the stuff

Kevin Lim

Leah Benedict  

English 201        

3/6/12

                                                                                The Stuff Essay

                “The Stuff”  by Larry Cohen is a horror movie from the 80’s that show how the Food and Drug Administration is not doing their job properly and allowing the public to eat something that might not be exactly safe for them to consume.  This movie also shows how many of the manufacturers of the product know that this dessert is very dangerous and addictive but still they sell it so they can make a large profit.  This product ultimately led to many people to go under the mind control that this dessert put on majority of the people.  However this is also the fault of the Food and Drug Administration because of their lack of awareness and their lack of strictness when approving products.

                When we think of food today we don’t necessarily think about why we eat it.  Most of the time it is to just fill the rumbling in our stomachs but if we had a choice would it be for pleasure as in taste value or in nutritional value.  In this movie we saw that in many instances it was for both purposes.  In the advertisements seen in the movie it shows that this dessert was low in calories and also tastes great.  In todays world that is like a dream since many of the things that we eat that taste very good, or of course very bad since it would contain an excess of fat and sugar.  In the beginning of the movie the parents of a boy named Jason urged him to try it because of the great taste while having a great nutritional value.  However, this was also due to the mind control that the dessert had over them at that point in the movie. 

                This film actually doesn’t make much sense in terms of the eaters.  This is because during the whole movie many of the population was addicted to “the stuff,” it was like their life depended on consuming this dessert constantly.  There was a scene in the headquarters factory of the Stuff where the head manufacturer says that the workers sometimes had to be stopped so they don’t eat the product.  It shows that they were addicted to this substance.  Also, if too much of the dessert is eaten then it takes on the life of its own and controls the body’s movements and actions.  IF the body is no longer useful then the stuff can literally just leave through the mouths opening and travel to a new host.  This was basically like a parasitic virus that was going around being sold to people on the markets.  The way that the movie is made actually makes the viewer like myself feel sorry for them.  This is because it wasn’t like consumers knew what they were eating since it was assumed to be safe since the food and drug administration approved it.  According to one of the characters from the movie that was and administrator of the FDA they were able to pass it immediately because “it’s not a prescription drug, it was a dessert, just like frozen yogurt or ice-cream.” However at the end of the movie when they told the public that it was dangerous, they actually listened.  If someone was so addicted to a substance, in my own opinion, I wouldn’t believe that they would be able to stop consuming it due to just one warning with no proof to back up the claim.

                This product is definitely a dangerous product that threatens the social order and safety of humanity.  Throughout many scenes of the movie it shows how it takes over the minds of many and  they control the host to make the loved ones be just like them so they make them eat it by force; this is seen through Jason’s household in the beginning of the movie.  This movie definitely shows that this is a very dangerous product mainly because it has a mind of its own and it can move from host to host in the matter of minutes once it is done with its previous host.  Just like in one of the last scenes when “Chocolate Chip Charlie” was talking about how the Stuff transfers out of the body, he claims that it leaves through the opening of the mouth in a large goop form. The stuff also leaves the carcass since it is considered dead and useless to it already, 

                It is also very interesting how the FDA does things in this movie, in terms of getting products approved.  As said before the FDA does look at products but it was mainly with things such as drugs or things that have a very complex formula.  However with things such as sweets or desserts they apparently just approve it right away since it shouldn’t have any dangerous substances or materials that would make it addictive.  Of course the FDA today doesn’t do that but I was surprised to hear the words from him even though I know it is just a movie but im sure it represented the FDA at the time.  In the movie I guess it was a mistake that this backfired on them since according to the movie, “The officials who approved it all died or resigned;” proving that this was due to the stuff killing off the officials after they approved it so no one can get to the truth.

                It is also interesting how they advertised this, of course the company had no idea that they were selling off dangerous products but they were using seductive women in very sensual swimsuits eating the stuff.  Of course this advertisement aims towards the demographic that is trying to get fit with the convenient caloric count that is in the stuff.  At that time I’m sure it was also impressive to see advertisements with such color and graphics so many people would be easily impressed with it.  Throughout the movie I saw many advertisements that was constantly showing off the product.  Especially when an older looking woman decided that she would rather eat the stuff then eat normal food like steak that was already in front of her.  There are also many small things like many people in the back just holding the cups.  Advertisements that just pop out are naturally attractive to the people and that’s what makes them buy a certain product.  Unfortunately that is still the case for today, as long as they see it on TV then they will buy it, also when one person buys it , all the other people will want it.

                The stuff  is a great movie that showed how bad the FDA was especially their ignorance.  It shows how they would care about releasing a product that could be potentially dangerous just because they think of it as an easy way to approve of a product.