Comments on: Critical Pedagogy and Super-Size Me

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On commenting... « accidental songs… — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:35:19 +0000

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My Comments « Impeccable Timing and Dynamic Wit — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 19:58:10 +0000

[...] commented on Dan’s Blog entry: Critical Pedagogy and Super-Size Me on February 24, [...]

By: eternaltreasure

eternaltreasure — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 19:54:34 +0000

I also see a lot of merits in your position, Dan. You essentially showed that films like “Super Size Me” can be effectively used to stimulate thought and writing as long as the films are truly seen with a critical eye. There is no reason why one could not use this film to initiate discussion on fact versus opinion, examining sources critically, and delving into the influences that the media has on our society. That, in my opinion, is the greatest thing that can come out of using resources such as “Super Size Me–” that they can lead to so many other tangents which, if placed in a safe, academic environment, could very well lead to relavent, personal discussion and writing topics, topics that would really interest students.

By: kooikema

kooikema — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:49:07 +0000

I agree that the movie does not do as good of a job as it could have on showing the job the media plays on sending people to McDonalds. It did imply a lot that the “choice” to go to McDonalds is not really much of a choice at all. I think that this movie can be used quite effectively within middle schools and high schools. As a teacher, you would need to explain that not all overweight people are overweight simply because they eat at McDonalds, they may have a glandular problem, or if they are high school or middle school age it may be that they have not lost their “baby fat.” If you have developed a classroom community I don’t think that it will be a problem for middle and high school students to tackle the issue of weight. In fact, it may be beneficial. Maybe the students who do not feel good about their body will take this film and attack it saying how poorly it represents struggles and reasons why people are overweight.

By: andi12

andi12 — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 02:18:39 +0000

Dan- in some ways I agree with you…in that this movie does fit into Critical Pedagogy (I think our class discussion pointed that out effectively) and I also agree that Morgan Spurlock does a great job of pointing out a problem in America without giving answers. In light of all that however, I don’t feel that this film is the best example to use for the purpose of critical pedagogy. It is a little too vague and also at times quite rude to those who are overweight. While most adults in the college classroom setting are ok with how they look physically, many high school students are not. Additionally, I feel that just as those two young men interviewed in the movie responded to Spurlock with laughter and jokes, many high schoolers and middle schoolers would not comprehend the deeper message of the movie unless specifically programmed to do so. Teaching with this movie could very realistically spiral out of control. So while it is definitely not out of the question as a tool for teachers, I feel that it’s use should be tempered and specific. Most teachers can not handle that and like to use films as a diversion from actually teaching and this is one film I hope will never be used for that purpose.