Earthlings

"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women made for men." 

~ Alice Walker

Recently, my life has changed quite dramatically. In one very important respect, I have lost my blissful ignorance. My eyes have been opened, and, despite how much I might want to, I can't close them again. I am haunted by my knowledge of reality. 

I can no longer peacefully wander through the grocery store. I can't happily order my usual Hawaiian pizza. I can't lust over skilfully crafted leather wallets at Fossil. I am now painfully aware of the fact that as I go through my daily life I am continuously surrounded by and ingesting the carcasses of tortured and slain animals. I can't do it any more. 

Of course, I have always generally known where meat and other animal products come from and, aside from a year-long stint in my teens, I have not been a vegetarian. So, now you are probably wandering what brought about this sudden and drastic change of perspective. Simple. I watched Earthlings. 

EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. 

The film is narrated by Academy Award® nominee Joaquin Phoenix and features music by platinum-selling recording artist Moby. “Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most,” said Phoenix. “For every one person who sees EARTHLINGS, they will tell three.”  

In 1999, writer/producer/director Shaun Monson began work on a series of PSAs about spaying and neutering pets. The footage he shot at animal shelters around Los Angeles affected him so profoundly that the project soon evolved into EARTHLINGS. The film would take another six years to complete because of the difficulty in obtaining footage within these profitable industries. Though the film was initially ignored by distributors, who told Monson that the film would “never see the light of day and should be swept under the rug,” today EARTHLINGS is considered the definitive animal rights film by organizations around the world.

Although seeing the magnitude of suffering depicted in this film was very difficult for me, I made it to the end by continually reminding myself that embracing ignorance is never a solution. It is never the way towards a better future. 

So, now I know the horrible details of this reality. Initially, this knowledge was nothing but upsetting. However, after a period of reflection, I have been able to harness it and adopt an alternative way of being in the world which brings me peace. A way in which I am no longer part of the problem. A way in which I am doing the least harm possible. A better way. 

Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power. 

So, please, take this opportunity to empower yourself. 

Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Videos

So you think music videos are harmless... think again.

Dreamworlds 3, a ground breaking documentary by Sut Jhally, examines the stories contemporary music videos tell about girls and women, and encourages us to consider how these narratives shape individual and cultural attitudes about sexuality.

Illustrated with hundreds of up-to-date images, Dreamworlds 3 offers a unique and powerful tool for understanding both the continuing influence of music videos and how pop culture more generally filters the identities of young men and women through a dangerously narrow set of myths about sexuality and gender. In doing so, it inspires us to reflect critically on images that we might otherwise take for granted. 

Warning: The following images are not for the faint of heart, but it is nothing you wouldn't see on MTV...