Blog Entry 4

From reading Laurel Forster's "Futuristic Foodways: The Metaphorical Meaning of Food in Science Fiction Film" from Reel Food, I learned that in science fiction films is essentially a metaphor for power held by the "controlling, domineering power of the industrial complex" (Forster 253) Food represents control within ourselves and within society. In the world of Richard Fleischer's Soylent Green, food represents status and purity. People in the wealthy, upper class have access to fresh food and clean water, though still very scarce even for them, while everyone else is left with processed food like Soylent Green which, as we all know, is people. The upper class has the control, which gives them power to run businesses like Soylent Industries, and control half the worlds food supply, while spreading lies about what they're processing.
I've been thinking a lot about Soylent Green since I watched it on Tuesday night. It's such an interesting film, and I felt so weird after watching it. I haven't felt this way since I watched Bong Joon-Ho's Snowpiercer, a film I watched once in 8th grade and haven't felt comfortable watching since. Dystopian, post modern world films kind of scare me. I don't like knowing that there's a potential everything we know could fall apart, and the outcome is terrible.  There's definitely some similarities between the 2 films, such as corrupt establishments, an evil wealthy class controlling the food supply, and a disgusting food combination that shocks audiences. In Soylent Green, the food is people, and in Snowpiercer, it's revealed the protein bars are actually ground up insects. There's a common theme of the dehumanization of poor people (or, just people not considered rich) through food, which I think could be an interesting topic to write my term paper on.
I honestly don't know what I'd do in a science fiction film-type world when it comes to food. I like to think I'm an adaptable person, but I'm also a picky eater.

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