Culture In Media Form

[kattttbateman-blog]

Post-9/11 Racism and Muslim Stereotypes in Crime Shows

Like all crime action shows, there’s always a protagonist racing against time to save the nation for terror. Howard Gordon’s show, 24, is one of many crime action dramas that emphasized the rise of terror within the United States.  24 became one of the most popular television shows because of the emphasis of terror, it sparked the interests of the American people, triggering fear and answering the questions that arose after September 11th.  Season 4 is one of the most critical seasons within the series because of the stereotype of an American-Muslim terrorist family.  The writers believed that this was one of the most action-packed seasons within 24.

The problem with media is that it tries to use on-screen imagery to display the fears and problems in which the United States, and even the world, faces each day within the time the show is being broadcast.  Season 4 was one that was planned after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, using the idea of fear and stereotypes toward the typical Muslim-American family.  The Arazes family was built to believe to be a “safe” family within the suburbs of Los Angeles with a husband (Navi), son (Behrooz) and wife (Dina). Unfortunately, this family is shown to be one of the most dangerous Muslim terrorist groups in the U.S, delivering and transferring weaponry and information to larger Muslim-terrorist groups to help with a dangerous master plan for the largest nuclear meltdown in United States history.  

As the season continues on, one learns that the family isn’t at all close to being the typical American family living the dream in which everyone hopes to.  We learn that not only are they weapon traders, but they’re also cold blooded murders.  This family holds no type of value towards each other, only their jobs.  This is shown especially in Episode 6: “Day 4: 12:00pm-1:00pm” where Navi hires someone to kill his son, Behrooz.  This happens to the second of many betrayals in which the family puts upon each other, the first being Dina killing her son’s girlfriend only on the sole reason that she’s white.  

24 isn’t the first television series to emphasize the fear of Muslim American families in the United States.  There have been many instances in which media only portray terrorists being only of Muslim decent who want nothing but the deaths and failure of the American people and economy.  The idea of the “violent Muslim” continues to be shown in media whether it’s crime dramas like 24, Bones, or News channels, and even cartoons like Family Guy. There are continuous patterns of Muslim violence in media, triggering the interest of the American people whether it’s through fear, hatred or curiosity.  Unfortunately, these portrayals don’t help the reality of what is going on in the real world when it comes to the discrimination of the Islam religion and the people who practice the religion as a whole.  This Western ideal has become one of the most “dominant” values and with that, it will continue to be emphasized through television shows like 24, especially if it is going to help with the number of audience members each week.

[kattttbateman-blog]

Priority vs. Fame

When one thinks of reality television, what usually comes to mind? America’s Next Top Model? Survivor? Face Off? True Life?  Although I find myself watching a lot of the competition based reality television, I know for a fact that this isn’t what has come to be seen a popular television.  Unfortunately, one of the most popular television shows to date is MTV’s reality television show, Teen Mom.  

When I found myself watching this specific series, I saw that my favorite “character” in the show was Macy, the redheaded strong-willed sixteen-year-old who grew up when she needed to just so she can be a mother to her son. I found this character to be a lot different than all the others on Sixteen and Pregnant pushing me to believe that perhaps this show is going to be made up with three other young teen mothers who did the same.  I was terribly wrong.   I often found myself questioning why I was even watching this television show as a whole. I think deep down I wanted better for these women and their lives, especially the two “failing” characters, Farrah and Amber.  But then again, was this really reality television as the television show progressed?

“Looking for Love” is the first episode of the series, showing the progression of the lives of Amber, Farrah, Maci and Catelynn since their appearances on MTV’s Sixteen and Pregnant. Unfortunately, their lives don’t tend to be all that one would think (surprise, surprise).  What I found difficult to grasp in this episode is the question, why is it so important to be dating and looking for a significant other when you have a toddler to take care of?  I found myself angry most of the time watching. And these are the reasons:

(1) First, the idea of family values is lost through Farrah Abraham, a mother who lost her baby’s father to death.  Throughout the episode, she goes against her mother and father’s wishes by going out on dates.  Now in my opinion, she hasn’t been the best mother around, refusing to give up her young night life and ignoring her daughter’s wants for her own.  As the series move forward, Farrah is often found fighting with her parents, making a porno, and getting plastic surgery (what is wrong with this girl?). 

(2) Second, Amber Portwood is seen also looking for someone to spend her time with now that she and her fiance's love is deteriorating.  Fortunately, her family values aren’t removed, knowing that her priorities lie within her daughter.  Though, as the season goes on, she and her fiance’s relationship ends due to violent rage, leaving her to decide whether or not she needs to stick with her priorities or look for a new love.

(3) Maci Bookout on the other hand is finding herself planning her wedding to her fiance, Ryan, the father of her son Bentley. I found this to be my favorite story only because this is the only story that seemed realistic compared to the other two thus far within the episode.  Although living with her parents, she is pushing for an education, a job and a life outside her parent’s home.Something I found to be mature of her to do.  But, again, there’s a lot of over-exaggerated fighting.  There are a variety of moments where in the show, Maci’s fiance took advantage of her stress and used it against her to fight.  

(4) Lastly, Catelynn Lowell is a lot different next to the other three girls, she being a mother who chose to give up her daughter for an open adoption. Instead of working towards taking care of her child, she is working towards the relationship between she and her mother, fixing her family who disapproves of what she decided to do when it came to giving up her daughter.  Also facing the fact of being away from her boyfriend, Tyler, who also faces negative backlash about their decision.  

Like many reality television shows, Teen Mom tends to be very dramatic and very over-exaggerated when it comes to real life experiences.  What I found is that this show is a glamorization of teen pregnancy, showing that if you have a child, you’ll become famous and that everything is going to come easily to you. This show is nothing close to what reality of having a child at a young age could be.  Yes, some of the stories between three four young women seem believable, and they are real, but television has a tendency to twist and turn everything done and said to make it more entertaining for the audience. At the very end of the episode, their lives seem to go back to “normal” until the next episode the following week.

To be completely honest with you, I don’t think this television show should’ve exceeded the first season due to the negative imagery of young motherhood.  So instead of calling this reality television, shouldn’t this be called something else with the manipulation of story lines? 

[kattttbateman-blog]

Diversity in Dundler Mifflin

The one television show that I find to be my favorite to binge watch on Netflix to this day is Greg Daniels’ comedy series, The Office.   Like many comedy series that have become popular in the past decade, this series covers a variety of issues that come into the workplace through small jokes throughout the episodes.  One episode in particular that is a huge joke on itself is season one’s second episode called, “Diversity Day.”  If the name of the episode doesn’t help one conclude what could possible happen, I feel sorry for you.   The series itself surrounds a group of people working for a paper company under their boss Michael Scott, who many of them know isn’t the bright bulb in the box. He often puts himself and his co-workers into trouble with his crazy antics, one being the idea of diversity day to prove that he isn’t racist or sexist against his co-workers despite the jokes he always comes up with.

Diversity Day was supposed to be a concept to help Michael Scott and his co-workers develop an understanding of other cultures and acceptance of each other.  Under these circumstances, Michael comes up with an activity where he and his workers wear cards on their heads and they have to help their fellow co-workers what they are.  

Now, this obviously doesn’t work out close to plan, many of Michael’s co-workers not liking the idea of this game or even are thrilled to the play the game knowing that stereotypes will be developed or used to help each other figure out what race/person they are.  One person in particular, who worships Michael Scott and all that he does, makes it very clear that this wasn’t the best idea to help spread diversity in the office setting by guessing that he was a woman, instead of what his card actually said.

Unfortunately, I always find myself laughing at this joke, any many others.  I know that being a woman myself, I shouldn’t be laughing at the stereotype, so why do I laugh? To be honest with you, I’m not sure why I laugh, only that it is considered funny. Is it okay to laugh even though we know it’s wrong? Unfortunately, we may never develop this understanding.  It’s okay to have a sense of humor and its okay to laugh. We may never develop a full understanding on how this sense of comedy works, other than this is a taught idea that stereotypes are funny.  The use of stereotypes in this episode can be taken in one of two ways, the use of stereotypes to decide what race the co-worker was develops a better understands OR that it just reinforces the stereotypes.  I suggest that before making a decision, you should just watch the series as a whole and develop an obsession like I did. Then again, you’d also forget why you began watching it in the first place. 

[gaywrites]

“15 Things Trans People Wish You Would Stop Saying To Them,” a Trans Awareness Week photo campaign from GLAAD exposing microaggressions against trans people. (via the Huffington Post)

[sociology-of-space]

Poverty is not the simple result of bad geography, bad culture, bad history. It’s the result of us: of the ways that people choose to organize their societies

Adam Davidson (via socio-logic)

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Is Grey’s Anatomy’s Hookup Culture Lead by Non-Traditional Female Roles?

Hookup culture has become one of the most important and controversial aspects of today’s American society.  There are a variety of shows on American television that emphasize this “ideal life” of hooking up and one-night stands. One in particular that almost all of the female population of the U.S has come to adore is Shonda Rhimes’ television series, Grey's Anatomy.  Grey's has always been a show of interest to me, until it continued on for another 6 seasons, and I have always found it to be a mirrored image of our hookup and relationship culture.  For example, in the first few seconds of the pilot episode, we find the protagonist of the series, Meredith Grey, in bed with a man that she had just met the night before.  What is different from this show from all others that I have seen before, is that she is the “masculine” figure in this scene, telling him that he has to go and making it known in her voice that she doesn’t want to see him again any time soon. I, being the type of person I am, cheered her on with the typical “YOU GO GIRL” chant as she runs to take a shower to avoid any other contact with this man (McDreamy).  There is a variety of things throughout the episode that continues to show the strong female lead of Meredith taking charge in her life.  When finding out that the man she slept with the night before is one of the head doctors that she will be working with throughout her internship, she sucks up her pride and approaches him.  She tells him that she doesn’t want anyone to know what had happened between them, knowing that it could jeopardize her chances of not only developing friendships, but her career as a whole.  Meredith chooses to a create her own name, away from her personal life, and as the series moves on, fans of the show knows that she does just that.

Shonda Rhimes takes it upon herself to write Meredith Grey as one of the most independent female characters on television today.  By having a strong, independent, blunt woman as a protagonist to this television series, she has redefined what a woman could be on media.  How many other television shows, THAT AREN’T WRITTEN BY SHONDA RHIMES, hold such a character as the protagonist? Exactly, there’s not that many. By having Meredith be seen immediately as someone who redefines her gender roles by being bossy and pushing a man away after a hookup shows that men aren’t the only sexually deviant people in the world. Although relationships soon develop between all the characters in this television series, Meredith doesn’t lose her strong sense of will, not letting anyone or anything stand in her way, especially some silly hookup the night before. 

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Key & Peele on “Adjusting Blackness”

I have been a big Key and Peele fan since the debut of their comedy skit show.  I have found myself laughing during every skit, no matter how controversial it may be. What I found to be very interesting about this comical pair is their coverage on racial issues and stereotypes, especially in episode one of season one of their comedy show Key & Peele. Before cutting to skits, they tend to have a conversation with the audience about something personal in their lives that they find to be important to the skit beforehand.  Key decides to make it known that being biracial, they are “particularly adept at lying.” Now, before even continuing to go on with this, one can assume what he’s talking about.  He continues his sentence with, “…because on a daily basis, we have to adjust our blackness.”  Unfortunately, as a pair of black comedians, they find comedy to be the best way to explain something that not only biracial individuals go through on a daily, but also those of darker skin tones.  

In my day to day life, I have met a variety of African-American males [and females] who find it necessary to “adjust their blackness.” Well, what does this mean? According to Key and Peele, adjusting their blackness means to terrify white people: “…the way that we actually talk, we’re not intimidating anybody with the way we sound. We sound very white…We sound whited that Mitt Romney in a snow storm.” Now, one can conclude that their main goal isn’t to actually intimidate white people. When Key and Peele conclude their schpeel, they make a realist comment about their “adjusted blackness” by saying, “You never want to be the whitest sounding black guy in a room.” Is this true? Has our country to come to the point where African Americans have to push aside who they are just to fit in? Is this true to other cultures in the U.S? The answers truly lies within the media world.  When African Americans [and other cultures] are stereotyped through the media in a negative way, of course they have to adjust themselves to look less intimidating  to the eyes and ears of those around them

[kattttbateman-blog]

If one looks at the history of television closely, television lovers can conclude that African Americans have only held recent fame when it comes to television programming. In the past, African Americans were portrayed as comedians, nothing more.  Recently, there has been a spark in television drama with new ways to capture the audience’s attention through music, violence, and even controversial content like nudity and language.

I find myself binge watching television shows often, especially dramas and comedies. This month’s television show binge consists of Empire, a television I never thought I would watch.  I say this not because it consists of an all African American cast, but because of the concept of music, violence, and family betrayal.  When one thinks of family, the word “betrayal” doesn’t tend to cross your mind.  But when you think of the Lyon family, the word betrayal is one many words to describe them.

One of the most interesting aspects about this television show is that it takes audiences down the path of a stereotypical black life through flash backs, which isn’t new to programming.  What makes it interesting is the fact that the showrunner of this television show is a homosexual, African American man.  So why does he find it necessary to take these characters down the path of a stereotypical life? One example is Cookie and Lucious taking the illegal route towards becoming famous, which is to sell drugs while living in the “worst part of town” to support themselves and their children. There are many stereotypes, especially towards African American women, that state that drugs are the only way and reason most tend to have the nice things that they have.  Unfortunately, this stereotype is emphasized constantly throughout the first episode of the series with Cookie constantly reminded Lucious that it’s drug money that started the company.  Going further in the black stereotyping the showrunner takes within this series, is the image of black youth through the youngest Lyon, Rakeem. Rakeem is like any black youth portrayed throughout media, a trouble maker who wants to do nothing but rap for a living. He often is shown throughout the series wearing the most expensive clothing, with long/thick gold chains and his pants sagging.  This isn’t something that is new to the media world when it comes to black youth. But, this isn’t what grasped my attention.

Like many new television shows, this show holds a difference between many of the old African Americans series throughout the years.  Empire emphasizes the success and family life of the Lyons, emphasizing the phrase “I got your back.” Althought there may be a lot of betrayal and violence towards and between the family members, there are a ton of issues within the group that other television shows, especially those within broadcasting, and are afraid to have: homosexuality and interracial relationships.  The question that audience members can think to themselves watching this show, like myself, is “is this show too intense?” Well, my opinion is no because there has been even worse television shows out there.  What unfortunately makes this tv show so controversial is the fact that it’s about a successful African American family.  What would audiences and critics think about this show if the actors were replaced by white men and women? Would the opinions still be the same? Of course not.

[kattttbateman-blog]

There are many controversial problems that surround media whether it is introducing homosexual behavior, abortion, rape, and murder.  One of the many problems in which we find ourselves surrounded by daily is the problem with body image, especially women’s body image.  I, like many other women in this world, tend to compare to myself to many women when it comes to those who are portrayed within multi-media images in television shows, movies, and magazines.  When television shows introduce problems and make it satirical, it’s hard not to think that perhaps these are indeed small issues and we as a society make them grow.

Louie CK is one of my favorite comedians and I have been a huge fan of his television show for a couple of years now.  One of my favorite episodes, in which I have watched many times before, happens to be one that has to deal with this issue of body image, but with a twist.  Those who have seen Louie’s show before have known him to make fun of certain issues and never once could be serious with them.  In his show’s episode named, “So Did the Fat Lady,” he takes a turn on a very controversial issue, making it known to his audience members the one issue of relationships that we may not even notice without actually sitting down to realize it.  

We all know the typical couple, a thin woman with a thin or built man or a bigger man and woman in love.  Of course, like many males, Louie finds himself hitting on and trying to date women who could be labeled as “out of his league.” During this time, a waitress finds him to be funny and a great guy, often asking him to hang out with her and make it known that she wants to spend time with him. Unfortunately, because she is a bigger woman, Louie denies her and becomes very uncomfortable, even though he himself could find himself liking her.  Eventually, he does agree to hang out with her and take her out for coffee. During this time, he says what many women don’t want to hear, “You’re not fat.”  Not only does this make me cringe, but it makes other females cringe. One thing men tend to do to make women feel better is state that the woman is not fat, when they should just make them feel better like say, “You look great” or even “I think you look beautiful.”  The waitress, Vanessa, ends up going off on Louie saying that it sucks to be a fat girl, and if she herself calls herself fat, everyone around her would call the suicide hotline on her. What many audience members find most extraordinary about this episode is the truth behind it; men get scared to be with heavier women, even when they themselves are overweight.  She says bluntly to him, “having sex with a fat girl is a lot different than dating one.” Is this true? Unfortunately, according to society, some women are overweight and fat and they either have to accept it or don’t, and Vanessa is one of these women who are proud to be who she is.  Louie ends up embarrassed and confused because, even though he likes her, he is scared to make it known because of her weight.

I have found myself uttering the words, “Do I look fat” to many people in my life, and unfortunately they have uttered the counter phrase, “You are not fat.” Why has society made body image for women such a serious issue in such a short amount of time? Since the beginning of television, women have been pushed to believe they have to achieve a certain image to be perfect.  The perception of the body changes with media, and there is no way to stop it. Or is there? Can shows like Louie CK’s comedy help shed some light on social issues like this one? Only time can truly tell.

[kattttbateman-blog]

Mad Men is one of the most controversial television shows of our time.  Many could conclude this just by watching the first episode of this show with the question of: “Why are women letting themselves be treated this way?” There are many answers but the one I truly believe in mostly is the answer of: “This is a television shows based on the time where women were just entering the work place and they did all they could to be noticed and looked up to, even if that meant sexualizing themselves.”

There are instances in this television show that emphasize the sexualization of women, and right off the bat, it’s shown through the introduction of the character Peggy.  Peggy is one of few women who work in the advertising business with many, many, men who think they run the whole show.  For example, Pete is defined as a womanizer often by audience members due to his competitive personality and his comments towards his women counterparts including, “You have nice legs, you should show them off more.”  Secretaries who work next to Pete and those above him, like the protagonist, know for a fact that the only way to succeed, they’re going to have to look good everyday, even if their work doesn’t match up to it.

In Mad Men’s first episode, audience members are captured through the instant treatment of women within and outside the office.  One can easily assume that the popular, powerful, handsome protagonist, Don, is one of many who like to assume the success of men. Audience members know that in this day and age, women weren’t known to be successful without men standing by their sides, due to this, the writers of Mad Men had to write their script a certain way in order to portray this day and age.  One example of this is when Don is needed to meet with two different types of business owners. The first is a woman who owns a Jewish clothing store, here he automatically assumes his own counterpart is the owner, completely ignoring the woman who actually owned the story.  Within this meeting, he treats the woman entirely horrible, pushing that he isn’t going to let a woman fight with him.  Later in the day, he meets with the owners of a cigarette company where he treats the two men as if they were gods to push for a successful sale of an advertisement.

Like many television shows, woman are pushed to be sexualized, and due to this, many women in television aren’t taken too seriously.  Mad Men is one of these many shows and due to that; controversy often erupts when episodes come out.  The question that those who watch it and criticize it should ask is, “Is this because of the time it takes place in or is it because this is what television is today?” It’s opinionated, and only you can really decide.

[kattttbateman-blog]

Showrunner (n): an industry term describing the person’s responsible for overseeing all areas of writing and production of a TV show and ensuring that each episode is delivered on time and on budget for both the studio and the network that airs it.

Have you ever questioned who writes the television show you watch every week? Have you ever questioned who comes up with all the complex plots and cliffhangers in your favorite television show? Well, showrunners are the ones who are behind it all: from script writing to directing.  When we think of television, it’s hard not to think about how nice it must be, to live in Hollywood and work with famous actors throughout the year.  Unfortunately, to showrunners, it’s nothing close to all the glitz and glamour in which we are exposed to through the media itself.  The men and women behind the pens and camera work tireless hours, being paid tedious amounts, and often struggle to even see success in a television show.  It’s stated that 84% of new shows are taken off TV due to failure.  Even with a success of television show, how long will they have that job for? Each showrunner is lucky to keep the show for a couple of years until they have to hand the script off to another showrunner due to their age.

This documentary puts its viewers in the shoes of some of the nation’s well-known show runners of our time, and takes us through the process of a television show from the pitch all the way to the day-after reviews.  What really captured me, and which gave me respect for many of these showrunners, was their passion.  I didn’t care what show they wrote for or how often they wrote for it, but seeing the love they had for the people they worked with and most of all, their writing.  Many of the showrunners in this documentary often described their job as “tedious,” many of them wanting to quit every single day.  In the beginning, one states, “This is one of the worst and best jobs there is.”  What I found the most interesting is the emotional aspect showrunners take from their own lives and put into their own shows.  That’s the best thing about being a showrunner; it’s that many of audience members can put themselves into the shoes of the characters within the TV show they are creating.

It takes a lot of determination and patience to be a showrunner.  You never know what pitch is going to get the chance, or how long it’ll be until you have your next job. In the end, with every little success of not only the television show, but with an episode is what matters.  Each showrunner knows that not every episode is going to be a winner, there will be some failures in the mixture but the winners are what makes the audience push through and continue watching. “It’s amazing to get it right once. It’s totally worth it.”

[kattttbateman-blog]

There are so many shows out there that have such a unique way of portraying a story in a way that makes the audience say, “Wow, I cannot believe they did that to me,” or “I didn’t see that coming…”  There are many different ways in which a television show can capture the attention of the audience, but the most important is the way a story is told and expressed through the television screen behind the camera. 

One television show in particular that I believe truly captures an audience immediately is The Affair. The Affair has been known to be told in sequences of “flashbacks” between the two main characters throughout each episode, Noah and Allison.  For example, within the first thirty-minutes of each episode, Noah’s story is told in a certain way that makes him appear to be the hero, or “good guy.”  Within these thirty-minutes, we are given an image of who he is and who Allison is, through his eyes.  As one continues watching the next thirty-minutes, Allison’s story is begun and through her eyes, we learn that maybe Noah’s story really isn’t what we the audience first perceived to be.  Unfortunately though, we as the audience can only assume what is true throughout the series.  What pushes the audience to watch this show is through the narration, we learn who these characters were and who they become as the story continues on throughout the series. With one story being narrated by two different people, audiences find interest in comparing and coming up with their own story.

With multiple types of narration becoming popular within the media with new ways to make television shows becoming more like cinema and movies, television shows must push to makeup storylines that are equally as good next to the way it is filmed.  Narration, like the one found within The Affair using flashback storylines and narration from the present day speakers, it pushes the audiences to question what is really going on within the story and how the present day became the way it is at the end of every episode.  The Affair is a television show that is very complex with how it is written, and through this new way of narration, it holds a very unique audience prepared to watch every single week as the series progresses.

[kattttbateman-blog]

I have always been a huge Simpsons fan, from Bart’s shenanigans against Principal Skinner to Homer’s stupid antics.  Upon watching this episode, I had the same perception that I have had since I was a little girl: “Homer and Marge are going to break up in this one, I just know it.” For those who haven’t seen this episode, I was wrong again.  Yes, of course Homer gets himself into some strange situation (as always), but not to the extent I would hope to have someday that’ll break he and Marge up.  What truly caught my attention in this episode is that it’s centered on Lisa and her vegetarianism.  Within the past decade, becoming vegetarian/vegan has become mainstream when it comes to “hip, new, fad diets” for the younger crowd, especially young-adults.  Although Lisa is just eight-years-old, she has a very intellectual mind, easily making her the representation and face of this small population within the media. To be honest with you, if it wasn’t for Lisa Simpson, I would have never known what vegetarianism was.  But, what is it that really caught my attention in this episode is the step further she goes with her dietary choice.

With choosing to become a vegetarian at such a young age (8), Lisa isn’t getting enough iron in her system, due to this; she faints during her saxophone solo in Springfield Elementary’s spring recital.  Upon arriving at the hospital to see Dr. Hibert, she is given iron pills (that look a lot like meals on their own) that she is supposed to take before she eats every single day.  During lunch the next day, the lunch lady approaches Lisa and talks to her about trying what she had brought for lunch that day.  To Lisa’s surprise, it’s a casserole filled with bugs and she falls in love with the taste.  This begins Lisa’s new infatuation with America’s new dietary fad, eating bugs (entomophagy).

With The Simpsons being one of many satirical comedy shows, the emphasis on bug eating is exaggerated to an extent with scenes of Lisa Simpson and her new found fad-friends eating plates of grasshoppers and worms.  Fortunately, to those who choose to take on this dietary choice in the real world don’t sit there at the dinner table feasting on insects like this.  Instead, it’s quite unnoticeable!  But the question is, why do people take on this diet?

There are many reasons to why so many individuals choose to eat what they do from health choices to religious reasons.  Many who choose to be entomophagic because of how beneficial bugs are to one’s health compared to those who choose to eat cow and pig based meats each day.  It’s also very beneficial to those who choose or need to be vegetarian because of the amount of protein one single bug holds (75%). One day, many of us in the United States will begins seeing bug based foods throughout our grocery stores with foods like cricket chips, cricket based flour, caterpillar sushi and maybe even mealworm tofu. The future of bug eating is one that’s not so far away.  

[kattttbateman-blog]

"Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture." - Allen Ginsburg