: A Fine Kick on Mindless Carnivores!

Inchan Hwang

Mr.Garrioch

Junior English Composition Class

3 November 2012

     A fine “kick” – is how I would like to describe the documentary <Earthlings>. With powerful imagery and compelling narratives, <Earthlings> coerces its audience to deliberate upon the subject of “Speciesism.” I never thought that a single documentary could present such a huge shock to me. Although I didn't – couldn't - stop eating pork, beef or chicken, at least I now know what I’m doing and what my actions mean - practicing “Speciesism” and mocking the power of human rationality and human compassion. At least I’m choosing to eat meat after intellectual debate with myself. There’s a huge discrepancy between acting based on intellectual choice and acting based on primitive instincts. In this sense, I believe that the documentary <Earthlings> did a significant job of enlightening people by providing the adequate information using an adequate format.

     The film <Earthlings> incessantly exhibits shocking – somewhat abhorring – imagery throughout to effectively uncover human exploitation of animals. People hang cows and pigs upside down and slit throats, punish circus animals with inhumane methods, throw chickens on concrete walls and peel off living foxes’ fur. By using these bloody and shocking imagery, <Earthlings> “kicks” people who weren't aware of these cruelties or who didn't realize the magnitude of the violence. These imagery distinguish this documentary film from other methods of sending a message; No text could better depict the violence than the actual copy of real world. Images never lie, never exaggerate, and never distort the reality if not edited by the photographer. Only the interpretations may differ. This property of imagery is very crucial when it comes to conveying a message because it enables the audiences to fully accept that these violent acts are actually being committed right now. The quote “If people were to get their own food, everyone would become a vegetarian” becomes really tangible when presented together with devastating image of a cow’s blood spurting out of its throat. The images empower the information given in this film with credibility. 

     The detached tone and logical messages of the narration also helps <Earthlings> to convey information effectively. Considering the fact that contents of this film are very provocative and frustrating, it seems odd that the narration maintains a rather objective tone. However, it is because the narrator kept a detached tone that <Earthlings> was able to convey its messages with such a compelling voice. If the narrator spoke with an irate voice, those messages would have been seen as biased and incredible. Instead, by stating only the facts proven by the imagery, corollaries derived from those facts and statistics, <Earthlings> remains objective and trustworthy. For example, by providing statistics such as “Americans currently consume as much chicken in a single day as they did in anentire year in 1930”, <Earthlings> shows how much current human race is extravagantly devouring poultry compared to the past without engendering any rebuts. These elements form an atmosphere which leads the audiences to accept the information provided by this documentary film as valid.

     There are people who criticize this film as too unbalanced. True, this documentary shows only the “extremes.” However, I would like to ask them whether there is such thing as “moral killing” or a “civil” method of slaughtering. The main point of this film, at least to me, is not to criticize the magnitude of the pain, the stress, and the despair these animals feel due to such “inhumane” treatments, but is to inform people that these inhumane actions are prevalent and that their actions should be based on their intellectual choices rather than just primitive instinct-based choices. I believe that when trying to instigate people to deliberate upon their actions, these extreme images do a much better job than mediocre ones because mediocre images won’t have the impact to do so. For those who think that the imagery in this film is too violent to watch, I would like to say “but this is the truth, little boy!” Anyways, we do have to confront these uncomfortable truths if we want to make our world a better place and make ourselves a better people.

     <Earthlings> deserves appreciation just for the fact that it informed us about human cruelty towards other species in such a wide spectrum with such imagery probably attained through hardship. <Earthlings> provides crucial information about Speciesism, and thereby enables us to make decisions through our own logic and own emotions, not by instant hunger and instant favor. I was really surprised when I encountered a comment on IMDb that said “it's natural selection people!” about Speciesism. What’s the difference between this guy and the notorious Hitler? Mankind should appeal its “uniqueness” not by dominating and destroying other species but by showing that it acts not upon instincts but upon its reason and compassion.

Let's realize the truth.