Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Winter 367: Supersize Me
Super size me
Super size me is a film that underlines McDonalds as a huge factor in the increasing obesity in America. This has become one of the most popular documentaries so to say in the last few years. The reason for this is because there is a sudden epidemic of deaths caused by fast food restaurants in particular, McDonalds. As Morgan Spurlock presents this film as a reality check to the general population of America he uses many tactics and visual images to persuade this country into buying a healthier lifestyle.
One of the many tactics that Spurlock used to persuade me that stood out was the facts about the increasing obesity over the last decade. Morgan demonstrates this on a map of the United States that reveals the percentages of each state that has greatly been affected. It did not occur to me until watching this documentary that our nation is becoming extremely lazy in a fast rate. I understood our nation being nonchalant about life in many ways but not this fast. This tactic that Morgan used worked tremendously not only to me but also to the rest of the world. It worked because not only did he explain verbally but also presented pictures and visible facts. It is much easier to be persuaded by something with a visual outlook rather than words.
There were other tactics such as the basic experiment, the number of McDonalds in America, and many other things. Overall, “Super size me” is presented nicely in a persuasion point of view, and is something that should be looked at more precisely as a government. With Mississippi being the number one most obese state in his demonstration, it does not surprise me that America is the unhealthiest country in the world. With Morgan Spurlock being an inspiration to the world of persuasion we must respect his attempt and encourage ourselves and each other to persuade other people around us to change this epidemic.
Lea Capuano: Defining Documentary/Supersize Me
After reading Defining Documentary Film, by Henrik Juel, I quickly realized just how controversial and inadequate the actual definition for a "Documentary" really was. I suppose my definition prior to this article would be very similar to the students of Juel's class. I would include that it must be something real, or persuading you to believe to be real. It may also be something that is even debated amongst people such as a documentary like Supersize Me. Yes Morgan can give facts regarding his decrease in health, but it still leaves questions unanswered. One example of these questions including, "how bad will McDonalds affect me if I only eat it once a week?" In other words, Documentaries today do not need to be 100 percent factual. It would be very difficult to know if every little detail and stated "fact" in a documentary was indeed a fact. I am sure there are many so called "documentaries" that are not composed of solely true facts, but we still consider them to be.
Although a clear definition of a documentary has not yet been defined in this article, Juel's list for the criterion a documentary should include seems extremely accurate. As I read through the list, specific examples of documentaries I have seen over the years have come to mind in ways that coincide with Juel's criterion. I do not believe this list was made to limit, nor was it made to include every criterion mentioned in order for a film to be called a documentary. For example, a documentary such as Planet Earth clearly differs from a documentary such as Supersize Me, but nonetheless, they are still documentaries.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Jule & Supersize Me
Jule changed my view on what a documentary can really be defined as. I, like many others, were under the impression that documentaries are the shows that give information in a straight forward way or look into some person's private life. But Jule raises the question can't any film fiction or non-fiction be some form of documentary. This idea is something I never considered but is a valid question into the truth behind the meaning of every film. Even in a fictional story what was the director trying to prove to the audience. Jule's best point, I believe, is when he says, "A film is not a mere representation, but a willed presentation of something made by someone in a specific way and for someone." This describes the reason all movies are made, not just for entertainment, but to influence the viewers' thinking on a certain subject.
Supersize Me follows many of his different points he considers when deciding if a film is a documentary or not. Supersize Me was edited as he describes to make the film much more dramatic then everyday life, where a man is eating a cheese burger. The film takes the mundane and makes it interesting and informative. It is meant to be the "catalyst" of change. To change the way people think about McDonald's. As well as changing the ideal of who should take responsibility for the position that many Americans are in today. The film is made to reach an audience whose views on food and health can be altered.
An interesting point Jule makes, is when he describes his cousin's job of installing surveillance cameras as a type of documentary to stimulate discussion. That was new idea that made me view documentaries differently. And even though later he disproves this idea because it is unedited film, I still believe it may be a form of documentary because it is unscripted and shows real life.