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'WALL-E's' weight problem

Posted: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 7:00 AM by Paige Newman
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A couple of weeks ago I went to see “WALL-E,” and was thoroughly delighted. Not only was it one of the sweeter love stories to hit theaters recently (I couldn’t even think of another one – what has happened to the romantic comedy, Hollywood?), it also gave a satirical look at the future with overweight people being carted around in floating barcoloungers while never looking away from their video monitors. Of course, this poked a bit of fun at audience members who sat passively watching the film with their large Cokes and tubs of buttered popcorn.


Disney/Pixar


But, leaving the theater, I started to think about the multitude of overweight kids (and parents) out there who would go to see “WALL-E.” Would those kids feel motivated to jump up from their computer games and head outside before the world went awry, or would they just feel bad about themselves for being the “worst case scenario” when it came to the human race? After all, one of the few “acceptable” prejudices does seem to be the one against overweight people. And thinking about it, I started to feel sort of bad for the kid who might have his or her already poor self-image reinforced. But maybe I’m being oversensitive.

None of this affected my view about the movie, which is still basically my cinematic highlight of this summer. And all the Oscar talk (of nominating this film for best picture instead of leaving it in the animated film ghetto) is gratifying, and, heck, I’d love to see it happen.

Of course, my objections about how weight is portrayed in the film have nothing on the right-wing response, which is, frankly, downright silly.

Shannen Coffin of the National Review wrote, “From the first moment of the film, my kids were bombarded with leftist propaganda about the evils of mankind.” And conservative pundit Glenn Beck wrote, “I looked at my wife and I said, it’s a frickin’ global warming movie, it is how we destroyed the Earth.”

For me, the film took a satirical look at what’s happening now (pollution, consumer glut, excessive waste) to its logical conclusion – one that might actually be a good one for families to talk about. But it never felt preachy. The overweight people on the “WALL-E” spaceship are never portrayed as malevolent; they’re downright nice. After all, the moral of the film is that you can change things — whether it be finding love or repopulating the Earth — if you take your head out of the sand (or your TV monitor) and try. What’s not to like about that? 

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This was a great movie that went right over my niece and her boyfriends head! (Both 20 years old) Ladies and Gentleman we are in big trouble when these kids are running the world someday. Thank god we have Europeans and Asian families raising their kids in an environment that supports rational, cleaner, smarter thinking & living. Here in the US we just teach our kids to consume consume consume, and pollute pollute pollute, and then they complain when the money runs out! Gotta love the George Bush generation that has been created here. We're in big trouble unless we make some serious changes as people and as a nation.
Let's not forget the  main point about this movie...  It's incredibly boring.  Pixar did not live up to it's history of fantastic movies with this one at all.  Message or no message.
I recall another movie with cute robots and a dim view of humanity's ability to manage its resources...Silent Running.  IMNO, one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever.
If it takes a family movie to get across that we are slowly destroying our planet and becoming self-absorbed, techno-junkies, then it's fine with me.  I'm not jumping in with the global warming freaks (the film makes no mention of temperature) but you don't have to talk about global warming to understand that, for the most part, we are slowly using up the natural resources of this planet.  Eventually, we will use up these resources and have to relocate or die.  This will take hundreds of years, perhaps, but by then many folks may truly be plugged-in from birth into their barco-floaters and devoid of human contact.  Just look at the rising obesity rates, worldwide.  Look at our addiction to technology, gadgets, internet, and mass communication.  Is this really that much of a leap of faith or suspension of disbelief?

Lastly, anyone who calls this film a treatise, manifesto, or left-wing propaganda of any kind has an axe to grind, column to sell, or a voice career where they are paid to see fire where there is smoke.  People like that should be avoided anyway, so pay no heed.  Is it leftist to have your mind stimulated rather than entertained or to provoke some thought rather than feed it cool-aid?  If so, you are just the kind of barco-floater they parody.
What bothered me about the movie was the presence of gravity on the spaceship.

WHY IS THERE GRAVITY ON THE SPACESHIP????  Everything should be floating, including the water in the pool!!

Unless they spaceship used the spinning-cylinder design (a la 2001 A.S.O.) to generate centrifugal force, there should not have been gravity.

What are we teaching our children????
I took six kids to see the movie - ages 8-12 - and every single one of them loved it.  

As a conservative, generally in agreement with "right-wing" ideology, I saw nothing wrong with the movie.  Yes, it jabs at the massive consumerism and waste problems we already have in the world.  Global warming?  Only in the sense that we've let the consumerism rule us.  Did you see the mountains of waste left behind?  Could you imagine living on a world with that much waste...in the city itself?  It's a very extreme look at where we're headed.  I'd say it had more of a gentle prod at where we could be going rather than where we'll actually end up.

The most interesting part of the movie for the kids was as we were leaving the theater.  The trash can outside the door was overflowing onto the floor.  We all found that a little ironic...
Does this mean that Pixar is upset with our society not getting exercise?  Does this mean they are going to forego putting out the WALL-E video game? Does this mean Pixar doesn’t want us to buy all the WALL-E items that will come from promoting the movie?  
I don’t think so!  Great movie - great message - but Pixar doesn't get out clean in my book!
Movies and books for kids are often didactic, so I am not sure why people are complaining.  Maybe the truth hurts?  We are destroying our planet, many people are overweight which is a huge problem in our country, and the scientific fact about bone density would be a problem for humans if our Earth is destroyed!  How can we colonize other planets or live in space at the cost of our health?  It just means we must take better care of the Earth we already have.
My husbanc and I took both of our grandchildren (12 and 14).  We all loved it.  They both mentioned that maybe, just mayber, we should recycle.

I don't know why people who are so anti-environmental can't see that just using some common sense and taking care of your "personal" space can't hurt anyone or anything.  I sometimes just think they're too lazy to try or just want another point in their rant against anyone who doesn't agree with them
Pixar helps Disney get back to it's animation roots with this movie. An emotional rollercoaster, sad, funny, happy, good guy vs. bad guy, hope vs. despair all rolled into one. It touches the heart. The safest movie to bring your kids to in 20 years! A great story and wonderful animation combine to make this A CLASSIC.
One of the biggest laughs was when Big-and-Large CEO Fred Willard drops the bombshell that the earth has, indeed, become so polluted that it can't support life. His instructions to the refugees in space: "So, stay the course!" At my local cineplex, half the audience laughed out loud; the other half (shamed Bush supporters, no doubt) were stone silent.

As far the lack of dialogue in WALL-E, it was refreshing to see a film like this that didn't have Eddie Murphy or some other actor talking homeboy trash like you see so often in recent Disney films.
The problem here is that we're over analyzing the movie. This movie definitely seemed to be aimed more toward adults than kids. It really was making fun of modern society. I.e. the scene where the guy asked the other guy if he wanted to golf over his vidi-fone super tv thing and it turned out the guy was right beside him was making fun of how much we would rather use technology than actually talk to someone face to face(this was exaggerated though).

I admit that I thought this was a movie about global warming, but its not. The producers needed a reason that the people ended up in space, trash (a modern day problem) provided the reason. The company (B&N?) can be related to the movie equivalent of Wal-Mart or even Mcdonalds, and provided not only the means for the trash to be made, it feeds into the laziness of the people, and it provides a way that the people go to space.

Once in space the humans needed to change shape(literally). I have no doubt that the decision to make the people overweight was a contraversial one(I mean in Pixar/Disney).

The trash also plays another role because Pixar needed a reason for the people to stay in space, so the trash releases gas and makes it so that humans can't return to Earth.
It makes perfect sense how much controversy this movie has stirred up.  The more extreme a view depicted, the more people on any side of any issue will take up arms in defense of their ways.  I personally I'm on the side of Elizabeth Ditty and all the other intelligent people who have posted here.  Although I'm shocked that the only person who noticed that Wall-E's circuitry was replaced yet he still recognized Eve just saw the religious symbolism.  Does anyone else see a problem with that?  Any one else here in the tech industry?  Come on, that was worse than the gravity issue!
The discussion boards I have seen are typically shallow and polarized…  The Pixar folks are very sharp and were careful to play both sides of the political fence.  When a kids movie (my 4 year old loved it btw) makes you think for days afterwards and triggers vigorous discussion of important ideas it is an amazing achievement.  I’m a traditional, usually conservative, independent and I’m saddened by the knee jerk reactions to this great movie on both the right and the left.

Lefty
-Humans wrecked the planet with their over consumption and pollution.
-Global warming dried up the oceans and turned the Earth into a desert (the oil tankers were parked on dry land).
-Big-corporations are bad and do not have people’s interests at heart.

Righty
-Total reliance on the world government for housing, food, healthcare, and general wellbeing destroyed the humans self reliance, work ethic, health, and humanity.  Ouch!
-Wally’s daily work has made him more human than the real humans on the Axiom.  The live plant is carried around in an old work boot.  Again, work and self reliance = purpose and life.
-Biblical references abound: Wally dies and is resurrected, Eve takes the live plant into her belly like an unborn child, Eve was obviously a nod to Genesis.

Other messages
-Technology is dehumanizing (Kubrick was spot on)
-Technology alone cannot save the Earth; it can only be done with the help of motivated humans.
-Love conquers all, good conquers evil, and hope springs eternal (it doesn’t get any more Disney than that)
Wait Joe Snofool what do you mean propaganda? I mean I could see if it was like really preachy and beating it in your face, but this movie is more of a prediction then a propaganda flick. Its not like this is the cold war where no one knows whats going to happen. Its actully happening and like it or not humans are'nt doing alot to stop it.  
I'm sorry, but I loved the movie. I don't find it necessary to attach any special significance to the characters, the story or anything else. The cinematography was superb. It made me laugh & I left the theatre feeling good. Good job, Pixar!
First of all, let's get our environmental problems straight: Wall E has nothing to do with global warming and everything to do with pollution and resource depletion. No one said the humans left earth because of anything to do with global warming. Global warming may lead to things like drought and famine, but not too much litter.

Wall E is the best movie of the year by far, and it doesn't have a single scatological joke or swear word in it stronger than "heck." No one gets drunk or gets naked. No one makes gratuitous pop culture references in an effort to seem cool, with it, or post-modern.

Looks like good films don't have to pander after all.
I have read every single one of the messages posted prior to mine.  And while everyone is arguing about what the underlying messages are, what the overall message that I have found is that it has gotten everyone to talk about it.  This movie has done what so few others in its genre have done.  WALL-E has pricked the sensitivities of every person that has watched it.  It doesn't matter if you are from the "left" or "right", or if you are skinny or thin, or if you recycle or don't...we are talking which is just the beginning of "doing".  Whatever it is that each person like or didn't like, I hope that it is enough that it sets you in motion to do something about just that.  Every one is entitled to their take on this.  No one is right or wrong...just different.  But as long as you got a message, then job well done to Pixar.
American's are fat and LAZY.  I know a close family member who only feads her children fast food and they are all seriously overweight. Someone needs to point this out to them (over and over). If you feel bad about yourself, maybe there is a good reason. The fact that we are all here talking about it, means the movie served a greater purpose than entertainment.  It's making people think.  I loved it, and enjoyed the adorable characters!  You can't go wrong.  
To all of the people who say, "It's just a kids' movie, there's no message," please understand that it's not kids who are writing these movies. It's adults, with adult biases, beliefs, and agendas, for better or for worse. Children's movies and books are actually a pretty good litmus test for the beliefs, conflicts, and concerns within any given society at any point in time, because media is half of what we use to teach - to socialize - our children. There's almost no such thing as a children's story - on film or on paper - that has no message.
So, Joe Snofoll, Glenn Beck, and the rest of the anti-WALL*E brain trust, what is it about the ideas presented in the movie that bothered you?  That they are the only possible result of a society that creates more garbage than it can possibly get rid of?  Do you know what a landfill is?  Have you seen the landfills in the United States?  Did you think the garbage build-up came from global warming?

In short, how can Glenn Beck be against something simply because it proves, through logic and believability (yes, you believe it because it makes literal sense), what he wishes people not believe, and that is that we are already beginning to drown in the garbage we ourselves create on a day-to-day basis?  Does Mr. Beck and Mr. Snofoll have an answer to the problem, or are they going to deny it exists?  I suppose the brain trust already has the solution for this predicament, and I'll bet it is to shoot the garbage into space -- and the irony of the film, from from coming from it being about global warming or some leftist leaning philosophy (can you say conspiracy theorist, Messrs. Beck and Snofoll) is that the movie society's solution was to shoot the people into space, instead of the other way around.

Only a twisted, conspiracy theorist braintrust would come up with global warming being the underlying, hidden, nefarious theme of such a fabulously entertaining and believable film, that has no basis at all in global warming (no matter how you twist it).
"Of course, my objections about how weight is portrayed in the film have nothing on the right-wing response, which is, frankly, downright silly."
Ahh, the typical "left-wing" response to any type of criticism.  Obviously us "right-wing" nut-jobs have no real argument, being too stupid to construct one of course, and any criticism we levy is, well, downright silly.  After all, Hollywierd would never try anything as underhanded as to influence children's ideas on the environment, "Go Diego, Go", "Iron Giant", and "Hoot" (to name just three) not withstanding.  Silly conservatives, if only we could be as erudite as our “left-wing” betters. <sigh>
Three huge thumbs up from my girlfriend, my son, and myself. Next, thanks to Pixar for daring to hold the mirror to the audience, even if it was a bit uncomfortable at first. Another thank you because it spurred conversation amongst us on the way home about favorite moments, recycling, comedy, and environmental issues. Why, I even started to look for the triangular recycle arrows on the bottom of recent disposable plastic containers to divert them into the recycle bin instead of the trash, thanks to the movie.

Now, into the fray. My first impressions about some of the satire: Everything was owned by big business- in fact, it was left up to big business to save the world at one point but failed miserably. It reeked of WalMart but perhaps that is an unfair comparison.

Two, regarding the science bit about bone loss in space, it is actually "bone density" that deteriorates because their is no constant "load" (like pull of gravity) on the bones.

Three, I agree with several of you above that being concerned about the environment is not mindless leftist proaganda. What is so evil about taking care and being mindful of your surroundings?

Fourth, the segment about "blue being the new red" is a spoof on seasonal fashion and how it rarely is a matter of something new and more a matter of recycling same old fashion simply to get people to buy more "stuff."

Fifth, here is something I thought of (after the movie) at my own house as a solution to reducing waste: Most household trash goes into the kitchen trash that is in a closet or cabinet, right? Instead, get two other bins and place them next to the trash. Label one "glass/aluminum," one "trash," and the other "plastic." This will get you in the habit of SORTING your trash AS you discard it, resulting in developing a norm for you and your community. NO MORE EXCUSES for not recycling as much as possible. Also don't trash unwanted electronics, recycle them or donate them to agencies in your community that will fix and resell them or break down the parts. We have that here in Vegas- the Center for the Blind. Proceeds benefit their programs. Together we can solve these problems, Earth.
I didn't have a problem with the message, but I did have a problem in that it was marketed to kids and was in no way a kid movie. Kids under the age of 8 are not going to get what is going on. Pixar made up for this by having Wall-E bash into a hundred things so the kids would laugh at this slapstick comedy. If you saw your kids laughing in the theater, that is why. If you have a kid under the age of 8, ask them what the movie was about (before you talk about it). They will have no idea. It was a great idea to have minimal talking, but kids have a difficult time reading body language. I am guessing most did not even realize that Eve was a girl or that Wall-E liked her for most of the movie.

So, the message was fine, but keep the kids at home. They will be bored to death. If you want to give them something of similar entertainment value, go hit yourself with a pan several times in front of them. That is all they will get out of this movie.
I have not seen Wall-E yet,but, is it just me or does he look like "Johnny #5"?
if you are complaining about a leftist message, you are more than likely the type of person who makes a pig of themselves with Americas nicer comforts(ie technology, readily available food and shelter.)

if you are complaining about a right wing message. you are more than likely the over sensative wining person who thinks there is no such thing as a wrong answer.  you are more conserned with everybody feeling warm and fuzzy about their own self image, that you ignore the facts thaat diabetes is skyrocketing, along with a growing list of obesity related illnesses.  

I say americans make complete pigs of themselves across the board.  this movie just sheds a little light on that.  if you are fat, you should feel bad.  maybe you will be motivated to do something about it.
To Renee of Las Vegas - I think you hit the nail on the head.  Everyone who sees it starts thinking and talking.  Maybe some are trying to defend their actions, and others are trying to point fingers...but hey...it's a great conversation.  And to think the movie itself had very little conversation.  Quite an achievement.
To those who think this movie has a politically correct leftist agenda, I tell you, NO.  This is NOT about politics.  This is about FACT, that if you continue pollution, industrial development, you'll create hazies skies (been to China? they can hardly breathe) and you will destroy the planet.  Try doing this to your own backyard at home.  You won't like the scene.  You won't like the air.  

Everybody who turns this into some political argument is just ignoring fact.  Go to countries where there is mass pollution.  You'll award this movie an Oscar then.
This culture puts so much pressure on us: Even being not fat is still not enough, you now have to have a 6 pack abs and grow to become 6 foot 2 to be accepted by society, you have to be rich, and be educated in a top 30 university and work for a fortune 100 company.

Otherwise society labels you as loser. I think that's what is destroying society, and that's what's driving us to consumerism, it’s this society force that asks us to be of a certain type in order to fit in, in order to be accepted and in order to be loved.

I don't think this movie is adding to the pressure, it actually show's how the courage and love of a simple robot is able to attract a high tech robot woman. It is not what he had its how you used it. He used to work his simple job even though he was alone on the planet, and his simple job, made him find the flower. When he met Eve he loved her and that's what saved mankind and returned them to their home, by giving to her that lonely flower.

So kids will leave the movie seeing that, because that’s the real message of the movie. No matter whom these kids are (fat, or poor, not too smart, or just bad at sports), they can make a difference in society, by using God’s gift for mankind: love, which is what makes us human.
Ok, first off I'd like to state that I am 19 year old girl who recently invested in stainless steel canteens, goes to the recycling center once a week, and tends to lean left in the politics department - so I don't want anyone to attempt to say that I am a right-wing conservative when I say that I did not like all of the messages in the movie. Also, it should be noted that I am not obese. However, I feel that the portrayal of the overweight humans talking on their face to face communication devices while right next to each other will have – and should have - a lot of people very insulted. People have to start understanding that obesity is not directly linked with laziness! There are many other factors such as over eating, depression, health history, and other things that make weight loss incredibly hard for those who are overweight. It is not as easy as "getting up and taking a walk" as people have been claiming - there are often a lot of psychological issues involved as well, which make the process much more difficult. I think Pixar should be absolutely ASHAMED of themselves for portraying humans in such a way. This is not only telling kids to go out and exercise, it is telling them that all fat people are lazy leeches on society that don't contribute anything and make the world a horrible place! The last thing we need right now is to give kids another reason to alienate obese children on the playground. Watch them get that 'much needed exercise' while they have no friends! While the message concerning the environment was admirable, it was presented HORRIBLY and OFFENSIVELY unlike Happy Feet which managed to do so in a way that was encouraging and left small children feeling inspired without negatively targeting a group of the population.


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