Capitalism, Poverty, and Ratatouille

[@The_Sin_Squad]

TW: Gun and police violence from 15:19-15:29!

[@Trowa71]

It was a really clever edit tho

[@AiyanaForrest]

That was honestly a great cut though

[@buffchic13]

The stealing issue is a callback to Le Mis. The main character stole bread and sparked a revolution.

[@Howie_vibeMaster]

top tier editing my dude

[@ewwpoorpeople5684]

T... W...? TINY WIGS!?!

[@sunriseandstrawberryfields6321]

“These places aren’t made for people like us. Our job is to get in, steal what we can, and get out”

[@artandme_]

@Alias Fakename actually a parasite doesn't "get out" a parasite takes over. A pest steals and then gets out

[@brandleythecat4570]

@@artandme_ i think they mean Parasite the movie. The quote sort of aligns with the Kim family's mindset🤔

[@oivc606]

METAL

[@lyghtable]

@@artandme_ Pest do not necessarily leave either. Pest will stay and "take over" if they have an adequate food source.

[@artandme_]

@@brandleythecat4570 that would make more sense 😅

[@conroyherald1637]

Ratoullie, poverty, and capitalism! My three favorite subjects!

[@GameHero152]

No other subjects can top them

[@unviewsyourmonster8113]

only rivalled by ‘communism, homosexuality and chocolate’ (graffiti in Paris)

[@patrickchoque7720]

@@unviewsyourmonster8113 is that a film or do you mean actual graffiti?

[@haininhnguyen398]

Exactly my thoughts

[@jupiter2788]

This is the quote of the year

[@alicebuselli1327]

Even with all the controversy, Ratatuille has one of my favourite quotes of all times: "Not everyone has the talent to become a great artist, but an artist can be found in anyone"

[@vrinnmetagen]

That's not controversial

[@Jaydee-wd7wr]

@@vrinnmetagen, She (I presume as an Alice) is referring to the controversial take about theft and class systems talked about in this video, not the implications of the quote.

[@pro-socialsociopath769]

@@Tyfrnkln One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone tries to quote something but blatantly messes up the quote. I haven't seen the movie in years but even I can remember how it went, arrrrgh!

[@angelor9211]

In Español, its a far more better quote the Ego says "Not anyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can originate anywhere" Its just slightly different, but its that small change that makes it so good

[@syedarizvi2544]

isn’t it “ not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere”

[@fearsomefawkes6724]

I just wanna say. Cooks do steal. We're chronically under paid. If we didn't eat things we technically weren't supposed to we wouldn't have enough to eat. Trying extra bites here and there. Making a sandwich when the owner isn't looking. It's just part of the industry. If you eat at work that's one less meal you have to pay for with your dismal wages. Even if you're working somewhere that will provide a staff meal, it's often only once per shift, even if that shift is 13-16hrs long.

[@hannahmashburn7101]

Yep

[@gotgt500]

I recently left my restaurant job and started doing private chef events and let me tell you it's so much more fun it's less stress and you don't work 60+hrs anymore you should try it. But like the video said it does require some investment into plates and cooking appliances but I think it's well worth it for quality of life

[@your_dad_on_vacation]

Sometimes I purposely put extra fries/other deep fried stuff so my co-workers and I can eat it

[@gotgt500]

@@your_dad_on_vacation I totally did the same

[@r.j.penfold]

That makes me... Sad. To hear that the owners care so little about the people who are literally the cause of them making money, that they'll allow them to starve. It's so dangerous to be hungry to the point of collapsing when your work environment is full of open flames and sharp knives and fragile glass. I just... I'm sorry.

[@graceful1277]

From my understanding, the reason that “ghost Gusteau” is constantly telling Remi not to steal is because he is a figment of Remi’s imagination. Gusteau represents Remis inner thoughts and conflicts. If we think of Gusteau as Remis inner thoughts, we can see that he doesn’t want to steal simply because he is rejecting the lifestyle his family projected onto him his whole life. His personal morals are so strong that he is starving himself so that he can be distanced from his rat family. Remi thinks the only way he can join the rich humans is by completely rejecting the “poor lifestyle”. This moral seems like what the movie is trying to tell us because the movie is from Remis perspective, being the protagonist. However, if Remi never gave in to his instincts in the first place (stealing at the old lady’s house), then the story would never have progressed and Remi would never have been able to join the society he so longed to be a part of.

[@TheCinnamondemon]

great point

[@anib8863]

They literally say it in the movie at least three times, "I'm a figment of your imagination."

[@rosieholstein3233]

This is all well and good, but theres no point in the movie where they actually say that or counteract that message from what I can recall, sure its just Remy's conscience in the end, but it is also something deliberately written in by the movies creators. and at no point in the movie is there ever a moment where Remy realizes that he was wrong, and that stealing when in desperate situations is okay, theres never a moment where he confronts himself (Ghosteau) about forcing him to go days without food for morals that served no greater purpose other than to appease the sensibilities of those that already have too much.

[@RoseDragoness]

I am interprepting it as the OP's describe too, I didn't see that in the end, it never be solved as stealing is not the end of the moral world.

[@haveawonderfulday-17yearsa48]

His "inspired conscience."

[@Kookie_978]

I think you’re forgetting that ghost gusto isn’t exactly a separate character than that of Remy. He is his moral compass, a projection of his internal monologue. So when Gusto shames Remy for wanting to steal bread its really just Remy being self conscious about his own actions. It says more about the mentality and mindset of the poor when stealing than anything else

[@Kookie_978]

Also, there is always a price to pay for everything in life. The other horrible actions enacted upon in the film like kidnapping had eventual consequences that adversely affected the characters. No matter what, stealing shouldn’t be condoned because there is always a way for you get the thing you want without disgracing your morality.

[@davidenoca4245]

is your last sentence about his compass?@@Kookie_978

[@nkbujvytcygvujno6006]

​​@@Kookie_978 No. No there always isn't. And stealing from an institution that makes plenty and overcharges anyway, or from literal trash, which belongs to no one, is not remotely morally comparable to kidnapping or actual violence. Likely everyone working on this movie knew that besides the executives. This is how you can identify people blinded by their privilege. I hope someone who genuinely goes around thinking there's always a way for someone in need to get something without stealing in this society doesn't vote, but I don't think we're that lucky.

[@agamemnonofmycenae5258]

@@Kookie_978 would have commented something similar to that as well. Why is it wrong to condemn stealing, just because there is a metaphor revolving around social mobility? Aladdin is a completely different situation, but one only needs to see what will happen to a thief under Sharia: "The Hadd [i.e. the legal punishment prescribed by the Sharee'ah (Islamic law)] for a thief is to cut off the thief's hand. Allah Almighty Says in the Noble Quran" Just because Aladdin escaped the consequences of his actions, doesn't mean that this will always be the case. Also, these films are made for children. Their demographic is not the same as an adult, youtube film critic. It's also important to keep in mind that some places in the world would really dole out such a punishment, even to children.

[@xenohalon4734]

I like this perspective - I was trying to devil's advocate to make sense of it and my brain was going more along the lines of Gusto being a bridge between classes that allows mutual understanding. Not that stealing is wrong but that you should have some understanding of society/other class's rules/expectations. Yours sounds better though, but I'm not seeing cohesion through the end stuff... Unless you choose to interpret the movie as a meta-analysis, in which case the movie becomes a commentary about poor people becoming complacent with their individual success rather than the class struggle after raising class- Remy would be more of a like athlete making it out of the hood and elevating close friends while being content with the overall status quo and not making any steps towards a greater change.

[@lauraw1142]

Something to consider is that Gusteau is not meant to be the voice of the audience. He serves literally and explicitly as Remi's conscience. Remi deplores stealing. He attributes it to the worst qualities you could find in an individual, going so far as to fight with his dad about how he doesnt feel stealing to survive is justified. Essentially, through this lens of class struggle, Remi represents those who have a pull oneself up by the bootstraps mentality. He looks down on the behaviors that define his community without reflecting upon the conditions that cause them. He considers himself successful at the end when he has "reformed" his clan from their pilfering ways. Further, Remi stealing food from the restaurant with his clan was him doubling down on being a rat after being dejected by Linguine who refused to name him as the reason for the restaurant's reclaimed success. He succumbed to a mindset that if he were to be treated as a rat by someone who supposedly saw him as more than one, he would be justified in behaving exactly how he is expected to. Remi also fails to correlate how him stealing to feed his artistic inspirations is the same as his family stealing to survive. He views his thievery as noble and justified because he creates art and elevates his position rather than to simply feed himself. This is how he dismisses his conscience when he steals from the storeroom for the first time to feed Emile. He's not helping his brother or clan members "survive." He's introducing them to higher "culture." In this way I dont think the movie has conflicting morals about capitalism and class struggle but Remi, the narrator, certainly does.

[@TheOobo]

A good reading. I'm not sure whether this one or the video are more "correct," but I think they're both good lenses to hold in mind. This is a movie you can push and pull a little.

[@valiensr1037]

@@TheOobo That’s the wonderful thing about art though. It can mean different things to different people. Even movies with an explicit message can be interpreted differently if someone has a different take 😊

[@ma.2089]

In the end, Remy also is able to feed his family and bring his family out of poverty. He hasn’t really “reformed” the family, since they only steal cuz they need to survive, but he’s given them all a place where they can survive and wealth. Like his dad says at one point, they’re not “stealing” food if nobody wants it. Anyway, I like your take. It’s how I interpreted the movie when I was younger

[@lachlanstanding7386]

I think in Remi's eyes, to subsist off of theft is to give up all agency. Every meal is already made for you and you take what you get. What he wants is the opportunity to be allowed to offer himself to society. To eat the stolen bread would quiet his stomach and thus his drive to fight for a place in society with any level of agency. He's never interested in overthrowing the system, he's a human sympathizer, he feels like there's more to the upper crust than the rats and maybe even the humans themselves are aware of, that if he just had the opportunity, they would see that he and his rat friends have value. So it makes sense that the end is considered a perfect success because everyone gets to contribute what they should be able to. Remi gets to make food, Collette gets to work in a kitchen that respects her and the art she practices, Linguini gets to serve customers and show them what people can offer and the critic is allowed to say when things are good again. Everybody is being utilized to their full potential. Which is a sad kind of dream, and to have that dream overlooks social structures so the contradictions and cognitive dissonance hangs heavy in the air, and I kind of like that about the movie. It would be easy to make some silly story where the peasant overthrows the king and then everyone lives perfectly equally after that, but then what is the message there, "ok poor people, go fix capitalism please? k, thx". I think the film offers more pragmatic advice which is, even when it seems like the system doesn't give a shit, it actually just hasn't found the thing about you it wants to exploit while it strips every other part of you away. Push yourself into its many tentacles because it's always hungry. Which is terrible, but hopeful, but terrible, and isn't that life?

[@riannlim991]

Great write up!

[@sioan6673]

*looks at title* Ah yes, the three genders

[@elizabethstreit5203]

I identify as rattitoulli

[@sp4c1ng_0ut8]

@@elizabethstreit5203 I identify as poverty. lol

[@lucygutierrez9648]

i too am a ratatouille

[@CatFUNguss]

Tag yourself im poverty ❤️✌️

[@the-rickster]

*maybe I am poverty*

[@laurencamila9024]

I'm an immigrant from a third world country in the Netherlands doing a master's on a scholarship and barely enough money to eat and whenever I feel sad or frustrated about the difference of conditions of me vs. My classmates who don't understand why I never go out with them (because I can't afford it) I come here and watch this video and it gives me great comfort

[@modernphil1049]

Hang on there. I hope things will get better for you

[@asadi5]

You will survive keep your head high

[@bill8100]

I hope things are getting better for you!!

[@sakuraninja9073]

Hope the experience will be a treasure for you eventually when you look back at it years later. My plain background taught me to be humble and grateful, work harder, do better. I walk further than my peers. Hope all will turn out well for you.

[@MicahRdr]

Oh no poor you 😢

[@casey7626]

People seeing this film as revolutionary when in reality it upholds the status quo I think signals that people see mere EXISTENCE in the system as revolutionary. As a disabled person, existing happily in current systems is something a lucky few achieve, being pushed to the unhappy fringes is the norm, and literally dying as a long or short result of marginalization is not uncommon. For most, existence is the best resistance possible, and actually changing the system itself is almost unimaginable. The fact that this film frames a hard-won existence as a goal they are content with is kinda chilling honestly, and the fact that I didn't even notice this even more so

[@charleyandpals8151]

Yes! I felt exactly the same way! Remy is at the lowest, most hated area of society. If they'd tried to change higher society's view, it would've changed to something that is very unrealistic in our world. Finding a place when you're unwanted in society, to express your passions and enjoy and explore your hobbies into a business setting is already difficult. There is a huge satisfaction in seeing Remy change the minds of a few to reach his personal goal, which was never to change the system that oppressed him, but to simply cook and be the artist he longed to be.

[@brookelawrence6740]

I’m saying this outside the context of this movie, because I haven’t yet finished the video and I imagine it’s not revolutionary. But I am a person who very much identifies as disabled. And.. maybe for me that is a victory? Being accepted for all of me in at least a few spaces, and having any seat at the table, that is a huge victory for me. I am grateful for people who are trying to change the system - I am so grateful. And I try to be apart of revolutionary action against systematic racism and homophobia/transphobia. But I am too tired to attack the systems that marginalize me as a disabled person. And I think that’s valid. I do think that existence can be a form of revolution.. not the only one, certainly, but one form of it.

[@selalewis9189]

Agreed. None of us should mistake comfort for complacency. Even if you make it up a rung on the ladder, you know deep down how precarious it is.

[@richjuin9504]

@@selalewis9189 not to mention, the fact that a person had to suffer so much just to reach that rung, while others are simply born into it, is wrong just based on principle.

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

There is no need to put a negative spin on it. A film doesn't necessarily have to end with a message of "change". It can simply be about holding a mirror up to society, forcing everyone to rethink their ways. In fact, I would go far enough to argue that it's much better to just leave it at that instead of shoving a message down our throat. Sometimes, leaving the audience in a state of despair like this film does is much more effective than leaving them with a message and promise of hope.

[@isaacsmith1653]

The joke where you keep calling rigatoni by different names is absolutely delightful.

[@amyfitzgerald2131]

Literally one of my favorite parts of this video lol (besides the amazing analysis of course)

[@llamasaurwithabiscuit5690]

Yeah the fettuccine joke is one of my favorite parts

[@Karin-fj3eu]

I was so confused cause I read this before that part of the video started smh

[@maddaddy5368]

Penne is really my favorite character.

[@giuliacf4180]

Spaghetti is really an awesome guy

[@loyaultemelie7909]

Idk if I’m giving Ratatouille wayy too much credit (it’s one of my favorite movies) but the way I interpret Remi’s refusal in the beginning to steal food is that Remi has moralized the issue out of dislike for his dad. Since Gusteau is just a figment of his imagination he’s essentially telling Remi “You don’t want to steal do you? Stealing is what your dad does, and your dad doesn’t understand cooking or art and is dismissive. Thus stealing as the rest of the rats do would make you just like your dad.” Sort of like how class conflict doesn’t mean that the lower class have or will develop a class consciousness and stop infighting. If you’ve been raised on the idea that poor people are immoral and you’re poor you might try to do things to distance yourself from others in poverty, so that you’re one of the “good ones”.

[@dreadpersephone]

this is such a good take

[@PrincessNinja007]

​@thekitkatlizard8661I remember a line from a book, "when banks fail, it's not the bankers who starve". Half the character's arc is understanding that his cons did nothing to hurt the rich, but in many large and small ways they affected the people who were already vulnerable

[@msjkramey]

​@thekitkatlizard8661 how many times did you copy and paste this comment?

[@nkbujvytcygvujno6006]

You can read the film that way, but I highly doubt the filmmakers intended it. And that doesn’t invalidate your reading. There’s nothing wrong with a Watsonian reading instead of a Doylist. Just don’t get the two mixed up. Your personal headcanon doesn’t negate the legit criticisms of Ratatouille’s stealing-is-evil message. You can like the movie and see it that way anyway, but don’t use this to shut down all criticism of what the writers wrote.

[@sentineluno]

This is what i thought as well tbh

[@mohib_saeed]

LMAOOOO, she calls linguini “spaghetti” “macaroni,” “rotini,” “lasagna,” and “manicotti” i’m dead

[@Oddie99000]

Penne is the best boy

[@eleanorvogel5355]

Ok but remember that roulette pasta we only had as children and can never find anymore?

[@pengweng3795]

Don’t forget Casserole

[@natethegreat9977]

I literally only remember two of the name changes. My god linguistic has such a forgettable name

[@myssangela4872]

@@eleanorvogel5355 what's the roulette pasta? Is it shape like a thick bicycle wheel?

[@toganium4175]

Every adult I’ve ever known is always like “money can’t buy happiness.” Oh, please. I’m American; my entire life *revolves* around having money.

[@JDactal]

My parents like to say that money can’t buy happiness but it can but freedom, which is true but also fucked when you think about it

[@Silburific]

@@JDactal People who say that have never been in a position where they haven't had money. Those people always had a roof over their head, they never had to worry about whether or not they would eat that day, they've never been in excruciating pain but were too afraid of a bill to go to the hospital. They have the freedom to be happy _because_ they have money, and they'll do everything in their power to keep those poorer than themselves from realizing it.

[@bitbit5598]

@@Silburific I think they were agreeing with op on this one. Money can't BUY happiness, as happiness isn't something tangible and is subjective... Saying money can by freedom is more accurate since: • A person with enough money is able to immigrate freely and have new opportunities for themselves or their family, a freedom from their past situation • A person with enough money is able to buy themselves or their family meals to eat, freedom from starvation • A person with enough money is able to get themselves or their family a place to live, freedom from homelessness Money can buy freedom, freedom from poverty and all the downsides with it...And that is messed up when you realize you always need a certain amount of money to be able to live day to day comfortably

[@mizjulio]

Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy food. Which keeps us alive.....

[@moomoomrcow8484]

I saw a peer reviewed study that showed that lack of money in linked with poor quality of life (QoL) and as income increased so did QoL. However, after a certain point income continues to increase, but QoL plateaus. I don’t remember specific numbers but there’s a fun fact

[@user-N20]

I think ratatouille took a more realistic approach to the ending. Even though a lot of us would like to see a revolution of some kind or a huge change, if people can find comfort and happiness within the oppressive system, they are often content enough with that and the occasional donation to charity rather than going on to fully pursue change. This is the unfortunate reality of life.

[@lojika1majik]

What would you do in the revolution? What are you fighting for? What will happen as a result? There doesn’t need to be a revolution. Just slight restructuring.

[@mrziiz6893]

@@lojika1majik Let’s be real here, if the elites control the laws (lobbyists), and they control the economy and the direct livelihoods of everyone below them, why in the world would they every allow any change to happen. A slight restructuring would be best, but it’s not gonna happen. We have to topple the system and wipe the slate clean if we wish for anything to change. Otherwise the roots of corruption are too deep in every system and they’ll climb back into power and repeat this all over again.

[@lojika1majik]

@@mrziiz6893 the reason you just gave for why we cannot have slight change due to a lack of budge is exactly why they’ll budge.

[@mrziiz6893]

@@lojika1majik Maybe, but I have my doubts

[@lojika1majik]

@@mrziiz6893 either way, I support not changing anything radically for a while, because while the system sucks, and Winston Churchill said: “Democracy is the second worst form of government. Everything else is the worst”.

[@Kaipyro67ALT]

I've always loathed the statement: "Money can't buy happiness." No, but money buys you time. And time allows freedom, which gives you happiness. I'm fortunate enough to have a job that doesn't penalize me for taking a day off when I need it, but even then that means I don't make money for that day. Therefore, I am motivated to work extra hours, exhausting myself in order to make money to allow me security so that when I need to, I CAN take a day off. And why would I need to take a day off? Because I suffer if I only have energy to work, eat, and go to sleep. I need TIME for myself. I need the FREEDOM to create things that make me happy. I need time to relax, to watch a movie, to read a book, to make art, to spend time with my girlfriend, to see my family, etc. Other than straight-up ignoring the starving portion of our population, this is the most widespread problem with modern day capitalism. We live in a society where everyone is motivated by the status quo to work their asses off to make money just to live. This creates a generation of workers who are exhausted, fed up, and creatively stunted. We are living in an era where money DOES buy happiness, which is a fucking disgrace. I have an 8-hour shift, which usually extends to 9 hours. Add two hours of commuting and basic chores, an hour for cooking, and 8 hours for sleeping (which I usually don't get). That's 20 hours out of a 24 hour day spent doing bare essentials, and supposedly this is NORMAL. I don't even have kids and I already have almost no time to do anything substantial! Our generation needs a fucking break and we shouldn't have to starve in order to get it.

[@Kaipyro67ALT]

@@bilbobaggins9451 One shouldn't have to suffer in order to survive. The cycle of keeping a workforce exhausted also allows for the rich and powerful to stay rich and powerful. We're too exhausted and distracted to do anything about it.

[@aaronshan51]

Is this a UBI ad? #yanggang

[@daftbanna7202]

I think it's like a curve, it will help up until you have too much money. Also happiness is just a fleeting emotion. The message is saying just because you have money it doesn't mean you will be eternally happy. Because eternal happiness doesn't exist

[@knockoutroundabout]

@@ameya5054 YOU can buy things at a click of a button. Do you think of why that is, and why so many of those things are relatively cheap? Because of exploitation of human beings in poor countries, because of sweat shops, because of slavery, because of mass destruction of nature that has snowballed to the point we're facing a natural crisis that is steadily heading to ecological collapse. It's not that capitalism works, it's that you are privileged to have the exact sort of position in life to take advantage of this sort of stuff without even knowing it. And even then, the mindset that rampant consumerism is somehow the key to happiness is something you've been fed by capitalist society to make you happy with just that ability to click a button, rather than an actual just and fair society.

[@sundogsun]

@@bilbobaggins9451 such a beautiful response. thank you.

[@dougthedonkey1805]

“Ghost Gusteau” You missed the chance to call him “Ghosteau”

[@jaymuertos9754]

They totally did!!! (I'm saying they because I'm not academic the pronouns the person uses.)

[@rnuriels]

there’s actually a deleted scene depicting Gusteau’s and Skinner’s friendship before the writing team decided that Gusteau should be dead in the film. In it, Skinner was presenting Gusteau with a new idea for the line of frozen foods, Gusteau is super discouraged about having the line at all, Skinner assures him he understands that gourmet frozen foods are not what they wanted to be doing but that it was the only thing keeping the restaurant in business. I think this scene really humanizes Skinner. Of course he’s opposed to Linguini taking his place as head chef just because of who his father was - Linguini has no experience nor training.

[@justafan9399]

And from that, we can infer that Skinner was a better man corrupted by a drive to profit born from a desire to keep their business afloat. That sounds interesting.

[@hynnow18]

My understanding of the part about “keeping biz afloat” is it was a lie to manipulate Gustau into accepting the frozen food lines

[@jacob99503]

It's established within the film that Gusteau's ghost is a figment of Remy's imagination. So, while it might come across on the surface as the famous cook saying stealing is wrong, it could just be Remy's own belief, that he's better than just stealing food. When he does it later in the film, not only is he very angry, which is when people make mistakes, he does it for his family, not himself. The whole "Don't steal food ever" might just be Remy's new pride as an artist, or even a direct rejection of his rat lineage.

[@hogfather22]

Even if Gusteau is in Remy's head, that doesn't really explain why Cannelloni gave him the same message.

[@needmeachillplaylistforstu3495]

"direct rejection of his rat lineage" is such a fuckin bomb ass line. it feels so powerful for some reason.

[@kevinhixson1586]

@@hogfather22 my guess is fear of punishment.

[@pedroscoponi4905]

You are not incorrect in-fiction, but that doesn't change the _message_ very much. Sure, he's a figment of Remy's imagination, but he's a figment that's constantly delivering the "wisdom" of the story when Remy is demotivated or wrong. The audience is supposed to believe the things he says are "good" and "right", I think, so it's definitely worth scrutinizing.

[@grac.e.s7845]

Oh my gosh I just saw this! I completely agree

[@bexthewitch87]

My HS was very mixed with rich and poor kids. As someone in the "poor kid" side of things, there were classes, activities, and opportunities I was kept from because of my situation. And I had it good in comparison! This hit home....

[@Hikikoii]

Same here. We had these trips to Europe the language kids could take, but only few could afford it, AND prom tickets were almost $200

[@heatweve]

same. i went to a private institution with a fellowship in middle and high school, which in my country means a much higher chance of entering college. all of the the intro and especially the part about not belonging to those places and being a scavenger really resonates with my experience.

[@genera1013]

My school was like that. All the poor kids lived on the street somehow(l always found that funny). Our yearbooks were $70 at the beginning of the year, and increased in price as the year went on. My parents saved up so I could at least have a class ring. I only got the basic stuff, but it's one of my prized possessions for that very reason.

[@bmaze944]

@@Hikikoii that's insane that prom was so expensive. My high school was the same as the original person described but prom was free because pta moms baked and sold cookies to students all year. They knew prom was too expensive for half the school so selling cookies was the workaround.

[@cockycookie1]

So you're telling me you didn't get those things for free...Wow Your school system sucks

[@Moss_Dude]

1 thing about the stealing food part: Ghosteau wasn't an outside entity, he's Remy's conscious/inner voice. That wasn't someone telling Remy stealing is wrong no matter what. that was Remy himself saying that. He was trying to give himself his own moral standards. I'm honestly surprised you missed the oh so popular line: "What can I do? I'm a figment of your imagination!"

[@manwhoismissingtwotoenails4777]

Wait people thought Ghosteau was an outside entity?

[@remyhavoc4463]

@@birdsareasocialconstruct5083 yup Just because Ghosteau was a ghost doesn't really mean the movie didn't want the audience to take his advice as... Not advice. Idk how to word it

[@phastinemoon]

@@remyhavoc4463 obligatory. That’s the word.

[@rawskatefilmz]

It makes sense that Remi’s conscience scolds him for stealing food. After all, he’s half human by nature, and his experiences with humans have ingrained in his head that there are bad consequences for stealing. What is missed in this review is that eventually Linguini accepts that Remi wasn’t wrong for stealing food. Linguini has to see for himself that he was wrong for not providing Remi with the recognition and necessities that Remi deserves. By the end of the film, Linguini accepts this and it appears Remi and his family can take as much food from the kitchen as they want. Therefore, the movie eventually settles on the idea that the rats “stealing” food is morally okay, but that the rats could not overcome that moral obstacle without help from humans.

[@grahamreece519]

I think the issue here is that the moral is still presented as correct and never challenged. For instance, Remy and his dad clash about this very opinion; Remy thinks rats like himself are capable of acquiring a higher position in life, while his father insists that the good of the entire family usurps whatever moral there is about stealing from a group who would instantly try to kill any of them anyways. The thing is, neither of them are wrong. Remy IS capable of achieving his artistic dream as we see in the movie, as well as changing the way this particular rat system works, but I think we can also agree with his father that stealing was not unethical. The problem is, Remy's father goes through a character arc that turns him around and makes him realize Remy was right all along about his dream. But Remy does not have the same arc towards his father. The closest we get is him letting his family steal from the pantry, but this is painted as morally abhorrent, achieving the exact opposite effect. As far as the film is concerned, the arguments of his father are never legitimized, and Remy is shown to be completely moral in their debate as it has to do with stealing. Thus, the movie itself is pressing this narrative that stealing is always wrong, not just Remy as a character.

[@U.Inferno]

"In order to become great, he has to cross a boundary" "Saffron would make this!" Ohhh... It makes sense. Saffron is one of the most expensive substances by weight.

[@Roadent1241]

I didn't realise Saffron (which is a flower I think?) was an edible thing. I know herbs and spices are edible but...?

[@tomemeornottomeme1864]

@@Roadent1241 People eat flowers all the time

[@U.Inferno]

@@Roadent1241 Beyond the literal blossoms people eat like hibiscus and dandelion, in addition all Fruits are typically Flowers as well. Once a flower is pollinated it develops into a fruit.

[@Roadent1241]

@@tomemeornottomeme1864 I didn't realise.

[@Roadent1241]

@@U.Inferno Not sure why you edited that (because you assumed gender, not that I would have been offended? XD) but huh, OK then. Must have missed that in biology class yonks ago.

[@xRaiofSunshine]

Saying stealing food is wrong really, REALLY rubs me the wrong way when baby food is among the most stolen food item in the US :’)))))

[@jellybean1528]

Isnt it more sad that parents cant afford food for their babies?

[@rickeydart3040]

@@jellybean1528 That is the basis of this moral dilemma.

[@noheroespublishing1907]

The fact that stores intentionally pour oil, gas, or anything that makes their garbage uneatable, as they are in it to turn a profit, not to feed people, food is a product, not a thing based on need, it is just disgusting both morally, ethically, and even from a societal prospect.

[@imranyacob5521]

@@noheroespublishing1907 i doubt that's true. if the intention is to maximize profit, they can just keep the food and sell it later or sell it at a discount rather than wasting more money on oil, and gas to make it uneatable. the reason to make their garbage uneatable is most likely pest related. rodent, cockroach, and rats will build nests near food sources. if they did nothing, an infestation is expensive to remove. so please think before being unnecessary "disgusted".

[@BlueRoseFaery]

​@@imranyacob5521 You're really just showing you've never worked a job like that (or maybe don't live in the US). I've worked retail at a few different stores in the US (non-food items) & anytime there was a product that didn't sell fast enough, they'd clearance it yeah, but after a week or so on clearance if it didn't sell, our managers were ordered by corporate to take it off shelves & destroy it before trashing it. Taking box knives to shoes to literally cut them in half so poor people can't dumpster dive for shoes. Cutting socks in half lengthwise to render them fully unwearable, companies demanding their logos to be cut out of shirts or other clothes and sent back. Friends who have worked at Walmarts & Targets talk about pouring laundry detergent (damaged in store or customer returns, so not costing the company anything) or similar over any food items, not because of pests but Specifically so people can't eat them (they pay money for professional pest treatment) Friends who work at restaurants have talked about managers pouring dirty dishwater (not a pest deterrent, just a human one) over leftovers. So no, it Is disgusting.

[@spraylansquivvens7338]

Regarding Skinner, I've had this theory for awhile about how he got to where he was when the movie. Once Gusteau died and the restaurant began having financial trouble, it's not hard to imagine Skinner, desperate for his friend's legacy to remain open, decided "Okay, I'll license Gusteau's name for a little while to keep things afloat." The Gusteau frozen food line is a hit, and suddenly Skinner is succeeding beyond anything he had experienced while working as his friend's right hand man. Capitalism is rewarding him for frozen slop far beyond anything his own talents could conjure. And we know he was talented! He was the sous to a guy people argued was the greatest chef in Paris. We also know he was close to Gusteau ("yes but, please, with dignity"). I truly do think Skinner's path to treading on his friend's name to sell garbage was one of desperation that lead to success.

[@effeffiagonalick5078]

"Stealing is wrong!" says the class that steals the wages of those beneath them in order to further their own positions in life.

[@idlethoughts]

Right? I hate it when people say that the rich are nice when they're being nice just to use us. I worked at a bookstore and the president came and everyone was saying he was nice. But if he really was nice, he would've given more money when you work harder than usual, but that's not the case

[@idlethoughts]

@@bigfatfish4148 I did, but there are days where you work harder than usual and the manager or the CEO himself acknowledges that, but still refuses to pay well. I hate working, it's very soul sucking

[@idlethoughts]

@@bigfatfish4148 work longer? I don't think so, I wouldn't sacrifice my time for a job that are being nice only for me to work harder

[@idlethoughts]

@@bigfatfish4148 Yeah, it's not really meaningful, it's a retail job. I won't do it again though, I guess. Some jobs are just not worth your time.

[@theaterpsycho8885]

@@bigfatfish4148 “Meaningful” Really? These are the people who serve others for a minimum wage. Without those, the economy would crumble. Retail workers are some of the most important ones in our system, they shouldn’t have to fight for basic survival.

[@Whom_]

This video: how poor people are crippled by rich higher ups and capitalism only benefits the rich Me: “haha, that rat can cook”

[@Tea-gh8cu]

@@ameya5054 EXACTLY

[@blakebell8533]

@@ameya5054 Can't deny that it benefits the rich the most

[@kdog__]

@@ameya5054 it is also stupid to say that it doesn't mostly help the rich. It's all about putting others down to make more money. That is literally what capitalism is.

[@YellowJelly13]

@@kdog__ "It's all about putting others down" This is false. Poverty has decreased from 90% in 1800 to less than 10% today in capitalist countries. Capitalism has been the most effective system at reducing poverty at the moment, and is doing so faster than ever before.

[@nzuckman]

@@YellowJelly13 profit is literally the unpaid wages of workers.

[@Boreality_]

“Ask for work. If they don't give you work, ask for bread. If they do not give you work or bread, then take bread.” ― Emma Goldman, Anarchism and Other Essays personally I'd short it to just "Take bread" but yes

[@lukrecja_blaq]

I agree wholeheartedly but your schlatt profile pic is just making this funny when you're saying that

[@blocks4857]

Stealing another mans property is still bad

[@a_loyal_kiwi88]

@@blocks4857 that's very debatable.

[@iheartblock3792]

@@blocks4857 stealing from corporations is moral good

[@blocks4857]

@@iheartblock3792 corporations backed by the state?

[@inidia556]

as a poor med student whose friends are mostly rich kids with parents who are famous doctors in our city, the beginning of this hit hard. my family having no medical background also makes finding equipments or resources to study harder, and I sometimes rely on my friends for that. I always feel like I have to be the smartest because I have nothing else to offer them. there have certainly been academic or social events I couldn't go to because of financial reasons. fitting in is hard, even though individually my friends are wonderful people, it's obvious that class difference can sometimes be a barrier. it can get frustrating because I know my family expects a lot from me, and connections with those friends would certainly be important. i often feel out of place and it's hard because that doesn't just feel bad personally (which I can deal with just fine), I also feel like I'm failing my responsibility to my family and wasting away great opportunities because I can't afford the "investment" (also some social anxiety that isn't properly helped because of our financial situation but I won't get to that). it's just hard sometimes, and when I see my friends whose parents figured those things out for them, it feels a little harder. and I *know* that I'm more fortunate than many others. huh. don't know where all that came from. in my defense, we're starting clinical years and rotations in hospitals next month in the middle of a pandemic. cheers, fellow scavengers.

[@The_Sin_Squad]

Oh man, reading this comment really threw me back into college. Especially the "failing my responsibility to my family and wasting away great opportunities" part. I remember how guilty I felt all the time because I knew my family was fighting so hard to keep me at school, but keeping up with everyone was such an uphill battle. It was SO frustrating that some kids could just...take unpaid internships, or focus on schoolwork without having to worry about money/a campus job. I felt so fortunate to have been given access to such rich facilities, but yeah...it was freaking exHAUSTING and I was miserable most of the time. I'm so sorry you're dealing with the weight of everything you described, and that you have to start hospital rotations soon!! I'll be rooting for you...I hope things will turn around soon

[@inidia556]

@@The_Sin_Squad I came here to delete this comment because I thought it was too personal and noone cares lol but I read your reply instead. thanks for sharing your story, I know I'm not alone but the reminder is always nice. fortunately (in a rather bad way), the guilt was my main fuel for studying like crazy that turned out well for me (in one way, and maybe not so well in another) because many friends I have now started out with them asking for help with exams or studying together. a particular friend group has helped so much with my studies. some "unfair advantages" that kids with influential parents get have been extended to me by being in that group. it's an interesting position to be in, because I feel like have to "earn" my place in that circle (I go back and forth. we're really close and they've shown me that they genuinely care many times, but I still feel like I have to bring something to the table) and thank you, I'm doing well I think. all things considered. hospital rotations in the middle of a pandemic is going to be something else though, for sure. but thank you for the kind words!

[@inidia556]

@@The_Sin_Squad love your channel, by the way. found it through the monster university video (which I also really liked. I loved the movie as a middle schooler and related *hard* to Mike. you're really good at analzing media and explaining them clearly!). I hope your channel gets the attention it deserves, keep up the great work! also it's over 1 pm here, we are well into 2021 but happy new year!

[@morat3138]

Good luck ❤️

[@christinar379]

the world needs physicians that come from less than "elite" backgrounds. you sound so hard-working, intelligent and empathetic. best of luck with your studies and your rotation, I'm sure you'll be an amazing doctor!

[@TheSinisterPorpoise1]

If I may offer some criticism on your criticism, unintentionally or not, Ratatouille is also showing us how we internalize societal messages about ourselves. Remy has some internalized mustophobia because rats are filthy, dirty thieves, but he sees himself as above his kin who are forced to steal to survive. In some sense, they've given up hope, have accepted the society as it is, and don't aspire to make their situation any better. Remy could be seen as a class traitor if you want to take that metaphor, but the ghost of Gusteau merely represents his conscience. In order for Remy to be better which you see as rising above his class -- he can't steal from those whom he aspires to be -- even though those same people have screwed him over. It's also telling at the end -- and indeed carries the glass ceiling metaphor farther -- that he's allowed to go to a certain point and no farther. He can't join the world of the humans, but he can emulate them. Perhaps the movie is trying to say change is imperfect and gradual, or perhaps we're seeing a tale of self-acceptance of Remy as a rat. I'm not sure either way. But perhaps because it's set in France, the makers of the film wanted to not deal with the well-known harsh penalties of stealing bread and the comparatively light penalties of kidnapping. For further reference, ask Mister Jean Valjean. Still better than Flushed Away though...

[@spiralysts]

i like this take, it reminds me of how often most of society thinks all their problems will be fixed by being upper middle class. in a way then shaming those in their own class

[@xRavenKittiex]

@@spiralysts at my school, i was bullied for being poor, but even the kids of higher class would bully eachother cuz one had the most expensive thing than the other

[@homosexualitymydearwatson4109]

At the end he also carries his rat family out of poverty and gives them all jobs and a purpose.

[@barcoscatalina7067]

I was looking for a comment like this, i totally agree with you on this!

[@hollygarfield123]

i think this metaphor falls apart when you actually think of literal rats and how the movie decided to make poor people represented by them. it’s the same mistake made in zootopia to talk about prejudices, rats really do carry diseases and destroy buildings and steal food, and predators really did eat prey, so you can’t fault the upper class for not wanting rats in the kitchen or prey for being afraid of predators. furthermore, to say that this movie represents change as imperfect and gradual i think is incorrect, this change is nominal and meant to placate people without actually giving them the equality they deserve. poor people aren’t rats, but they made them rats so that we wouldn’t question why they still aren’t allowed in civilized society. we do this all the time. when black people riot about police brutality and the prison industrial complex, the only change we see is finally charging one officer and the dixie chicks changing their name to “the chicks”, things that have absolutely no long term impact (not to mention make a mockery of what they actually wanted and make people who disagree with the movement think they’re just whining and getting upset at these tiny little things that don’t hurt anyone instead of acknowledging the change they’re actually fighting for) and don’t do anything to help the people who’s fathers and mothers and brothers and cousins are dead because society deems them rats. and they can sit at the restaurants if they don’t let anyone see them and even be the cooks if they renounce and degrade their people but that doesn’t solve the issue that they were never rats to begin with

[@lelandbecker3233]

one thing I'd like to mention is that Remy himself has not too distant ancestry (probably his mother) that wouldn't have had to struggle for food, and I know this because of his fur. see blue rats do exist. they aren't as vibrant as Remy (more of a grayish-blue) but they where selectively bred as pets. wild rats only exist in shades of brown and black, just like we see the rest of the colony. this means that one of Remy's close relatives was a pet who was abandoned. do with that information what you will

[@siofrarafferty3821]

wow! thanks for sharing that’s such a great detail

[@nabieladrian]

For a cartoon about food, this is getting spicy.

[@TennelleFlowers]

Amazing analysis and breakdown! You keep getting better and better at this! As much as I loved certain elements of this film, like Ego and Charlotte, it never really sat well with me in terms of it’s story and themes, and this is a great essay explaining why. It feels like the more cynical side of Brad Bird’s “special people” narrative that he’s obsessed with peeking through before it really starts to get bad in his movies after this.

[@The_Sin_Squad]

THANK YOU TENNELLE!!!

[@dragoniraflameblade]

Same here!

[@xRaiofSunshine]

@@The_Sin_Squad Oof, don’t get me started on the Incredibles and their messages about innate talent >_>

[@iPitafish]

​@@The_Sin_Squad Remy dismissing Colette's talent in favor of his inherent gifts reminds me a lot of the scene in Amadeus where Mozart argues that he doesn't have to compete to be a royal's music tutor and should instead be the de facto pick for the position because he's "the best." There's an arrogance in both of these characters that says, because they're considered prodigies or geniuses in their fields, that makes them inherently better than their peers. And that's bothersome. While a person can take to certain skill sets more quickly than others, there's so much benefit from receiving feedback and sometimes leaning on the help of their peers.

[@nickfish2759]

@@iPitafish he doesn't ignore her talent, though. Remy takes Collette's cooking advice. He disagrees with her on the grounds of "following/not following the recipe". I also don't read Remy being a natural talent, other than having a great sense of smell

[@Gamemaster13000]

In ghost Gusteao's defense, he's a figment of Remi's imagination. Ghost Gusteao's moral preaching is a reflection of how Remi feels. "Gotta eat to live, got to steal to eat" but Remi doesn't want to fulfill the stereotype that he's just a thieving rat. In his mind, taking food invalidates the perception of himself as a real cook and the movie reinforces that belief everytime he forgets that moral. To me, this mixed message reflects the long last effect of negative stereotypes against the poor.

[@dkecskes2199]

The big difference between Remy and Al is that the food Al would be stealing is fresh and safe for consumption. Whereas a lot of Remy's (and the other rats) findings are usually rotten enough to hurt them, or just straight up poisoned enough to kill them. So yeah, Remy will have a lot more hesitancy to stolen food than Al.

[@citron9628]

As a french person, I wanted to add a little tidbit to your comment regarding Anton Ego ( 10:00 ), about whether or not he came from poverty, and his personal socioeconomic ascension! As depicted in the film, Ego's childhood was spent in rural France. France is separated into two 'parts'- the Capital, Paris, and anywhere that isn't the capital, from large cities to small villages, which is condescendingly referred to as 'the Province'. As you can assume from my wording, Parisians heavily look down on anyone who isn't from Paris, itself. 'Provincials' are considered backwards and inconsequential, even more so in the case of those who come from small villages, like Ego did. While he doesn't seem to come from immense wealth, he could be anything from poor to vaguely middle class. To the French audience, Anton Ego is a Provincial who moved up to Paris, and who probably faced his own share of struggles and disdain before he succeeded there. As a side note, calling ratatouille (the dish) a 'peasant dish' felt strange to me, when I heard the original english voice over. 'Peasant' doesn't feel right so much as 'rustic' or 'traditional' would- it isn't uncommon to find ratatouille in traditional gourmet restaurants and bistrots over here, though it would definitely be dressed up nicely... However, Gusteau's restaurant is (was) a 5 star haute cuisine establishment, so of course something as pedestrian, and even provincial, as ratatouille would raise a brow or two. With that being said, if this Paris vs. 'Province' concept was considered by the filmmakers, it's entirely understandable that an issue that's intrinsically French would be broadened to be understood by an American (and later international) audience.

[@killjinxx]

thank u for writing this I enjoyed it very much

[@pastelcardigan]

Thanks sm for sharing this!

[@jessical4866]

Would it be correct to assume that this attitude is also why Belle sings “I want much more than this provincial life” in Beauty and the Beast?

[@sarasarahsahra]

I know I'm late to the party but i had to comment: this is such a premium comment: informative, pleasant to read, interesting! I've spent the day reading a lot of hateful comments on an other video, so I'm glad that there are still sane people on the internet :)

[@hydrolur3959]

The gusteau part makes a lot more sense when it’s in the context that it’s a part of Remy’s mind. He is telling himself stealing makes him a bad person, because that is what he’s trying to leave, not embrace. He wants to remember his roots, but not relive them.

[@bookshop7337]

"And bread. Let's take a lot of bread from this film." So you could say.... we're doing a Conquest of Bread?

[@cedricwublin9306]

Yes... Yes... YESSS!!! *Kropotkin noises*

[@TheOobo]

SEIZE THE MEANS OF BAKING!

[@alexk7880]

Despite communism kills

[@dragos4439]

i came to the comment section to say this, but knew in my heart that it has already been said.

[@The_Jovian]

Yes comrade o7

[@teapillarVA]

It might be an uncomfortable thing to think about, but as I got older I started to realize that throughout a lot of the film, Remy does his best to distance himself from his rat family in order to work with Linguini and pull his cooking dream closer to himself. He argues with his father over whether being a rat is a good thing, he walks on two legs and refuses to steal even if that means starving himself (I refuse to believe Ghost Gusteau was real and not just Remy's inner voice telling him to stop being a typical rat). Its all remarkably similar to the way some marginalized individuals will try to put distance between themselves and their group. "Oh I'm not like those other girls", but instead with rats. Thankfully Remy's rat roots are reconciled by the end of the film and he embraces his heritage, so it does have its payoff, but for the first half of the movie when Remy does nothing but show disgust at his own family, it can be super uncomfortable. Maybe it was an intentional look at the way social classes perceive *themselves* and why its designed to keep the lower class down? Idk, but maybe it answers a few questions? Perhaps something that could have wrapped this concept up nicely is if the Ratatouille dish Remy makes for Ego was connected to something in his own life as a rat?

[@snailsrslow625]

I too noticed this throughout the film. It's a conflicting, bitter, isolating thing; speaking from experience. And don't worry, it was explicitly stated that ghost Gusteau was Remy's conscience/figment of his imagination.

[@miche8868]

I still think the movie is optimistic. The situation at the end - any rat-human alliance at all - seemed UNIMAGINABLE at the beginning of the movie. It presented no change to the status quo but it presented hope for one.

[@sebasmusician736]

Nobody: Literally no one: Pixar: "As an artist you're only allow to eat when you create art for the status quo"

[@agstinacueva1673]

😂

[@NitrogenNO2]

pretty true to reality

[@frankwest5388]

I like to see it as: adapt to the status quo, but do everything to help yourself, without pulling others down

[@sebasmusician736]

@@frankwest5388 that's a good mentality as an individual artist but when companies, like pixar and disney, try to use that idea as an aesthetic then that's dangerous bc they want you to not challenge them

[@frankwest5388]

Sebas Musician yeah almost every good moral in stories is either hypocritical or just shallow, if it’s said and brought by faceless cooperations. But if you really want to go there in this specific example. We have a “Disney” in the film. As in a big faceless status quo operator that refuses to adapt. The bad guy that is. Which could be Disney saying that while old systems are fine, sometimes bad actors ruing things for everyone. In which case you need to get rid of them, by legal means if necessary. Just beware, those old people are petty and will try to take revenge.

[@christaelliottvo3678]

Addressing Ratatouille's stance on stealing: It's important to remember that ghost Gusteau is a figment of Remy's imagination. Thus, when Gusteau tells Remy not to steal, it's really Remy berating/shaming himself for doing what he needs to do to survive. I think it's a reflection of the fact that when a poor person steals out of necessity, it isn't because they are morally inferior. They know that it's wrong and have to live with the shame to survive.

[@RainbowLizardOne]

I don't think an anticapitalist text necessarily requires an absolute revolution or a perfect happy ending where the status quo is defeated - because often, that's just not realistic for the scope of the work. One small group can't easily topple a whole system the size of a whole society. Besides that, I think acting like the film sees the treatment of Remy at the end as entirely fair or an ideal is somewhat misguided - while it's certainly an improvement over what was there before, I think the fact that Gusteau's gets shut down shows it in a very much bittersweet light. Revolutionary texts are nice, but sometimes just finding freedom from the oppression of a system and small victories within it (without ignoring the unfairness inherent to it) is enough, and those sorts of narratives are equally important to have IMO.

[@oof-rr5nf]

great point!

[@hotea9755]

Love this take!

[@mirandak7242]

Wow, good point!

[@TheRedowl101]

This, so much, bro I'm poor the dream is to get there, telling me it's bad conformity to be happy because I created it within the same system and I'm an artist and not a politician pushing for a whole system change, is kinda mean.

[@TCt83067695]

Hmmmm, I dunno. Sounds like incrementalism to me and in the words of Ron Placone, there's nothing pragmatic about incremental solutions to catastrophic problems.

[@ricekrispies1917]

Considering rat live spans only last up to 2 years, I think Remy did pretty alright

[@Alizudo]

wtf that's absurdly short. I would have expected at least 5, if not up to a decade.

[@pinkymermaid9967]

If he died, I wish he would reincarnate as their son.

[@liltaco4119]

@@Alizudo rats do live surrounded by trash and around bacteria and disease so...

[@Alizudo]

@@liltaco4119 They also clean themselves, and are _resistant_ to the diseases they carry. Rats give fleas The Plague (which give it to people) because the rats live long enough to do so.

[@liltaco4119]

@@Alizudo then i guess 2 years is just they're natural lifespan

[@smallturtle5449]

I always thought that the end message of this film was about contentedness. Remmy doesn’t become a famous chef like Gusteau, but then again he never really wanted that, he just wanted to cook. He doesn’t work for or at Gusteau’s, but instead starts his own little bistro. It’s not a fancy upscale place, but it’s his, and he’s content. And as long as he’s happy with what he has, I say that’s a good way to end things. As Remmy says, “change is nature” and in nature things evolve slowly. It’s a lot for just one little rat to challenge and overtake an entire capitalist system, but he’s making small steps to improve things and make change, and I think that’s a good way to leave things. Oh, by the way, your Intro is AWESOME. The cut to the title after your friend makes the point, and the quote’s connection to the video’s theme gives the viewer a nice “aha” moment. Good work!

[@LifeUntilLove]

I find it weird that so many left-leaning takes on films end up chastising them for not have a revolution that completely overthrows the status quo as the ending. Successful revolutions are rare and they don't happen because one special group of people single-handedly change the world. It would have felt kind of cheap if everyone radically altered their views on rats and food just because one rat (to them) was exceptional. Media aimed at children is often criticized for having these kind of magical changes of heart for singular villains, let alone a whole society. Change is hard and usually slow. You can have a movie end where the characters have just made their corner of the world a bit better without that being the filmmakers saying 'be happy with your bad lot in life.' Just my thoughts.

[@frankwest5388]

Real social change doesn’t happen in an easy to see way. Which is why revolution is not that useful for it. Usually it happens in the background and only in retrospect will people even notice a difference.

[@Zerox_Z21]

Ooh I agree with this here! Nice take. I do think a problem is present, though, because these takes all agree with the story and themes the film tells us: that the hierarchy is unfair and arbitrary. Being told this through the whole film and then characters giving the impression at the end that they are satisfied because they got theirs, can feel a bit weird and contrary. Even though equally what you say is true, a sudden human/rat shared utopia would be asking too much and feel dissapointingly cheap to be glossed over within a couple of minutes when it took the whole film runtime for two humans to accept one rat that strived way beyond what was, frankly, reasonable. I don't know what a good solution is to this problem, though. A throwaway line of dialogue implying more to come, or that this is progress but more would be nice? Maybe just the acknowledgement would be nice. But equally maybe you're trying to portray your ending to give a particular feeling, and want to leave that assumption of a better tomorrow as an assumption and not mess up your fancy ending diatribe, which is fair too. Personally I'm usually happy assuming as much, I think the film is trying to tell it's own story using the rats as a medium rather than it devolving and being sidetracked into something unintended. Admittedly, the overt anti-theft tones against Remy trying to survive and/or feed his starving family don't help by drawing light to this problem with the film's internal logic. I definitely remember feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the implications and reactions thereof. I really, REALLY don't think it helps that in the universe of ratatouille, the sapience of the rats next to life-life humans makes the humans suddenly, on the whole, irrational, cruel and sadistic mass murderers at the very LEAST. Definitely a problem for the former discussion.

[@Canadish]

100% correct. Real, long-lasting change comes slowly and steady. The message is clearly that a first big step has been taken. It's a realistic message about healthy growth and change. Total and sudden societal change is juvenile power fantasy, because it's more immediately satisfying. It doesnt work and leads to snap back. People dont read their history books.

[@lucascurio8345]

@@Canadish I have a question: should change be slow and steady? If your a poor person who can’t afford food does it matter to you that one other family of poor people are better of. Do you think to yourself at least some change is happening. No. You think I need change now. So it’s inherently prejudicial and hierarchy reinforcing when people state that lasting change is slow. Lasting change in our society today is only slow because the people in power want nothing more than to keep it and slow all process to make the world more fair. And as a counter point to the idea revolutions aren’t effective at long lasting social change look at the French Revolution which was integral to the inshrining of the rights of everyday people and substanchoully changed lives quickly and long lastingly. If you take Remmy’s new role at the end of the film as an example of “healthy growth” in society my friend you must have incredibly high standards for “healthy growth” the rights of people can be changed faster and effect more people than one talented persons overcoming of the status quo. For the persecuted to rely on the talented amoung them to bring social is frankly unrealistic with the talented acting as a token exception to the rules and no society wide change being implemented by the people in power because they always have a token to point at and state “see the system is fine one rat can make it they all can”

[@Canadish]

@@lucascurio8345 In respect of the rat movie, the allegory and plot isn't really built for this level of scrutiny I think, after a point it's just meant to be a feel good film and rat revolution would feel weird and unrealistic for the tone set 😅 On what we're talking about though, while the ideals of the French Revolution were taken forward much later, it's also worth remembering that the far left (of the day) pushed so far, things snapped VERY hard right as a result right after, birthing Napoleon's reign and our more modern understanding of fascism and dictators. And that was probably the most successful example of a revolution. Look at every communist revolution, nearly 100% ended up with a dictator and we get another entry on the list of 'well that wasnt REAL communism...'. Even Haiti, probably the most clear cut justified case for violent, sudden change led to a shitty military dictatorship and years of suffering for it's people. There are a LOT of factors that also added to these situations, but all those factors were influenced by the fact the change was sudden and violent so I feel that only explains my point. Some good may come from a reexamination of the ideals behind violent change much later (and that's a big maybe), but a LOT of people suffer and die needlessly and he children of the oppressed ultimately pay for their forebears impatience. People mistake this approach for somehow trying to stop change rather than supporting real embedded cultural change. People need time to adjust and reach conclusions, you can't enforce ideals without being turning into what you oppose. You're just taking over the reigns and people will always fight back against a bully like that.

[@finch8703]

Why is no one talking about them calling Linguini other pasta names askfksja

[@candicecabezas7786]

I KNOW. it actually made me giggle for a bit.

[@flutterg1035]

Right lmao

[@cookiesyruplover]

The fact the joke kept going, as if there was nothing off, really makes it *chefs kiss*

[@TheXandraPanda]

It's so great I love it

[@chailatte8559]

Oh i thought i was hearing it wrong

[@TheMightyPika]

Something I like a lot about Ratatouille and Pixar in general is how they don't lie to you. There's no grand "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING" attitude that fucked a lot of us GenX-ers over. Life is hard. It's awful, even. And the art world is especially brutal. This is a soft blow of reality that people need to be aware of.

[@gabriela8818]

that’s interesting, i’ve always thought of pixar films in the opposite way. especially when Gusteau said to Remy that „anyone can cook” which for me was a metaphor for the fact that no matter were you come from, what’s your background etc. you CAN do anything. and yes, life can be pretty shitty but again if we look for example at „soul”, there’s always beauty in all of this mess around us, with pain at some point comes happiness and this is simply just a part of having a human experience on this planet. pixar’s movie always gave me a lot of hope tbh

[@strider117aldo9]

Wut?

[@firefancy9928]

I felt like "food" was a metaphor for "art." Don't steal art from others, create your own art. Gusteau and Remy are people who take risks with art. The Skinner, Ego in the beginning, and Remy's dad are all metaphors for rigid and strict artists who hold onto copyrights and brands like a lifeline, old fashioned artists or the starving artist who are barely able to get by, and the art elite and art gate keeping. Linguine could "never be a true artist" in the eyes of the other chefs, and he doesn't believe himself to be cut out to be an artist. Charlotte has to fight an uphill battle to have her art be taken seriously. It makes commentary on artists who break the status quo, who take risks, and are creative. It's art that might not appeal to everyone. It's art that has a lot to say, and it needs to be art made from you; you can't steal other's art because that's not your voice. The movie also negatively frames those who monopolize art for cheap profit, because you're trying to appeal to everyone, to sell as much as possible, hurting the economy by reducing the price/demand for other art overall.

[@Silburific]

I get how you can see it like that, but if that was what the filmmakers were intending, that's a terrible metaphor. Art is not necessary for survival (and I say this as an artist). Food is. Taking someones' intellectual property and claiming it as your own because you're lazy, or creatively bankrupt, or just young and stupid is in no way comprable to taking someone's sandwich because you haven't eaten in days. Not to mention, recreating other peoples' food is an aspect of every culture. Family recipies, celebrity cookbooks, the popularity of cooking chanels on youtube; post a picture of someone elses' recipie you cooked on social media, and it's celebrated. Post a picture of someone elses' art you traced, and you're vilified as a thief, because aside from the subset of people who work in the food industry, most people realize these things are not the same. I understand that you're just talking about the nature of creativity, but it's just such a "yikes" metaphor, almost like comparing a marginalized class... with... rats...

[@starandfox601]

@@Silburific art is nesscary when you are a artist that relies on art to make money. Someone stealing art from an artist can be comparable cuase it's take money away from the artist that they need to buy food.

[@lunab541]

@@starandfox601 but then the metaphor falls flat again, because in the film, the thief is the one desperately in need, and the thing stolen is small and worthless for the owner. So it doesn't work if you want to sell the idea that stealing is taking away someone's earnings

[@BeccaMoses]

i don’t disagree, but food is also still. food? the points still stand and are important i think bc the movie is About Food, even while it is also About Art

[@barcoscatalina7067]

I really like your point of view

[@daniellecathreenmallare2354]

plus the fact that collette was never rewarded for her hard work,, she still has to shine under someone like her character doesnt change

[@aquadrious]

wdym? she gets to co-found a restaurant with her husband and be an integral part of the kitchen. she made it. she's not a line chef. she's not working for someone else. it's her job now. that's what she wanted -- to break into the industry, even when it seemed impossible.

[@neilcaezar306]

@@aquadrious exactly ^^^

[@DarkBlueCat4]

"I was the poor kid at a rich kids school" *starts playing ouran host club op music*

[@crystalfairy912]

KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE

[@LadyBug_Luck]

i always liked that colette says that they're not cooking like "mommy" or something like that, but the one thing that gets ego to like gusteau's again is the fact that the food tastes like his mother's

[@candicefrost4561]

There are some gender themes in the film too, although they are sort of in the background of the larger class metaphor.

[@_kaleido]

@@candicefrost4561 It’s messed up how pretty much every occupation considered to be a “woman’s thing” (like cooking, art, fashion, etc.) ends up being populated mostly by men anyway, once enough money and prestige is involved

[@garbagegorl1834]

Well, I think the stealing food thing works because it’s only humans who tell remy he can’t steal food. If you think of this with the metaphor, it makes sense. A lot of upper class people don’t realize how hard the lives of lower class people can be and what they have to do to survive. And I think the only reason that ghost Gusteau, aka Remy’s subconscious, scolds him for trying to take food is because Remy has internalized it as fact that stealing is wrong. It’s always a human who decides whether Remy gets to eat or not, it’s rarely Remy himself.

[@an8strengthkobold360]

Yes but gusto is framed as right in the narrative.

[@glistening7178]

@@an8strengthkobold360 How so? I mean I know how but how would you describe it?

[@xnaphothex-naut9996]

Honestly, I think Remmy’s whole feeling on “stealing is bad” is kinda mixed. It’s confusing. BUT. I don’t feel this way about that bread scene for this reason: Gusto is Remmy’s internal voice. And I think the anti-stealing mindset comes from his hatred of his culture. Similarly to how ambitious poor people resent poverty, Remmy feels the reason he can’t cook is because he is a rat. So, he views rat society as morally corrupt. This is profound, because a lot of marginalized people sometimes hate their own race, sexuality, or gender instead of the society that limits these identities. I’m basically saying Remmy is like Blair White.

[@junebug115]

i agree

[@siilverREAL]

maybe if blair was more like remy id actually like her

[@xnaphothex-naut9996]

@@siilverREAL facts

[@caitlyn1983]

i never thought i’d read anything like this thank you

[@monumentforthedead]

I believe that the ending of Ratatouille is not entirely optimistic, but rather grounded in reality. Remy doesn't end the movie with big plans about revolutionizing the status quo, he simply ends happy and with his dreams fulfilled, which was his goal after all. Revolutionary people are important in this world, but sometimes you just gotta settle to dig your little place in the world with the help of people from the same background as you. This in itself is already revolutionary

[@PrincessNinja007]

Revolution is also a young people's game. At some point you have your family duties and your bad hip and just don't have the energy. Even the ones who don't sell out entirely find themselves at an age where their new job is to raise the next generation of revolutionaries who can stand on your progress to fight a little better next time

[@ChestersonJack]

I completely agree

[@asgoritolinasgoritolino7708]

What are you even talking about? The movie never had a communist revolutionary message, stop being so biased and delusional.

[@ChestersonJack]

@@asgoritolinasgoritolino7708 What are *you* even talking about? No one mentioned or even implied communism. Do you think the word “revolution” implies the Communist Revolution specifically?

[@asgoritolinasgoritolino7708]

@@ChestersonJack Did you even read the title of this video?

[@RallyCheetah]

I do think you missed one point that does change the "theft is bad" message as bit and that's the fact that the image that follows Remy isn't actually "Ghost Gusteau." He even openly states he's a figment of Remy's imagination. So really Remy is saying "stealing is bad, never do it" to himself. He's not being told that by some wise spirit. It makes sense that this is part of Remy's moral code because he wants to be better. He wants to be chef. And chefs don't steal in Remy's mind. Also, as you pointed out, in just the scene before that he and the clan were forced to leave their home when he was caught stealing. So perhaps he feels that karma would strike again should he steal now, even though he is hungry.

[@STARMAN-it8zb]

Good point thanks for pointing this out!

[@meanyapickles]

To be fair, Ghost Gustea is confirmed a figment of Remy's imagination. Sometimes he is the voice of Remy's conscious, sometimes he is Remy's desire to cook, and sometimes he's just there to give Remy someone to talk to. It could be argued that Ghost Gustea telling Remy not to steal the bread is either Remy's conscious or maybe his insecurities thinking that stealing is wrong and "like a thief" which is a social position he wants to rise above, wrong or right.

[@TemariNaraannaschatz]

My take away with the movie is less of a "change the system" and a more sombre tone of "cheat the system". It is pretty much impossible for a person to change the system by themselves, but sometimes it's enough to cheat the system in a way that makes you get what you want. It is less big than changeing the entire system but it is also a more realistic take to get what you want in life. Vitamin B, aka being the chef's son will get you further than being a great cook alone. Being friends with a rich guy that supports you will get you your own restaurant, rather than your chance on your own. Being a secret chef will make you be able to be a chef in a world where it's not ok for you to be one. Those are all things that are highly realistic things for anybody trying for success to actually get success. It is closer to real human experience. Thinking of all the women that just published their stuff through their husbands to spread their work or people , gay men marrying gay women to have safe realationships or opening a buisiness in texas to get tuition there are all not breaking the system, but they do use tricks to make lives better because the system is unfair.

[@fixsationon7244]

Cyberpunk edgerunners flashbacks honestly

[@mainhalo117]

You aren’t “cheating capitalism” by developing and selling marketable products/skills lmao

[@sidneyjacques.]

"anyone can cook." was simply a metaphor that you can do anything regardless of who you are, where you come from, and/or how you're viewed by the majority. that alone resonates with people at any point in their life. ratatouille for me is the best pixar movie for reasons like these.

[@RoxasLov3r4Ev3r]

@vesper THANK YOUUUUU!!!! OH MY GOD!!! FINALLY!!!!Even as a CHILD that line bothered me so much. Why do people quote that so often when it's literally saying only intrinsically talented people deserve recognition and success?!?! It drives me CRAZY!!!!! I loathe that quote!!!!

[@thaliaayangla7492]

This felt like a thesis statement of an essay

[@eh-dk5sc]

that intro really spoke to me, as a kid who got a scholarship at a rich school, feeling ostracized for not being rich hurts a lot. I never really felt like i could completely relate to any of my friends there because their experiences weren't the same as mine. I feel so out of place but I feel like it would be a waste of resources to quit the school just because I feel like i dont "fit it", even though I don't have any problems with the students or teachers there. In fact, I love the school, all the classes are fun and engaging, I just feel like an alien sometimes because I wasn't born rich.

[@loreleiflare7388]

Okay, I needed to stop literally 52 seconds into the video to lose my mind gushing to my girlfriend at how good the opening was. Now I'm going to gush here, too. The algorithm must be fed. "Get in, take what you can, get out. Scavenge." I hear that repeated so often about so many different subjects to refer to the exact same position: Being poor (or a minority) in a hostile environment where you don't feel welcome. It's exactly the mindset I had to take while student teaching, which is a *much* less economically segregated career pursuit that still focuses *terrible* hostility on people with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds or identities. As a trans autistic girl with anxiety and a second job, I knew I wasn't welcome on a plain systemic level, and all I could do was try to keep up and take what I could from it. This is a perfect opener. Genuinely. Not only is it accurate and relatable, it immediately digs into the deepest problems with Ratatouille, and with Pixar and Brad Bird in general, better than any other opener could. Just about everyone who works at Pixar went to a school like CalArts or USC. They were all raised in the same environments where they were told they were special because they had parents who had time to read to them and buy them fancy art supplies and send them to a nice college. It infects the culture of "professional" animation. I *love* Brad Bird, but he is obsessed with the myth of the dominance of inborn talent, which, by the way, I can report as an education major has *massive* problems and does horrible things to kids' problem-solving abilities. "Oh, I'm already good at this. I don't need to practice." "I'm not good at this yet. It must not be for me." It's unhealthy. It often ends up encouraging privileged people to not examine their own privilege-rather than recognize the advantages they got in their work, they just assume they were more talented than the poor people. It's really bad for you and Pixar lived and breathed it for years. "If everyone's special, no one is." "Not everyone can [be an artist], but a great [artist] can come from anywhere." I ended up quitting student teaching, with three months to go to getting my degree. I couldn't keep up with it on top of my job, and in a culture of deeply toxic productivity, my mental health was spiraling. I got what I could and I got out. (Incidentally, I failed my first class in the last term: A course about being sensitive to learners with trauma or who had experienced prejudice. Meanwhile, a classmate of mine who had once expressed "disapproval" of my lifestyle choices passed that course. His ranch-owning family was paying his expenses. No, I'm not bitter.) This is a perfect opener. It's literally exactly how I would've wanted a video about Ratatouille to open. It's exactly the kind of tone-setter we needed. You could have done anything for the opener-an intro to poverty, a meaningful quote, some relevant news clip or interview line. You chose the perfect blend of relevant, biting and deeply relatable. I'm so excited to keep watching.

[@loreleiflare7388]

I also think that The Secret of NIMH makes *much* better use of the "thieving rats" allegory. In NIMH, yes, the rats struggle with the morality of theft. In fact, the villain even says, "Take what you can when you can!" just before being killed! However, this is used not in a poverty/class-mobility sense, but to examine what it means to understand right and wrong. The rats of NIMH don't even steal food anymore. They steal electricity. They don't *need* electricity, but now that they know how to use it, they want it. Only... they also now know that it's wrong to steal from the hard work of others. They know both how to use it and why they should generate it themselves. It's about original sin. Basically, NIMH succeeds where Ratatouille fails because NIMH is, well, more magical. Food theft is never questioned because the studio didn't find "is it okay to steal to survive" to be at all interesting as a question. Because it's not. Of course you can steal to survive brad you weird rich kid The question is more abstract in NIMH. It's not really about stealing. The rats could be committing any crime, after all. It's really about taking responsibility-either through risking your life for your child, or through ceasing to steal just because it's easy. It's about realizing you don't get to act like a kid who doesn't know any better anymore. Don Bluth's work doesn't often do too well in the "themes" department, but The Secret of NIMH still hits home for me. ok this was a tangent huh anyways good video I see you decided to focus on other themes than what I was expecting but I found it very interesting and very effective and compelling regardless!

[@thinthle]

I read this comment and was floored by how many similarities we share. I too opted out of teaching because I couldn't keep up in tempo, expenses and health.

[@loreleiflare7388]

@@thinthle Oh, gosh, hi! It's nice to hear from someone who went through the same kerfuffle. Seriously, what is *up* with the edTPA?

[@idd_cutie1274]

The mentality of it being morally reprehensible to eat on the job as a cook or a chef is very present in kitchens I feel, as having worked in one (as a dishie not a cook). So the idea of 'a cook makes, a thief takes' really seems like the mentality of some cooks that ive seen. You never can eat the food you prepare. Not even a nibble to make for yourself, or leftover scraps that would otherwise be thrown out. Ive even seen cooks frequently enough on reddit post in pride that the eat microwavable garbage while making high end cuisine.

[@lachlanstanding7386]

what happened to chefs? Why is it like, "oh, he's a chef, so of course he's going to drink, be abusive, self flagellating, paranoid, racist, sexist, sexually harass people, be standing over your bed when you wake up in the middle of the night just breathing really heavily or taking a shit on the bus, that's just how they are!"?

[@catelynh1020]

I worked at a subway for a few years and let me tell you, we were creative with our foodstuffs as long as we ate when no one was around (no customers to tend to or no pressing job) and we were not taking food that would otherwise have been sold. Take the party platters. We'd make the subs then cut them up. We were supposed to cut the ends off so each sandwich looked like the others. It was less than a half an inch, but 2 per sub and 4 subs meant it was suddenly a decent amount of food, especially if any meat or veggies got cut too. If the chicken breasts got too dried out, we could have them. Sometimes old bread and marinara sauce was available. Looking back on it now, it doesn't sound like that great a deal, but to a broke college student whose main diet was their free 6in sub per a 4 hour shift, it was a godsend. I can't imagine working in a restaurant, surrounded by food, yet unable to even have a little. Especially if it's food that would never get to a customer anyways

[@OriasRofocale]

You aren't allowed to eat while working because it's a health code violation. I mean, it still happens though in the lower end food places I've worked at. Lots of businesses think that if they let their employees take food for free, they lost a sale, but I wasn't going to buy it because I didn't have the money and was just looking to extend what I had with scraps. Some places did allow employees to take leftovers home. I had friends who would exploit their employer by calling in a big order and taking it home at the end of the night because they were allowed this kindness. He also liked to steal lobsters and tenderloin when he worked at the grocery store. He wasn't poor nor rich, it was just his hobby. He liked to see what he could get away with.

[@joemamma7254]

I’m a cook at a local reastraunt and the owner/head chef gives us one free meal a shift and whatever doesn’t fit onto a plate we can finish because it’d be wasteful not to

[@ImCarpet]

I never realized the fact that Ego grew up poor and eating the "peasant dish" reminded him of where he came from. That's seriously brilliant. This video made me respect Ratitoulllie so much more.

[@cristym6765]

This is such a hot take, I'm kinda reeling. Also, the way you called Linguine a different pasta name every time just killed me, 10/10. Great video!

[@Lee-ss8yj]

As a rat owner I can just say: These little beasts will steal the food out of your mouth if you don't press your lips together hard enough (I still love them tho)

[@r.j.penfold]

Oh yuck, no thanks! Lol, I've had my dogs do that on a couple occassions when I wasn't paying close enough attention. Those little shits are fed better than I am too.

[@myclutteredmess2271]

My older sibling had two rats and one would take food from me very daintily but the other (who we think had bad eyesight) would like attack They were good rats tho

[@Lee-ss8yj]

@@myclutteredmess2271 rats are awesome. Little gremlins. But awesome

[@thornels]

I think for the movie's anti-stealing philosophy, it would have been better to use the omelette scene where Pepperoni tells Remy he can't steal from the neighbour's garden. The Gusteau figment scenes, as pointed out by other commenters, is Remy talking to himself as opposed to the movie talking to Remy

[@raddaradda8682]

8:21 "The success of wealthy businessmen depends on their ability to keep people out of power. They slash social programs and cut wages to create systems where the poor can never advance past a certain rank. They build walls." This hit hard for one obvious reason, glad 2020 is finally over. Fantastic video btw

[@idlethoughts]

It's painfully true, I worked at a company and you can see how greedy they are. They mistakenly gave me 1200 bucks salary and after realizing it was a mistake, then they corrected it. It was wild, and there are days where you worked harder than usual, but still no increase in payment

[@olliestone5549]

@@idlethoughts Don't work harder, that's not how you get paid more. Make your higher ups think that you're valuable, that's how you get paid more. Those who work hard don't get more green paper, they get more work pushed into them by those who abuse them. Additionally, those who work harder than their fellow co-workers tend to be disliked by said co-workers. Working harder than them makes it seem as if they're not doing enough, and they do not like that. Office culture and office politics, an annoying thing to deal with.

[@user-N20]

Your decision to keep calling Tortellini different pasta names made my day.

[@Zophiekat]

"I finally understand what Gusteau meant, not anyone can cook, but a great cook can come from anywhere" -Anton Ego

[@IcyDiamond]

They’re making a Ratatouille musical on TikTok

[@soapthespookyghost5928]

Bruh

[@IcyDiamond]

@@soapthespookyghost5928 I’m not making this up

[@amyfitzgerald2131]

I love it so much lol! It started as a joke but now there's a group actually making it, it has a virtual premiere on Jan. 1st :D

[@IcyDiamond]

@@amyfitzgerald2131 the writer of the musical got to see the new Ratatouille ride at Epcot!

[@amyfitzgerald2131]

@@IcyDiamond No way! You love to see it lol

[@OmnipresentPotato]

I think ratatouille just portrays reality, without encouraging or discouraging anything. If you're poor and you're cat stealing, you will almost certainly be persecuted. If you are hated by society, there is almost no way you can "topple" the system; the only success you can find is as the movie portrayed it. Therefore, the movie shows a realistic ending that would be happy in this world, not in an ideal one.

[@octabodemes]

I study graphic design which is honestly what was the closest to art school i could ever get and ever since day one i've been told it's a rich people career. I live in México and honestly here it's even harder to be an artist so me and my friends basically live by your quote, take what you can get and leave.

[@idlethoughts]

I hope it gets better for you. Some of my friends had to work hard to get into something they want, but this one rich friend didnt have to work hard, even with average grade, he got into the major he wants just because of money

[@Nerium_Aquifolium]

Yo igual soy de México y la verdad es muy difícil y muy caro poder estudiar y vivir del arte aquí. Yo vivo en un lugar en donde afortunadamente hay una preparatoria técnica de arte y me metí ahí, pero es difícil porque es una escuela privada y necesito mantener varias becas para seguir estudiando ahí, la neta no sé si voy a poder estudiar en la universidad por cuestiones de dinero, tampoco. Espero que ambos podamos trabajar en lo que queremos al final, es un dolor de cabeza que espero valga la pena

[@catecrutch]

This was a great essay, I think the one thing you missed (which doesn't discount the ending of the film) is that the Gusteau who tells Remy "a cook makes, a thief takes" is a figment of Remy's imagination. So that scene is Remy choosing to punish himself for stealing, not necessarily the film telling us that stealing is wrong. It's Remy's conscience telling him he's a bad person, or no better than his family, if he steals.

[@catecrutch]

and not enough people mentioned it but the linguini/spaghetti/casserole was really good lmao

[@Lavie_Azure]

13:30 Gusteau's ghost represents Remy's moral compass. Even though it's not morally wrong to steal food for survival, Remy is conditioned to perceive it as so and wouldn't forgive himself for doing it, not because it's wrong, per se, but because it would put him back in a place he wants to move up from. It also taps upon the preconceived notion that the poor should act according to the expectations of the rich. The punishment for stealing food is the feedback of a higher class when a lower class decides to cross their line.

[@strawandberriesandcat6516]

Agreed!! Needed this comment!

[@saifeddinegharsallah]

agree

[@cedricwublin9306]

"Not everyone can cook, but a great cook can come from anywhere" is a rich liberal way of saying they're okay with _some_ poor people 'making it' in rich people culture (if they're lucky geniuses who are morally pure), but have no interest in acknowledging poor people culture or changing who has access to food and resources.

[@twinkiesmaster69]

I would like to have a different take, the sentence "anyone can X" has been always iffy for me as i am disabled The idea that i or any of the other people disabled people could just "do it" isnt something i support There are jobs that i Can't and will never be able to do, so saying that "you can't cook, but someone else can, whoever they are" sounds reasonable I admit, poor people have far too horrid of conditions ,told that they're bad just for BEING in these conditions, all disguised as "just" and "the way things are" and without acknowledgement of how these conditions effect poor people in the first place

[@expositiondump8320]

Well, I think the message is fine. If you can't cook, you can do something else. The world is full of horrible things that happen naturally. And if a person can make the world nicer to live in, then it doesn't matter that it came from a rat. Not everyone can make life worth living, but someone worth living for can come from anywhere.

[@mewt5358]

you must be fun at parties

[@cedricwublin9306]

@@twinkiesmaster69 That's a very valid point! I totally feel the same about the sentence "anyone can X". (Especially in this instance, as my disability makes it difficult for me to cook.) I think these are two sides of the same issue of how privileged people (often) view us. On the one side there is the inspiration porn of the disabled person "overcoming" their disability, or of the poor person "beating the odds". It's a sort of "they were so special they did it themselves with their amazing inate talents" idea. And a big part of it is that the inspiring thing the person does is judged by rich/abled standards. Remy's cooking impresses the rich cultured people, disabled people on talent shows impress the abled judges. On the other there's the condescending "poor people culture isn't refined like ours is" or "the disabled have nothing to offer, they are simply a burden." And in this instance, I think there's a big overlap. That actually poor people's food culture is incredibly valuable and worth passing on, even if it doesn't conform to rich cultured people's standards. And likewise, disabled people are a valuable part of a community and can provide value to others, even if we can't do everything abled people do to contribute. Anyway. Ramble over.

[@nowhereman6019]

That's a very cynical take. Ego is not saying that literally anyone from anywhere can become a great cook, he's saying that believing certain people are incapable of achieving greatness because of what group they belong to is wrong. Ego's revelation is that yes, a great cook can come from anywhere. It's literally that.

[@wickedmonkeylover]

That is actually how I felt when I was trying to go to art school. They told me that the interior design program usually sees students from wealthier families, its considered the primadonna of all the art mediums. I tried to get over it and even thought like a Disney movie I would be the best if I worked really hard. In the end I didn't get in and I actually dropped out of community college cause of depression to wander around. Thinking back I don't know if I would have had the mental ability for all those challenges and I realized I like it more as a hobby then an actual career. I like helping people more. So I volunteer and have gone into the health field instead. I know this won't be what ill do for the rest of my life since I learned that I have to stop trying to plan out life and just do.

[@ssj400buledi3]

Sorry

[@jackskellington4198]

That's a good outlook on life. I often sell myself short due to saying shit to myself like, "Oh you haven't accomplished (insert thing here) so you're lazy, not motivated enough, won't amount to anything, etc." When that's simply not true. I don't want to measure my worth based on how many things I've checked off the list, but more so doing it for the experience, learn, and improve mentally, physically, and emotionally.

[@TravellerZasha]

OMG you've expressed the feelings that i've never realised i had growing up. I grew up poor and wanted to be an artist, a dream that my mother, grandfather, and great grandfather had but could never pursue. I wanted to be the first in my family to achieve success in it. I am a rat and always felt like a scavenger. I have friends of the family who are high middle class and would financially help my family when i was younger. I would also have friends of middle class with houses and both parents. Whenever these people would spend a dime on me or give me anything I feel uncomfortable. I felt wrong for taking up their offer even though It would help put bread on my table for another night. I love Ratatouille, the movie never tried the dish. And I love your video essay on it's unique perspective. I like how you pointed out the morality vs thievery in Ratatouille. When you're poor you sometimes need to take what the rich throws away and that can be counted as stealing. Because being poor focus's on survival, you can't choose to be moral like when Remy needed bread. Honestly a miracle he can cook while starving, i know i can't do anything when i'm starving. I think this is why i feel uncomfortable when someone richer than me gives me something. It makes me feel like i'm stealing from them. And frankly they can't understand that feeling which is something you describe so well here. Hopefully one day like Remy, I too will be able to be financially secure while pursing my art dreams.

[@flotaires5287]

don’t know if anyone’s mentioned this but! there’s a clever scene in the movie where Ego compares chef gusteau to chef ettore boiardi (chef boy ar dee) before becoming an icon for canned pastas he was an italian immigrant that was key in helping poor people eat during the great depression! i think this really adds to meaning about capitalism, poverty, and food in ratatouille!

[@septawatt]

I never quite understood what grated on me about that scene with the bread but you hit it right on the head!! Such an amazing video, I adore well structured and thoughtful criticism of films from my childhood, it truly helps to reframe and re-contextualize messages I may have passed over in my youth! I love Ratatouille and this doesn’t change that for a moment, but seeing the film from a perspective that I was perhaps too close to to see properly (you were entirely correct about ur audience knowing that scavenger feeling) helps me to better understand the ways the world has told me I should be seen and affect change.

[@kpopinunison476]

I feel like several creators have made this same video essay for a number of Disney/Pixar movies -- Coco, Aladdin, The Lion King, now Ratatouille. The conclusion is always a variation of, "movie didn't say/do enough because the oppressive or unjust system in it wasn't actually toppled." It reminds me of the Disney princess hot takes of the 2010s. Maybe in 5+ years there will be a new wave of video essays that counterpoint this pining for a capital R Revolution plot with, "maybe the emotional and thematic cores of these movies were always the characters and their personal archs/journeys, and that's okay."

[@linob9394]

“these places aren’t made for people like us. our job is to get in, steal what we can and get out” PERIOD

[@popkultureguru1596]

This reminds of Little Fires Everywhere when Kerry Washington’s character told Reese Witherspoon’s character. “You didnt MAKE good choices, you HAD good choice. Opinions that being Rich and White and Entilted gave you” Rumi wouldnt have to steal food to survive if the society didnt outcast them and want them dead. (Even though they are rats) 😂 It’s very interesting how minorites are always held to high moral standards and ethics when they’re just trying to survive while the privledges get to do what ever they want.

[@sfatlithewise1276]

When the poor steal, we're thieves and rats. When the rich steal, it's a wise business decision.

[@spintheblock3x385]

You can’t change the world, but you can make a corner of it pretty cool. That seems to be the approach of these characters, and its an approach i try to take in my own life.

[@CaiCanMake]

I've always interpreted the scene where Remmy steals from the pantry to be less about the act itself, and more about what his actions entailed about the relationship between Remmy and Linguine. Linguine makes a very clear rule/condition under which he and Remmy can continue to live and work together: "Look. It’s delicious. But don’t steal. I'll buy some spices, okay?" Remmy no longer has to steal (until he reunites with his family) because Linguine has promised to provide food on the condition that Remmy does not steal any food at all. This is the basis of trust in their relationship, a sort of symbiotic exchange where Linguine uses Remmy to advance and get promoted in his new job, and Remmy uses Linguine to have access to an outlet to express himself in an environment he otherwise would not have access to (in addition to being given the basic resources he needs to live). The conflict begins when Remmy is reunited with his family, and decides to use his newfound position in society to steal high quality food for the rest of his family. He does this several times, and each time he steals he brings an even larger entourage with him and steals even more from the pantry to provide for more and more family members. He knowingly betrayed Linguine, going against his better judgement and ignoring any ethical or moral concerns that come with doing the one thing he was explicitly told not to do. It's worth mentioning also, that the rat clan was thriving without Remmy's assistance. None of them had any sort of want or desire for higher end foods like Remmy had. "Food is fuel." To every other rat, food is a means to an end, a tool for survival which only serves one purpose. They intentionally only steal the food that no one else wants; they only steal garbage and food that has been thrown away, so are they really stealing? It is only AFTER Remmy introduces his brother to fresh cheese and a strawberry that their eyes are opened to the possible enjoyment of food beyond their basic needs. They desire more, they have essentially eaten "The forbidden fruit". Furthermore, after being discovered mid-pantry raid, only Remmy feels any remorse about what he's done. The rest of the rats are seemingly content with returning to a garbage-based diet. They don't want to live in the lap of luxury in the same way that Remmy does, even though they now have some modicum of understanding about why Remmy wants to cook so badly and therefore support him and even show a little bit of empathy upon witnessing Remmy's dreams being shattered. Linguine is angry because the foundation upon which his relationship with Remmy was built upon has been broken. He only trusted remmy because remmy made a promise, and their coexistance would ultimately benefit them both. ... but now that I think about it, this does bring up serious questions about the ethics of stealing and criminal activity when it comes to living in extreme poverty. There are MANY reasons why someone living with little to no income would feel that stealing or participating in criminal activity is the only way for them to survive. Poverty is cyclical; you can't get a good job because you couldn't afford to go a good school, you couldn't afford to go to a good school because your parent's couldn't get a good job either, and the cycle continues. Sooner or later, people resort to illegal means of income or survival because the systems in place have made it excessively difficult to do so by legal means.

[@SiraSpirit]

“Cooks make, thieves take” Ayn Rand has entered the chat

[@alexk7880]

Despite ayn rand called out socialism and communism as extremism

[@arvmeister9302]

@@alexk7880 I think they were doing a Bioshock reference!

[@alexk7880]

@@arvmeister9302 oh ok. But still relating to how so many people use ayn rand despite she is against what these delusional people believe will help society

[@SiraSpirit]

I'm saying Ayn Rand's philosophy was terrible and delusional, and it's worrying that ideas that correlate with Ayn Rand's worldview show up in Ratatouille considering that The Incredibles has been criticized for seeming to believe in some Randian ideas.

[@yorukaadams940]

Rand is bland in writing anyway. All her protags share the same views as her and she lacks philosophically in her views, I believe. And she's pretty much just libertarian for the rich. I once came across an article celebrating how she "rewrote capitalism." I can now see why ancaps are viewed as a joke bigger than the rest of us libertarians.

[@rudeesade]

I was awake wrestling with these concepts. This video made me so happy to know it's not just me. Thank you for your work

[@MissyMona]

This was probably the best Ratatouille reflection I've seen, most reviews don't really talk about this. It felt super relevant to my own life in poverty. I had to spend four years proving to the government I deserved education because education itself was to expensive to me.

[@panchotz100]

You forgot to talk about the song "le festin" which pretty much confirms what you say tbh so maybe thats the reason but it would have been interesting

[@IntroMind]

I immediately knew I was gonna love this video from the first 50sec. I can totally relate to your experience. Art school is where you find out how privileged one has to be to pursue art sometimes. Definitely a topic not talked about enough

[@BuizelCream]

Despite the commentary, I like that the film recognizes its limitation within its cast to acknowledge that Remy is still technically just a rat, not a person. While Remy fights against social classes within humanity to achieve the lifestyle of his dreams, he realistically cannot really overthrow humans to the point where rats themselves become the respected hierarchy around humans in the cooking world. In the end of the film, I believe Remy and his rat family are satisfied with where they are because that's really how far rats are able to go within the human society when we view this film in the ways of nature. We also need to not forget to consider where Remy and his rat family are status-wise at the end of the film is already a monumental step from the garbage lifestyle they used to have. I like how this film ends with celebrating that accomplishment alone. It's fine. =)

[@mockturtlesuppe]

But, also in this film rats are just as sentient as humans. In our real world, the vast majority of us are satisfied to not extend full rights to rats because we never have to think about them as having agency. If we could literally talk to rats, see that they had thoughts, hopes, and the capacity to reason, it would be seriously messed up to still relegate them to the societal status they inhabit by the end of the film. _That's_ the basis of the allegory, and where the message falls short.

[@elizabethstreit5203]

"revolution over humans" ...I think you want The Bee Movie

[@figuremeoutyourself]

this is the first of your videos that i've watched and damn i just. god. i'm a senior in art school rn and the first minute or two of your video is more reminiscent of my experiences in college than just about anything else i've heard people say about it. i've had to put myself in unsafe situations with multiple predatory professors who knew and capitalized on my financial insecurity so i could get decent enough grades to pass, because failing a class could be the difference between graduating or not. i'm sure you get it, i could go on for ages about all the shit i've dealt with while being in school but it's so fucked up that the stuff people talk about in the arts about crunch time and how companies exploit your labor because it's your 'dream job' is triple the impact on poor people. most of the people in my life who inspired me to do art have never been given the chance to do what i'm doing. it puts enormous pressure on you to be successful, and it's so easy to be resentful of your peers when you think about how many people you know and care about who deserved even a fraction of the chances your classmates have gotten. this isn't related to 95% of the video essay sorry omfg idk i just. really related to that beginning bit. i remember earlier in the fall we had an artist talk with someone from pixar (on zoom obvsly lol) and i spent the entire time crying because all i could think about was the fact that i'll never have the means to do something like move to LA or new york to try and get a job, and even if i could, my family relies on me too much for me to move so far away. the only reason i got into art school in the first place is bc i happened to live in state w/ a public school that had a weirdly good art program, i've been working the whole time, and because my parents have literally put my tuition before their own bills and healthcare for over 3 years now. anyways this is a really great essay sorry to just like deep dive on shit but uh you know. it's been a rough year, and it's always nice to hear someone talk about something relatable to you. i honestly don't usually watch class analysis stuff bc it hits too close to home and can be really frustrating when somebody who's obviously upperclass is going in hard on high-brow academic stuff (which has its value ofc) instead of using the accessibility of video essay formats to articulate a more lived in class experience. that being said pixar, disney, for the love of god don't make another allegory about poor people being rats i fucking beg of you.

[@cartoonperson6243]

The editing with Remi and the swatt team was pure visual poetry.

[@CafeDeDuy]

The fact that you named Lo Mein anything but his name is hilarious.

[@springtimung5567]

"Not everyone can become a great artist but a great artist can come from anywhere" Anton Ego

[@chimedemon]

HOLY SHIT!!! I’m so happy you talked about the film’s views on stealing!!! I remember even as a KID being like “wait... but I want him to eat!!” And when he makes an Omelet and doesn’t get any of it I feel so bad for him!! (Also what a waste of food...) but yeah, totally agree!! Love your videos so far :)

[@elizabethstormont645]

The putting remy in linguini's pants was clearly a metaphor for sleeping to the top

[@howardlo7548]

linguini changes names so many times, his name might as well be a menu

[@whisperSSG8]

wow wonderful analysis and really strong understanding of the source material. I've genuinely never seen a YT film analysis that generates discussion the same way you have. great video.

[@pearlhay5033]

I think it was less the story saying stealing bad, but gave Remy a characteristic to stand by, as he developed from just a rat, to a chef, it was talking about moral integrity, and when you make changes in yourself, there are some thing you will have to sacrifice, in this case, it was eating, however, he had to stay with a moral precident to not steal himself, and had those closest around him, his brother and the orange guy to remind him where his values should lie. I think in this scope, the trope was completely valid.

[@1337karm]

This articulates perfectly what felt wrong when I watched this movie the first time. The “stealing is wrong in all circumstances” and “be content you made it in an unfair system” messages sat wrong with me as a teenager, and they still do.

[@ericvasquez4038]

I looove that you distinguished an alternate from toppling the system: carving out a space for members of his community to thrive and explore. One is a daunting mission, the other is a manageably defiant coexistence.

[@blue-color-pencil5244]

I already know this video is going to hit close to home, but I guess that makes it more intriguing to watch :']