The writer is mental.

“Eat It” Reflection:

When Carla and I first started talking about the video competition, I knew I wanted to make something weird as hell but ultimately meaningful. For a while, I had been thinking about this idea of overconsumption, especially within the world we live in now. It feels like we are constantly consuming something, whether it’s media, ads, opinions, trends, etc. We are surrounded by this endless stream of information that demands our attention and influences how we see ourselves and each other. I see this in politics, in conversations surrounding religion, gender identity, racial identity, in conversations about the LGBTQ+ communities, and even within my own family. We are all trapped in this cycle.

During the production process, we came across another artist who posted a story showing a similar setup to ours and although their project may have been conceptually different, I immediately felt discouraged. I believed that I had become a part of this over-saturated cycle that I was trying to criticize. Maybe I had unconsciously copied an idea that had already existed. Carla reminded me to look at it differently, we are artists that are asking similar questions because these issues genuinely matter. We weren’t just repeating an idea. We were responding to the same questions with our own perspective. Around that same time, I spoke with the Art Director, who shared she had also been interested in exploring this subject of overconsumption. She was also very encouraging.

In multiple (some late night) conversations, Carla proposed incorporating the idea of surveillance and performance while being observed (themes she has already been playing around with) which aligned with my thoughts on consumption. We don’t just consume - we react to the things that we consume. This idea connected to my own experiences with gender expression. I have never fully fit into the traditional expectations of femininity, and the way others perceived me often changed based on who was seeing me. These ideas all became the foundation for Eat It. The objects consumed, throughout the film, represent the societal expectations we are encouraged (sometimes forced) to internalize. Honey Girl’s rejection is her refusing to participate in this cycle of consumption and performance. I hope I can one day be just as brave as Honey Girl.