These connections need to be made, thanks for talking about this! I must admit I haven't seen The Substance - I really want to, I'm so passionate about its main topic, but I don't do well with blood and gore and disgusting stuff. I really hate it. So I'm not sure it's one for me. But this perspective is so important and not often discussed at all. The Sexual Politics of Meat is one of my favourite books on animal rights.
What a great perspective—definitely thought-provoking. Thank you for pointing out these connections. I also believe the director intentionally used animals to portray the abuse, and, like you said, it would be amazing to see a deeper commentary on this.
This feels like a step in the right direction, and the more we discuss it, the closer we get to making it a reality. So, thank you for sharing your thoughts and starting this conversation!
It's so great to see someone talking about The Substance from this perspective! I felt like I was reading my own thoughts about the film. I also thought of Carol J. Adams while I was watching, especially the disturbing images she includes in The Pornography of Meat. I think The Substance's shrimp scene felt so visceral because it was meant to be disgusting, but the director makes no connection between that disgust and the ethical implications of shoving dozens of dead bodies into one's mouth. (If memory serves, Coralie Fargeat included similar animal symbolism in her prior film Revenge.) It would've been a great opportunity to show the similarities between the objectification of women and the objectification of animals, but I was similarly disappointed that Fargeat failed to deliver.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, Elise. I also risked it being less read since I wrote the article in English instead of my native language (Turkish). And no one seems to notice the animals being sacrificed for the sake of body horror in this movie.
These connections need to be made, thanks for talking about this! I must admit I haven't seen The Substance - I really want to, I'm so passionate about its main topic, but I don't do well with blood and gore and disgusting stuff. I really hate it. So I'm not sure it's one for me. But this perspective is so important and not often discussed at all. The Sexual Politics of Meat is one of my favourite books on animal rights.
What a great perspective—definitely thought-provoking. Thank you for pointing out these connections. I also believe the director intentionally used animals to portray the abuse, and, like you said, it would be amazing to see a deeper commentary on this.
This feels like a step in the right direction, and the more we discuss it, the closer we get to making it a reality. So, thank you for sharing your thoughts and starting this conversation!
It's so great to see someone talking about The Substance from this perspective! I felt like I was reading my own thoughts about the film. I also thought of Carol J. Adams while I was watching, especially the disturbing images she includes in The Pornography of Meat. I think The Substance's shrimp scene felt so visceral because it was meant to be disgusting, but the director makes no connection between that disgust and the ethical implications of shoving dozens of dead bodies into one's mouth. (If memory serves, Coralie Fargeat included similar animal symbolism in her prior film Revenge.) It would've been a great opportunity to show the similarities between the objectification of women and the objectification of animals, but I was similarly disappointed that Fargeat failed to deliver.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, Elise. I also risked it being less read since I wrote the article in English instead of my native language (Turkish). And no one seems to notice the animals being sacrificed for the sake of body horror in this movie.