Earthlings

"The Stages of Truth:

1. Ridicule

2. Violent Opposition

3. Acceptance"

-Earthlings

That is how the documentary "Earthlings" begins, a film that looks at the ways animals are expolited by human beings and is directed by Joaquin Pheonix.

This film was released in 2007 and although I had heard alot about it, I had never seen it. Here's the thing, I knew it would be filled with some graphic images and I feel that I don't have to see them. I don't eat meat or animal products, wear leather, buy products tested on animals, wear silk, wool, don't donate to charities that test on animals, visit zoos or aquariums, or support any other establishment that expolits animals. Do I sound holier than thou? Yes. But that means that I don't have to watch undercover video of a slaughterhouse. In my opinion I've earned it.

But I went to see it nonetheless, and if you want to hate humankind this is the film for you. I'm still losing sleep over the footage of a dog being thrown in a trashcompactor as it looks on helplessly and will never forget how the screams of a cow or pig sound like a human.

The sad part is that the people that need to see this film won't. The theatre was filled with tree-hugging hippies like me. Except one person came in with a cheese pizza, I'm guessing they felt bad about their choices real quick.

I only stayed half way through, my friend and I were so shaken that we had to leave. I think the most disturbing aspect of the entire experience was that it wasn't footage from a faraway country or another century. All of it had to do with very common industries and very very common products.

Most friends that I've told about the film have said that they couldn't handle it and wouldn't be able to see it. I can't handle it either, how long are we going to pretend that inconvenient truths don't exhist? Or even accept the reality of where our food and clothing comes from?