Documentaries

After I have a baby I have one ritual.  I watch a ton of movies.  The day after our babies come home from the hospital we go to Blockbuster to get a movie pass and I watch movies while I nurse my babies.  Well, after having four babies in four years I found that I have seen ALL the movies.  I spent a week catching up on movies that had come out since I had Megan.  And then there was nothing.  So I went to the documentary section and became hooked.  I have spent the last four months every night starting at 7:30 nursing Madison and watching documentaries.  Any documentary.  I have seen all the "big ones" - Waiting for Superman, Food inc, No End in Sight - and all the little known ones as well.  

Documentaries are funny things.  They take one issue, put it under a huge magnified glass, usually only show you one side of the story, and are very persuadable.  I am left at the end of every documentary feeling like, "yes, thats the problem (insert, war, poverty, education, health care, food, environment, etc), if we could fix that the world would be better".  Then the next night I am on a soap box about another issue. I talk Jason ear off every day about the issue and how it is so important.  It's funny.
Now after seeing ALL the documentaries ever made (seriously) - I can tell you what the real problem is.  Our nation's financial status.  Mostly the debt.  Because none of the other issues can even start being fixed if the money issue isn't fixed.  I have wanted many documentaries on the subject - on both sides of the party lines - and IOUSA was the best.  I recommend it.  Watch it with someone smart.  I had Jason rewatch it with me so he could explain some things to me :)  The scary part is this movie was made in 2007 - BEFORE the financial crisis and Obama.  It is so much worse now.  Everyone should see this movie.  It will change your perspective.  It has made me want to become involved.  I even contacted the film makers.  hehe

Last night I wanted one called "The Business of Being Born."  I liked it but I don't recommend it to pregnant women.  It is pretty scary.  It is basically about natural childbirth and how horrible it is to have OBGYN's and hospitals - and how all doctors, nurses, and hospital administrations only goal is to give every woman a c-section that walks in the door.  I am obviously being sarcastic- but that is basically what they are saying.  I obviously don't agree with that (I always had an OBGYN and was in a hospital) but it was a good film about point out some of the problems with our current system. (highest number of C-sections and induced labors, highest number of births in hospitals by OBGYN's, highest infant and maternal deaths than any other industrial country, plus the most c sections are given at 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm theory is that the dr's all want to get home for dinner or to bed) Interesting stuff.

Food Inc was great - probably changed my life the most.  I wanted about 20 different ones about food and nutrition.  It is a little depressing because you realize that no matter what you do you can't really eat purely.  Our society has ruined that.  I came to the conclusion you just have to do the best you can.

Anyways... I could go on and on.  But I will spare you.  Oh - just one more thing, I think I have watched every documentary on 9-11 and I am pretty sure it was the government that did it.  :)

Yes, documentaries are dangerous things.