Family Guy and Freud

Although many viewers jump to harsh conclusions about certain programs, they simply may need to open their minds to see the important messages being shared. Antonia Peacocke, author of “Family Guy and Freud”, was once turned off by the humor that is Family Guy. It’s likely that she is not the only person who would change the channel immediately, to ensure not a second’s worth of ratings go to this program which is notorious for its crude humor. However, many viewers continue to stay glued to this television program, utilizing their ability to think outside the box and appreciate the show’s content. After Peacocke’s brother and everyone else she knew were watching it religiously, she decided to give it a chance (260). Much to her surprise, she found herself embracing it’s humor and paying closer attention to the creators’ intentions. If you have ever watched Family Guy, you were probably offended by something at one point in time; after all, from the naked eye, it can come off as rude and distasteful. However, if we enhance our perception and take a deeper look into the humor portrayed on the show, we can see that it draws on real-life situations faced by society everyday.

One episode described in Peacocke’s essay features a mock 1950’s instructional video portraying women in the workplace.. It shows a businessman speaking into the camera describing how to make sure women feel comfortable in the workplace. He says to make sure you tell them how good they look and that nothing says “good job!” like a firm open-palm slap on the behind (260). It’s obvious that some people are going to find this skit sexist, given its discernible knocks on female workers. However, when enhancing our perception and thinking outside the box, it’s clear that this skit is not putting women down, but rather mocking how women were once treated in the workplace and the odd normalcies of the 1950’s.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS2UsjBufqE

Peacocke spoke of author George Will and offered her views on his piece entitled “Bart Simpson: Prince of Irreverence.” She agrees with Will that there are definitely times when creators do cross the line of decency. She does not agree with his statement that “entertainment seeking a mass audience is ratcheting up the violence, sexuality, and degradation, becoming increasingly coarse and trying to be…shocking in an unshockable society (266). She believes that the Family Guy humor is intelligent and that the coarse scenes have hidden merit.

If Peacocke were to read Dana Stevens’ essay called “Thinking Outside the Idiot Box,” she may relate this article to an episode of Family Guy where Brian and Stewie are discussing Stewie’s obsession with the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. In this episode, the creators were cleverly attempting to point out America’s obsession with celebrities and television, and less willing to admit doing so. This insightful part of the episode goes hand in hand with Stevens’ thesis that America is not getting any smarter because of TV. Stevens believes that watching TV teaches us to want to watch more TV, which is exactly what Stewie intends to do while waiting for Oprah to announce the next book in the book club.

There have been several episodes of Family Guy that have been misunderstood by many, and it’s caused the show to be cancelled twice (258). Viewers fought back against the cancellations and the program was brought back with a vengeance. Despite its questionable delivery, one fact remains true: Family Guy exposes true aspects of American culture. Peacocke firmly believes that we should stop dwelling on the controversy and start focusing on what the show is trying to tell us (261). There is so much more than what meets the eye.

WORKS CITED
Peacocke, Antonia. "Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and their relation to the unconscious." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print

Rushkoff, Douglas. "Bart Simpson: Prince of Irreverance." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print

Stevens, Dana. "Thinking Outside the Idiot Box." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print

Fat as a Feminist Issue

Fat as a Feminist Issue
Susie Orbach

Why are women so obsessed with weight these days? A woman’s weight has become the center of her attention in her everyday life. Society has decided that an overweight or obese woman is basically diseased and has invalidated and isolated her because she does not fit the stereotype of the “normal” woman. The worst part is that women believe that being overweight is their own fault for not being able to control their appetites and impulses. Susie Orbach wants us to know that fat is a feminist issue, and we should not let this take our life over. We should embrace our fat and love the fact that we are not living as a stereotypical woman. We want to be fat in response to the inequality of the sexes. Yves Engler, author of “Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations” says that advertising fatty foods and putting delicious looking pictures for all to see is the cause of our fat. Where Orbach may agree partially with this, because it takes the blame away from us, she would still argue that women don’t eat bad foods because of the lack of willpower, but more so just to rebel against the social norms of the way a woman is portrayed in media. Randy Balko, author of “What You Eat is Your Business,” would like you to believe that the main cause of obesity lies within a person’s own responsibility, so if you get fat, it’s own your fault. Susie Orbach on the other hand believes that obesity is a feminist issue and “that being fat isn’t because of a lack of control, it’s from the inequality of sexes.” Everyday women have to deal with the pressure of having the perfect body. Everywhere we go all we see is skinny models in revealing outfits and diet plans on every magazine and it’s no wonder some women just want to rebel from that everyday norm and be themselves and not what the magazines want. These women don’t care if being fat is being themselves, as long as if they are true to themselves that’s all that matters. That is Orbach’s reasoning behind everything, the pressure of being skinny, leads women to gain weight just to escape all the pressure the world puts on us.

WORKS CITED
Engler, Yves. "Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print

Graff, Gerald. “What You Eat Is Your Business.” They Say I Say. Comp. Balko, Radley. Ed. Norton & Company Inc. New York, 2006. 157-161

Graff, Gerald. “Fat as a Feminist Issue.” They Say I Say. Comp. Greff, Berkenstein, Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print.

Lawsuits Against Fast-Food Restaurants Are an Effective Way to Combat Obesity

Within the article “Lawsuits against Fast-Food Restaurants Are an Effective Way to Combat Obesity” by John H. Banzhaf III, we see many people blaming their obesity on the Fast-Food establishments and not on themselves. Within the article it isn't jumping to one extreme but rather talking about both litigation and legislation. Taking a company to court because someone is overweight isn't right but there should be some type of laws on the amount of fat in foods and making nutritional information more readily available to the public. Even though it does not hurt to have nutritional facts open to the public we do not seem to ever see any of the sort because most places hide the nutritional facts on the back wall of their establishment. It would be best if these facts were visible allowing the public to make their own choices on what they eat. Many fast-food companies are starting to take steps in reducing obesity. They don't want to be sued and are trying their hardest to gain support by saying, “well we do offer nutritional salads”. In the article “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko, it talks about the amount of money being spent on health problems and how obesity shouldn’t be a public matter. It is safe to say that obesity should be a public matter. The rate of obesity is rising and with that so is the rate of people with loved ones being affected by obesity. Obesity should become of interest to the public if they care about the health of their loved ones and their future. The obesity problem has yet to fix itself so it is time that legislators step in to help remedy the situation. Balko argues that we should be working towards people taking ownership in what they eat. By creating laws that require more nutritional options and clearly stated nutritional information we are allowing people to make healthier choices and take ownership of their eating habits. In the article “Being Fat Is Ok” by Paul Campos he talks about how overweight people are not necessarily unhealthy and the data linking death and obesity are limited. It is true that being overweight doesn’t necessarily mean that a person is unhealthy. A thin person could have more health issues than an overweight person. The fact of the matter is a person who is overweight has a higher chance of developing health issues due to their weight than a thin person has. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General showed in 2001; there have been 300,000 American deaths annually, all obesity related (1). It is safe to say that obesity kills and it is about time that we start taking care of the problem and saving lives by implementing effective legislation.

WORK CITED
1. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/pressureleases/pr--obesity.htm

Graff, Gerald. “They Say I Say.” Balko, Radley. What You Eat Is Your Business. Ed. Norton & Company Inc. New York, 2006. 157-161

Graff, Gerald. “They Say I Say.” Campos, Paul. Being Fat Is Ok. Ed. Norton & Company Inc. New York, 2006. 206-210

Don't Blame the Eater

Don’t Blame the Eater
David Zinczenko
“Before 1994, diabetes in children was generally caused by a genetic disorder. Today, according to the National Institute of Health, Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 30% of all new childhood obesity cases.” Zinczenko’s statement according to the National Health Institute is pretty flabbergasting. His voice in this story states that not only are we as individuals responsibly for what we put into our bodies, i.e.; fast food; but the companies as well. More often than not a family that has had a long day will choose a drive through over going home and pre-paring a home cooked meal. This to Zinczenko is the reason America is over weight and unhealthy.
Paul Campos, author of the article titled "Being Fat is OK" states that,” According to the U.S. Government, your health in terms of weight is measured by using the Body Mass Index (BMI) tool. This tool uses your height and weight to determine whether you are normal, overweight or obese.” I think that this article was not as supported as Zinczenko’s. In the terms that Campos has little facts to back up the government reasoning, as well as over all aspects of using the BMI for dieting.
Many fast food companies have made great strides in converting children to their side of thinking. Take McDonald’s for instance; in 1997 they introduced the Beanie Baby as part of their free toy with a Happy Meal. McDonald’s averaged 10 million Happy Meals sold in an average week. After the introduction of the Beanie Baby their sales skyrocketed to 100 million sales in just a week. Many of those children wanted those Beanie Baby’s as we all remember how fascinating they were. Everyone wanted a Beanie Baby, thus they were going to eat at McDonald’s to get one. There was a huge influx of new people eating at McDonald’s just to get their hands on that Beanie Baby. Society as a whole has made the decision to consume the bad for you food that McDonald’s hands out with all their special toys.
While it is your own choice as a teen or adult to place a fast food burger in your mouth, sometimes as college students you have no other alternative. McDonald’s dollar menu says; “eat this, its cheap, fast and simple.” Whiling driving to class count how many McDonalds will you pass, now count how many fruit and veggie spots you passed. The fast food industry is sucking us in with every commercial, billboard, and radio ad. You find a very small amount of healthy choices at these fast food joints; therefore we are left with terribly fattening choices that will kill us in the end.
In conclusion, the government, fast food gurus and American culture are responsible for our children becoming obese. In the end, we as a society can only do so much to limit our intake of fatty foods, while still keeping up with the hustle and bustle of every day life.




Works Cited

Schlosser, Eric. “Your Trusted Friends” Comp. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say I Say with Readings. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 182

Campos, Paul. “Being Fat Is OK” Comp. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say I Say with Readings. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 206

Zinczenko, David. “Don’t Blame the Eater” Comp. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say I Say with Readings. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 153

Your Trusted Friends

Today, the issues of obesity have been argued left and right. However, Eric Schlosser, author of Your Trusted Friends, seems to have discovered the very core of this epidemic. In his article he provides a tremendous amount of insight on the major corporations McDonalds and Disney and how they have been able to have a tremendous impact on the lives of millions of people around the world through their successful advertising campaigns. Schlosser would likely agree with the arguments of Yves Engler, author of Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations, and David Zinczenko, author of Don’t Blame the Eater. All three authors are united in the idea that fast food companies such as McDonalds and their persistent advertising and promotions have negatively influenced the eating habits of consumers. However unlike Engler and Zinczenko, Schlosser provides detailed insight on what specifically these companies have done to be so successful in not only strengthening their executive's pocketbooks, but inadvertently contributing to obesity. To do this, he examines the various marketing tactics that have enabled the fast-food empire to become what it is today.

Engler was on the right track when he put the problems simply by stating, “The main reason that people are consuming more, especially unhealthy products, is the food industry's relentless advertising, especially to children (Engler, 175)”. Schlosser would certainly agree with this statement but would also consider how and why advertising campaigns and promotions, such as the Teenie Beanie Baby giveaway which was "one of the most successful promotions in the history of American advertising"(Schlosser, 194), have been so profitable. On the flip side of profits and costs, Zinczeko was also accurate in arguing that “it may be only a matter of time before state governments begin to see a direct line between the $1 billion that McDonalds and Burger King spend each year on advertising and their own swelling health care costs"(Zinczenko, 155).

The thing that sets Schlosser on a higher level of argumentation in comparison with Engler and Zinczeko is that he considers the interests of the corporations. Like all businesses these colossal corporations are looking out for their profits- which coincidentally soar with effective advertisements. It's been said before, "It's not personal, it's business".

Works Cited:

Engler, Yves. "Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print.

Schlosser, Eric. "Your Trusted Friends." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print.

Zinczenko, David. "Don't Blame the Eater." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print.

Obesity: Much of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations

Yves Engler believes that food corporations and even capitalism itself are a major cause for the obesity problem in America. With the astronomical amount of money spent on advertising it is no wonder people are eating more. Engler states fast-food outlets promote their larger portion size and it is shown when people are served larger portions they eat about thirty percent more. The government needs to start putting marketing limits on junk food and fast-food companies. They could also subsidize healthy products and provide increased funding for physical education programs. If what you eat is your business, Radley Balko says to put more emphasis on personal responsibility, this makes sense, but the points Engler makes about regulating junk food and giving people clear and defined healthy alternatives are far more complete, and as a whole would give people the tools to be more responsible. In Fat as a Feminist Issue, Susie Orbach states that women rebel against society’s stereotypes by becoming overweight. Engler’s approach to marketing would take care of this by regulating the very marketing that can make women feel they need to rebel. If the marketing had less emphasis on image and more emphasis on how to live healthy, this would promote a more beneficial message. Over all Engler makes perfect sense in his views on obesity. If healthy alternatives were as present as fast food, people would have the opportunity to live a healthier lifestyle.

Being Fat is... OK?

Are you at a healthy weight? Your answer to this question might be completely different than the government's answer. According to the U.S. Government, your health in terms of weight is measured by using the Body Mass Index (BMI) tool. This tool uses your height and weight to determine whether you are normal, overweight or obese. Is this an accurate gauge for your health? I don't think so, and neither does Paul Campos, author of the article titled "Being Fat is OK". Each of our bodies are unique in shape and size; we were not made with a cookie cutter! Certainly there are people who truly are overweight; however, physically fit people can add a few more digits to the scale simply by exercising and gaining muscle. Unfortunately, muscle mass doesn't play into the BMI calculation, resulting in a terribly flawed tool.

Regardless of this issue, the BMI is considered to be accurate by many, including our government. Consequently, many people are falsely labeled as being overweight or obese. In fact, obesity is now considered today's biggest health problem. Two-thirds of the U.S. population is labeled as overweight, half of which have been diagnosed with clinical obesity (Engler 172). Whether or not the people in this group actually deserve to be there is controversial.

We are told that obesity is the second most important and expensive preventable health problem (Banzhaf 163). Expensive is right! Fifty-billion dollars per year has been generated by the diet industry due the fact that countless Americans believe they have severe weight problems (Campos 207). Banzhaf may be correct in saying that this health issue is expensive; but, is the problem really preventable?

In order to answer this question, we must determine if the fifty-billion dollar per year diet industry actually helps those looking to lose weight. In actuality, dieting has a very steep failure rate - trust me, I speak from experience! According to Campos (208), between 90-95% of dieting attempts fail. Regardless, the diet industry continues to push their weight loss miracles onto our so-called overweight citizens, whether they need the products or not. Furthermore, these dieters are lead to believe that they are less healthy than thin people, and that if they lose weight, they can achieve excellent health. Are these facts accurate? Not necessarily. These so-called facts are merely speculations that have yet to be proven (Campos 208).

In summary, the problem of obesity may not be as valid as the U.S. government and the diet industry want you to believe it is. I echo Campos' opinion that "Being Fat is OK," especially when it comes to the government’s standards. After all, our unique bodies cannot be measured by a simple tool, and our level of health cannot be solely based on what the scale reads.

Works Cited


Banzhaf, John H. III. "Lawsuits Against Fast Food Restaurants Are An Effective Way to Combat Obesity." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Greff, Cathy Berkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print.

Campos, Paul. "Being Fat is OK." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print.

Enger, Yves. "Obesity: Muct of the Responsibility Lies with Corporations." They Say I Say. Comp. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2009. Print.