The Story of Stuff

I personally like the Story of Stuff. It reminds me of the School House Rock videos that teachers used to show me in elementary school. To this day, the “I’m just a bill” song from School House Rock still remains my basis for how a bill makes it to law. Yes, I have taken many a political science class that has shown me in great detail how a bill is hassled over and debated in Congress and then has to make it to the desk of the president, etc. However, when I think about the core of the process, nothing makes it easier than that original video that I watched as a second grader in Mrs. Smucker’s class. Because of this, I understand why there has been such a debate over the Story of Stuff in the classroom.
As I mentioned before, I like the Story of Stuff. I believe that it expresses an essential truth: humans have a negative impact on the environment and our way of life leads to the deterioration of the earth that we live on. While this is true, I can understand why people would have a problem with the way that Annie Leonard portrays it. While I agree that consumerism is a big part of the problem, I generally tend to agree with Steve Cohen’s article and that it is the way that our economy operates that should change rather than obliterating it.
I feel as though I have to play devil’s advocate when it comes to the Story of Stuff because it is not pure fact, it is fact put in a satirical and political manner. Annie Leonard exercises her own political views in the video and while it might not have been stated outright, they were always implied. Because they involve political views, I can see why parents would not want their children to watch it in the schools. Schools are supposed to be a place of unbiased learning. It should teach children to question and challenge them without a doubt, but the Story of Stuff has a political undertone that I feel can be seen as inappropriate for schools. My teachers were always professional enough to never reveal to which way their political views tended and it is illegal for them to do so as my AP Political Science teacher told me in high school. While I would advocate that all people talk about this and watch the video to be informed, I can sympathize with why parents would have a problem with it.