Wall-E and the Consumerism of the Environmental Movement

Hold your breath, this young eco/film nerd has to go there- "Wall-E". The character is adorable, the graphics are stunning, but what influence does this film have in the social and political discussions surrounding the environmental crisis? What is the moral of this film that shows a garbage-laden Earth and humans that have evolved into amorphous cartoonish blobs drinking kegs of soda? Is "Wall-E" trying to teach Americans a lesson? And what of this message when plastic "Wall-E" toys and sugar-filled cereals line the shelves of every store?

I think "Wall-E" did a great job of bridging the gap between consumerism and cautionary tale. There were subtly-conveyed warnings and countless effective critiques of the waste-laden American lifestyle of excess. The opening shot is a great example, with a skyline made 70% out of stacks of garbage, our own sky-scrapers dwarfed by the trash that we've thrown out of them. At the same time, however, the film doesn't wholly bash consumerism- Wall-E himself is a collector. His happiness is built upon toys and nick-knacks, and we don't judge him negatively for that. But, unlike the humans in the tale, Wall-E's possessions are recycled and don't create large amounts of waste. I walked out of the film with one message ringing clear: consumerism is not evil, nor should Americans put aside all of the niceties to which we've become accustomed. Rather, we just have to re-learn what is garbage and what is useful, and try to find an equal balance between the two.

That said, after reading an interview with "Wall-E" director Andrew Stanton, it seems my "lesson" was totally off the mark in terms of intent. According to Stanton, the film was never meant to be an ecological conceit. He stated, "I knew that I was going into territory that was basically the same stuff, but I don't have a political bent or ecological message to push. I don't mind that it supports that kind of view-- it's certainly a good-citizen kind of way to be-- but everything I wanted to do was based on the film's love story." Well, nobody told the audience. Which leaves us in a kind of conundrum: whether or not Stanton meant it, "Wall-E" has become a player in the environmental discussion; how can donors use this fictional Hollywood smash hit to help further the green movement, rather than just another big box hit?

If the philanthropist can figure out a way to use consumerism correctly- that is, to use the publicity of "Wall-E" to spout positive messages of change- it will be a great step forward into bringing the green movement to the population at large. Both kids and adults love this character, and associate positive emotions with him. Let's use this character to promote environmental change- let's plaster his face on reusable water bottles and Wall-E tote bags. Let's make up lesson plans that involve studying the movie and science together- anything to get children involved in this often-drab and apocalyptic environmental discussion. There is a real learning tool here, disguised as a fun, simple love story. Let's not let that go to waste!

Dana Variano