Television that Could Change The World
Christopher | April 11, 2010
Today I took the opportunity to watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. I think you should too. This has to be one of the most important shows on television today. It’s entertaining while teaching (or reinforcing) the vital role that food plays in our lives.
Even though America is the number one economy in the world, we aren’t even ranked in the top ten with regards to health. Our life expectancy ranks at a very disappointing 38th in the world. Those statistics are a direct reflection of how we take care of ourselves. One thing we do every day is eat. What we eat on a daily basis has a cumulative effect on our lives. As the maxim goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
One of the things that surprised me most about the show is how often Jaime “fails”. The first episode shows exactly how difficult starting a revolution is. He’s met by resistance and skepticism at all sides. He starts off simply trying to get the elementary school kids to NOT eat pizza for breakfast. The cooks in the kitchen resist the change, the school doesn’t think his food meets the guidelines, and the kids don’t want to eat it! Through perseverance and creative thinking, Jamie manages to overcome the challenges. It’s a great lesson for anyone who wants to make a big vision come true.
Maybe you can make engaging television that can change the world.
I watched 2 episodes of this on Friday (last week's
neil | April 12, 2010I watched 2 episodes of this on Friday (last week’s rerun and this week’s, I suppose). I really like the idea behind the show, but the actual production of it – not very much. It’s too much reality show, instead of documentary. But anyway, it’s preaching to the choir towards me, so my opinion doesn’t really matter.
Regarding Jamie’s failures – they showed some of that, but in the most recent episode he had a HUGE success, so much so that it seemed pre-manufactured to me. Or maybe I’m just a bit too cynical?
It's fair to say the show's editors arrange the clips
Christopher | April 12, 2010It’s fair to say the show’s editors arrange the clips to enhance the narrative flow. And I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the production team helped tip Jamie over the edge of accomplishing his goal. I wouldn’t go so far as to think the whole event was pre-manufactured though.