Entry #9: Food in Media

-

Gary Larson always had a bit of a dark sense of humor. So much so that many people wrote to his editors and the publications that displayed his comics. One rather famous complaint came about a comic he wrote that made light if Jane Goodall, a famous zoologist that did some breakthrough work with gorillas in the wilds. A woman wrote a letter demanding his comic be removed immediately because Dr. Goodall was an amazing researcher who you shouldn't dare make fun of. This sparked a rather significant controversy that inevitably made it to Dr. Goodall herself. Her response? "I thought it was very funny. And I think if you make a Gary Larson cartoon, boy you’ve made it."

Fast forward a couple decades and what was just another bit of that dark humor has become a rather appropriate interpretation of the food industries callous disregard for the animals it raises and slaughters.

If DR. Goodall's stance still holds, then this kind of attention should carry the same kind of gravity. Most people are well aware of the poor conditions that livestock live in before they are slaughtered. We are also aware of the number of times these factory farms have outbreaks of very serious, if not fatal diseases. This kind of treatment has also resulted in simply worse quality meats that area available. So it's a net negative all around.

At some point we have to take action. Companies only care about their bottom dollar. All the petitions in the world aren't going to change things. In that face of decades of complaints the farms have only gotten worse. If we don't stop endorsing this kind a behavior with our wallets, they will continue the practice.

Comments

  1. Alejandro DuranMay 7, 2025 at 11:31 PM

    I particularly enjoy how you linked Gary Larson's dark humor to an actual problem in the food industry. Your argument that the industry ignores animals is so compelling, especially with the mention of factory farms and diseases derived from them. Obviously, consumer pressure can change these things. The manner in which you discussed the relationship between humor and productive criticism—like Dr. Goodall's response—is so astute and fascinating. This is a call for actual change, and it's a wonderful reminder of our part in it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Entry #10: Keeping Your Balance

-
Image
So this is it. we've made it to the end. There's only one critical point left to grab on to. How do you keep that delicate balance in life so you can keep this progress and momentum, but not lose the other parts of your life? You know, those parts you actually want to keep. I'm sure you'll be unsurprised to find out it's not as easy as some people make it sound. Fortunately there are a couple key points that can help get us there. The first is a nice dose of self respect. I know we talked about that earlier, and it's never going to stop being important. This is your life you are working on here. Yours. Not your bosses, your friends, not even your families. That's not to say you should shout them all down and throw them out of you life. You're gonna be pretty lonely if you do that. But you have to remember you have the right to do it. You can, and absolutely should stand up for yourself and your goals. You just don't have to be horrible about it. Som...
Read more

Entry #4: Getting Lost

-
Image
Starting anything new is scary. We've all failed at something and that feeling sucks. No one wants to feel that on purpose. That's a huge part of what makes change so hard. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be hard, and you don't have to fail. They say the first steps are the hardest. Having made several major changes in my life, I agree with this sentiment. I've spent a good bit of time figuring out what makes it so hard and I've come up with two main answers. First; change is hard. The way our brains are wired, we are averse to change. We like things to stay simple and familiar. So no matter how important the changes are, or how much we want them, making them takes an act of will. You're going against centuries of habit and evolution. Unfortunately, there's not much to correcting this beyond acceptance. This is going to be hard. Embrace that fact and recognize your accomplishments. The second issue has several points that can be affected, so let's dea...
Read more

Entry #8: Standing Your Ground

-
Image
 It looks like we're almost done with this rebuild. Hopefully you've found something helpful, useful, or even comforting here. But for the moment it's time to get your shovel. It's fine to cave or some space. Two concepts that might seem unrelated but have a common energy area the ideas of digging in and drawing boundaries. It's all the same vibe. "This is my space." both are equally important, and for a lot of people equally difficult for various reasons. Drawing or own boundaries, for a lot of people, feels like pushing people away. Especially when the selfish people in our lives say as much. Let me assure you, it's not. Boundaries are our way of saying I will not tolerate or allow that in my life. It's that simple. The hard part comes when people we don't want to lose push on those boundaries and blame us for them. The nicest way to describe that behavior is selfish. I'll keep the more colorful words for you to fill in. Holding on to you...
Read more