Film Friday: Just Label It

Happy Film Friday my darling little pumpkins! 

Do you have big plans for the weekend? I accidentally got a little excited at the video store the other day (do I age myself by calling it a "video" store?) and rented way, way too many movies. So, I'm gonna be parked in front of the television trying to watch the copious amount of films I apparently just needed to rent that moment. Stupid girl.

And speaking of films, how about a new one by Robert Kenner, the director of Food Inc.? Anyone who knows me, knows how much I loved both the film and the book. Genius! There's a new one coming out now that I first read about on Civil Eats, called Just Label It: We Have the Right To Know - you can read about it by clicking here. 

Below, I've included the trailer. Quick synopsis: There's a lot of shit in our food. Literally. Among other things that never used to be there. Particularly pertinent to this film is the advent of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Our food is being cut, sliced, and transplanted into other "foods" - we have no idea what the effects of such "advances" are. Until we know just what that will look like, we have a right to know if something is GMO and that's the premise of the film. Labels. Just let us know. What are the large corporate food producers afraid of? Smoking companies tried to ban the warning labels on their packages for years. How is this any different? It's industry trying to hide the fact that their product is either highly dangerous or possibly highly dangerous. We just don't know. Why not label it so as consumers we can at least have the opportunity to make a choice as to what we feed ourselves, those we love, and the planet?

My only issue with the trailer is it constructs women as the "protectors" of the family. There is very little (if any) attention paid to the possible environmental or other social costs of GMO production. I think we need to remember that just because we're women (well, some of us are), it doesn't mean we are responsible or have any interest in being responsible for the health of a nation. That being said, women are typically still the main purchasers and producers of food world wide, so maybe that's what Kenner is getting at. 

Either way, take a peek. Lemme know what you think... Hey, that rhymed. If you're American, you can learn more and get involved by just a few clicks of the mouse starting here!

What do you think about GMOs? Do they concern you? If not, do you think they're a positive technology? Should they be labeled either way?