rates. As a result, millions of Americans have incredible amounts of debt, and only now have some big businesses begun to suffer because of it.
I'm hoping that by the time I return from Brazil next year, perhaps we will have stood up to big business and told them, in the words of the great Kathy Griffin, to suck it.
"...we will have stood up to big business and told them, in the words of the great Kathy Griffin, to suck it."
Ahh, Rachel, if only, if only. Great post! I have a bit more to say about this topic, but for now I just wanted to say if you like the parody of our future "state" as shown in Wall-e, you should definitely check out the show Futurama. It is hilarious! There's an episode where even the dreams of Fry, one of the lead characters, are dominated by advertisements.
Posted by: Tracy | August 13, 2008 at 03:19 PM
i agree with you on the out of controlness that is the american food industry and all of the businesses therein, but with talking to friends via phone and internet, sometimes its the only way!
Posted by: mallory elise | August 13, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Hey Rachel! I absolutely love your blog, it's one of my favorites. I've been reading for a while, but never commented. I saw your blog on Elaine's blog (Moments and Thoughts). And...Yes! It's some adventures in the South! I first lived in Texas (for 4 months) and then moved with my husband to old Arkansas where we've been living for 2 years and a half! You're always welcome to my blog! I'll be looking forward to your post about health care system!
Beijos!
Posted by: Fernanda | August 13, 2008 at 11:21 PM
Well, the corn surplus is a not going to be an issue again anytime soon. Between the additional use of corn for making ethanol combined with the floods in the midwest this year (and droughts in the south for the last few years) a corn shortage will be the concern! Corn prices have risen drastically the last few years, and the economic supply and demand concept would indicate it's not because of a surplus! Furthermore, the agriculture industry is comprised of awful lot of the "little guys" too - not just big corporations.
(I do understand what you are saying about big corporations, but the entire agriculture industry far too often all gets thrown into that category. Lots of love sent your way Rachel, but I have to make a little stand here for all my family and friends who are farmers . . . some of whom may very well be going out of the farming business (loosing farms that have been in the family for 100+ years) after having their farms and homes destroyed by the flood this year.)
Posted by: Emily | August 14, 2008 at 07:46 AM
Don't worry Emily--I know small farmers aren't the enemy. You really have to read this book and see how they are just another player getting taken advantage of by the big businesses.
Posted by: Rachel | August 14, 2008 at 02:00 PM
You have to be careful when you complain about big buisness. I get perplexed by this why people dont talk about the benefits of big buisness. There are more benefits than hinderances. The reason we can email is because of big buisness. We fly to Brazil because of big buisness, drive in cars, wear nice jeans, eat good food, get life saving medicine, and go to the doctor. All because of big buisness. I have relatives in another state, and because of email I write to them every other day and keep in touch with them with out having to make long distance calls. Because of my cell phone I am now on the phone with my mother almost everyday instead of once a week before I had a mobile phone. Our lives have continually improved because of big business. We have safety and security, and shelter because of big business. I could go on and on, plumbling , water, solar, nasa, education..etc. The only people not effected by big business are the tribes living in the jungle. If you want to go live like them go ahead and aviod big business.
Posted by: dave | August 14, 2008 at 08:12 PM
You're right that business is a big part of our lives, but apparently, big business didn't teach you how to spell.
Posted by: Rachel | August 14, 2008 at 08:17 PM