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jflaxman —
The Desecration of Adam
#adam #allegorical #allegory #chapel #cherub #clown #commentary #consumerism #corporate #creation #crisis #critique #desecration #disease #evil #excess #fast #fat #food #fresco #gandalf #greed #health #heart #icon #iconography #industry #italian #james #materialism
Published: 2015-01-19 06:35:44 +0000 UTC; Views: 211656; Favourites: 5516; Downloads: 1718
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Description
What have we done to ourselves?Update: This has been my most viewed piece and responses have been overwhelming. To save everyone some time, I don't have any problem with anyone downloading it, selling reproductions or reposting it on other sites. I don't need any payment but credit is appreciated.
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Comments: 890
I feel like this piece just spoke truth in America and most factory based countries/states
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I still find it unfair to label fast-food companies as evil. They're businesses. They need to produce consistent service on a mass scale. Of course it's not gonna be good for you....even GOURMET burgers are horrid for you!
Coming from an over-weight person, I believe people are overweight because they're too lazy and ignorant of what they shove in their faces to realize they're killing themselves. Then they get obese and feel the need to point fingers at who's to blame. The news-flash is that the obese person is to blame. McDonalds isn't a part of the food pyramid, it's junk food for people on the go. They thrive primarily off lazy parents, stoners, and stupid people, or people who just really don't give a shit and what something greasy to eat, fast and cheap.
I for one am doing my best to correct my life-style. I'm eating healthier now and cutting out fast-foods. Will I eat at McDonalds again? Probably! Am I going eat there sparingly and make myself more salads? Yes, certainly.
Not to take away from your art, though~ It's quite nicely composed. Well done.
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It is understandable to argue that the person eating the food is responsible for one's own health, but at the same time you seem to have ignored the intentions of the business. Certainly, fast food businesses (all businesses really) exist for the explicit purpose of making money. Thus, they produce food for which people will pay and that means food that tastes good but is not necessarily healthy. Their product exists to make money, not to provide people with proper nutrition. That is the problem. Is it good to produce a product explicitly for the purpose of making money even when the product generates negative outcomes?
Of course, your response is likely to be something along the lines of "if people did not eat their food, these businesses would go out of business or stop producing that food." That demands that people understand that the food is unhealthy, be able to afford healthier alternatives, and have the motivation to prepare food for themselves or go out of their way to get healthier food. These are major hurdles because people eat fast food for the convenience and low cost; also, the businesses have reasons to conceal the nutritional information of their food (it took a federal law to get them to disclose and they used lobbyists to fight its passage).
Ultimately, if a person eats unhealthy food, that is the person's responsibility; I agree with you there. However, that does not absolve the producer of the unhealthy food from wrongdoing. The fact that the producer cares more about money than the well-being of its costumers reflects poorly on its character.
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By the same token, however, McDonalds does provide healthy alternatives (at least in Canada), such as salads, the option to opt out of dressings, sauces, butter on breakfast sandwiches, and provides bottled water, apple juice and milk. I don't know how McDonalds operates in the States, but here they provide healthier alternatives than most other fast-food chains. McDonalds is not the worst fast-food you can eat, either, and they do a lot more than is required of them to promote being healthier. I feel strongly that 100% of the responsibility of eating well lies with the consumer.
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True, McDonalds does offer a great number of healthier options than most other fast food joints. The artist's use of Ronald McDonald has less to do with a condemnation of that particular business and more to do with the symbolism. Ronald McDonald is the most recognizable fast food mascot in the world and is thus iconic of the entire industry. Notice that he did not mention any particular business in the description.
I am inclined to inquire: Does your feeling that the consumer has the ultimate responsibility apply to all business transactions? Is it that the consumer is always at fault and the producer/service provider never has any responsibility? That appears to be your position based on these two posts. It seems to me that you are absolving the producer/service provider of all wrong doing on the basis that (1) one has done something with the intent of making money and (2) a customer purchased from the producer/service provider. By that measure, a business could do anything it wanted so long as someone is willing to pay and never be held liable because the customer purchased from it.
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To your point, I do think a company does have a level of tesponsibilty, yes, but within the perametres of the law, and in competition with other companies. If a company wants to do well in this day and age, they need to provide more sensible alternatives than they may have been required to in the past.
I won't begin to analyze the theme of the art; that's beside the point I'm making and I don't wish to detract from the piece. I understand the representation, and that it isn't attacking McDonald's. But I do belive that with all the healthy alternatives provided, the health information of each food item provided in-restaurant, and the introduction of healthier options for children, like the apple slices, McDonald's absolves itself of the responsibility of what ultimately is the parents' and grown adults' final decision in what is ingested. The options are there, and its not the company's call in the end what you eat.
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Oh my gut
Congrats on the DD by the way
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pretty much
although I feel like some of the imps could be other advertising/food mascots
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OOF! hit in the gut, in more ways than one! Superb, viciously accurate (IMHO) visual commentary! Congrats on the DD!
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Awesome! I cant begin to tell you how evil the McDonald's corporation is..
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Brilliant! I really like the message here. Congrats on the DD~!!! 
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A worthy DD, and a pointed and well-made comment.
Great stuff and well done!
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the fat guy is not a victim, he is just a lazy bitch. No one is pointing a gun at his head and telling him "eat at mcdonals", he chooses to do so and he gets what he deserves.
and you? at michelangelo's level? pleaaaase!!!!
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"Remember your words are stored somewhere where you have no control over them. There's a good chance they can come back to haunt you." -SanIakob, 2010
Having a bad day?
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"Rules are made to be broken" (specially if I write them), - sanIakob 2015
having a great day
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Wow. Way to go to detract from the happiness of getting such a coveted award....Try and remember some of the rules for which you, yourself, got a DD for.
To jflaxman:
Congrats on a very well DESERVED DD!! This really "wowed" me - out loud! 
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I can post a thing and do de opposite, guess what: I'm free to break my own rules
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Hummm....I don't know really if you are free to do that...If a person gets an award for instance....because they are well known for being for all peoples; then it's discovered they are secretly racist....Shouldn't they then get that award taken from them.
Ewe betcha, they should! 
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it depends, in this case the award was given because the item is useful for those who like it... Art and pieces of communication are meant for people, and once they reached the audience, the pieces don't belong to their creator anymore but to the audience.
Besides, I just wrote my redading of this work ( which doesn't have to be a positive reading, specially when the theme is not original and has a rather biased perspective of the subject in question). I didn't say anything to a particular person. Except when I wrote to the artist saying the thing about Michelangelo. And that wasn't said in a rude way either. I didn't use a polished language, I was casual and colloquial but that doesn't mean I attacked anyone.
So, why are you guys so worried?
Giving negative feedback is not lack of etiquette.
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Negative feedback is fine. It's 'how' it's said...Your comment really wasn't very......thought....filled. (especially on a DD. I mean, C'mon)...it came off rather trollish in tone; 'negative-beat-down'; not 'negative-helpful' - you see the difference?.....But. We shall agree to disagree; for I see we just have different ideas about how one should conduct themselves.
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well, that's your oppinion :flowepot:
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I do, since in a community of thousands of users, only you are telling me all this
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Only because people don't want to spam/troll a DD... I too momentarily forgot where I was so I am respectfully going to stop....
Remain intransigent. See how far it gets you.
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We in the sane rational world call that hypocrisy.
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yes! you are so clever (and you also know the meaning of words!) you are such an example to people, good for you
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Christ, your nearly 40 and you act like this... Well, at least I feel better about myself.
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good for you! I'd radther be 40 acting like a child than being 20 and acting like bitter 40s, keep it young!
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He never said he was at Michelangelo's level... He was saying he wasn't trying to take away from them with what he was saying as their tkill level is something worth trying to accomplish.
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strange how we both can read something different from the same statement.
cheers!
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i find myself both disgusted and intrigued, i'm lovin it (no pun intended lol) congrats on the DD
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Creepy, but it does ring about how our society runs.
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One thing I've noticed is that the "Land Down Under' produces its fair share of truly original thinkers. This in no way bothers me from a spiritual standpoint as it might some, but I saw the dark humor associated with truth immediately. After having visited your gallery I must say that your perspective of the more destructively subtle influences of society and our own reaction to them is without a doubt darkly invigorating.
Congrats on the DD!
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Congrats on your well deserved DD!
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I'm not much of a type for religion at all but the mastery of the Renaissance masters is something to behold. You sir have joined their ranks (if even for a single moment) with this piece. Dark, edgy and a colossal **** you to corporations everywhere I can't get enough of the brilliance you've created here!!
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This is so fantastic. I literally just choked on my coffee while I saw this on the DD page. The demonic cherubs are terrifying-looking! Really, so creative. Congratulations on the DD
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Disturbing, profound, and beautiful. I can't look away!
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This is really good in shading and detail. I also like the mix of humor and gluttony. This could be even used for a Propoganda poster for fast food, I'm not kidding
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I feel the only thing I love more than this picture is your description of it, I adore this. I want this as an album cover (and on the ceilings of my favorite cholesterol temples).
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this is true and funny and kinda sad all the time
excellent
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