Idiocracy Movie Analysis

Today, the elderly are commonly known to complain about the current generation and their apparent lack of values, morals, and common sense. It often seems as though people, as a species, are growing to become less intelligent, more materialistic, and less healthy. Though the 21st century is riddled with new discoveries and inventions, progress seems to be slowing. With competition and pressure increasing, many teens and young adults believe that some things just are not as important, particularly education, personal health, and the absence of constant influence from companies. One text that fictionally portrays this society through the logical extension of these trends is the film Idiocracy, released in 2006. The movie portrays a future where the population has experienced a “dumbing down”. The main characters, Joe and Rita, are entered into a year-long secret government hibernation experiment, which ends up lasting until the year 2505. The …show more content…
Currently, the adult obesity rate is twice as high as it was in 1960, and the U.S. has become the fattest country in the world (“Diet and Obesity.”). Specifically, 68.5% of U.S. adults are overweight or close to obese, and 34.9% are certifiably obese. In the 60s and 70s, Americans typically ate approximately 2,100 calories per day, while Americans today eat about 2,600 ("Are deceptive food labels making America fat?"). This increase may be due to the average American’s diet, which consists of junk food like potato chips and candy or fast food such as cheeseburgers and pizza. These types of meals are typically seen outside the home, where unhealthy food is served in a much larger quantity (“Diet and Obesity.”). In 2012, the American Journal of Preventative Medicine conducted a study that discovered that by 2030 the United States will spend approximately $550 billion in healthcare costs related to obesity(“Diet and