Documentary from Hell.

The brutal documentary I watched as the final part of my BLA assignment was called "Meet your Meat", and was filmed and distributed by PETA. I located this documentary because it was actually referenced by a source in my BLA book. And after watching/reading them, if I hadn't already been a vegetarian for the last six and a half years, I would have become one now.

THE ARGUMENTS:

The argument represented in my BLA book, Johanthan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals" was incredibly similar to the one in "Meet your Meat", with a few distinct differences.

"Eating Animals", though written by a vegetarian, is not a pointed case for vegetarianism or for veganism. The argument represented in this book is one simply against factory farming. Foer's research is all about the affects of factory farming on the people, economy, environment, and animals involved. He concludes that factory farming is immoral, wrong, and about a thousand other terrible adjectives. It is because of factory farming that he doesn't eat meat.

The PETA video has a similar argument in that they also argue against factory farming, and show cruel videos of the slaughter houses used in the factory farmers' system. However, the arguments have a distinct difference where eating meat is concerned. Foer recognizes the individuals' decision to or to not eat meat, while the PETA video argues vehemently against any eating of meat or animal products.

RESPONSE:

As I said, if I hadn't already been a vegetarian, after seeing this documentary and reading this book I would have become one. One member of my BLA group, Anni, actually converted about halfway through the book. Two of the others already were.

The strength in these arguments comes from their vivid appeals to emotion. In the video, shots are displayed of animals being brutally tortured and killed. This is an appeal to the readers emotions. As much as I did not enjoy seeing it, and hated the person who made the video for making me watch such cruel treatment, the video tugged at my heartstrings, as it would do to nearly any human capable of emotion.

The vivid video images are represented through text in Foer's book. The detailed and descriptive diction he uses to depict the terrible events taking place are strongly connotative to the reader, and are an incredible use of pathos.

The documentary I hated watching. The book, I hated reading. Yet at the same time I enjoyed both for the arguments they were making. They were both very effective arguments, and I am glad the documentary was made, and I am glad the book was written. Now people can have a chance to see what factory farming is doing to innocent creatures and hopefully respond to it the way Anni and I have.