The Function of Art is to Disturb
Modest Mouse's "King Rat," directed by Heath Ledger
"The function of art is to disturb."
–George Braque
What do you think?
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Modest Mouse's "King Rat," directed by Heath Ledger
"The function of art is to disturb."
–George Braque
What do you think?
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Excellent video, have never see this. I actually like a lot of MM songs. Simple message…put yourself in their shoes.
I enjoyed it, but I don't like ascribing the nasty qualities of humans onto animals, especially in 'payback' modes. We already do that when we characterize certain animals in ways that provoke human fear(and retaliation). We should find ways to put ourselves in their place/position when it comes to exploitation, but perhaps the conclusion should strive to seek answers that don't mirror the same message of violence. One could easily relish video footage of when animals attack humans, but in the end the satisfaction feels pretty shallow, and sadness returns.
I hadn't thought of the video (which I saw a few days ago on Change.or) in quite that way, but I must say that I agree with you, John C. The satisfaction of "reverse exploitation" is shallow, and no lasting gains are made, for anyone.
Instead of focusing on the revenge factor when I watched it, I was thinking of how it might cause those unacquainted with violence against whales to: (1) come out of their ignorant shell and see how obscene and insane the killing of these innocents truly is, (2) widen the circumference of their care for earth's creatures, (3) put themselves in the whales' place and imagine the horror of it, (4) examine and question everything else that humans allow themselves to do against animals.
Perhaps an animated cartoon showing whales saving humans (even forgiving the humans who are their nemesis, the whale-killers) would be more in keeping with our nonviolent animal-abolitionist agenda?
That said, I respect Heath's compassion and concern for all life, and his desire to get his message out in an artistic, fresh, thought-provoking fashion.
Although revenge by animals for human atrocities against them can be problematic (a lot of the time they end with, gee you were totally wronged by humans but it's okay to kill you anyway to protect ourselves), I didn't really get that vibe here because the whales were never exploited by the humans; their roles were reversed from the beginning. I thought it was very effective at displaying the horror of the things we do to whales to people who wouldn't see it in footage of it being done to actual whales. The whales came off as monsters, but since they were walking around on boats like humans I couldn't take it as applicable to actual whales. But that's just how it felt to me.
I'm with meerkat. I saw it as an alternate universe. Like Planet of the Apes.