Nicole Glidden
Sausage Party. At first glance one might perceive a cartoon about talking grocery store items that seems similar in character to that of Sesame Street. Although this film may appear warm, cuddly, and suitable for the whole family, do not bring your kids. There are some things that just can’t be unseen.
Upon entering the theater two separate employees asked for my age, but no amount of life experience could prepare me for what Sausage Party entails. The script mainly revolves around crude remarks and sexual innuendos. There are multiple references to drug paraphernalia, specifically bath salts, which allow humans to understand the talking food.
However , the movie does go beyond sausages and sex, and provides broader social commentary. Every morning the grocery products dedicate a song to their gods, in hopes of being taken to the “Great Beyond.” It is later revealed that the paradise they speak of is a fallacy created by the imperishable products, in an effort to protect their friends from the harsh reality that lies beyond the market doors. Even when Frank, the protagonist, shows his friends evidence of their fate, they still choose to ignore him, and chastise him for challenging their beliefs. The film reflects how susceptible citizens are to false positive information, and how willingly people whole-heartedly believe what they want to hear.
The film also touches on the present race relations in our country, and race wars in the past. Mr. Grits, who is depicted as African-American, discusses his hatred for the Crackers, who are depicted as White. Similarly, the Jewish bagel and Iranian lavash bread feud for the majority of the movie, until they suddenly become lovers.
Although society idolizes celebrities and would like to believe that Seth Rogen can do no wrong, he is not as blame free as he appears. Sausage Party caused some controversy leading up to its release, due to animators’ claims that they were not paid overtime and did not receive credit for their work. Complaints were voiced anonymously on the cartoon website Cartoon Brew, revealing that most animators were less than pleased with their working conditions. Rumors of potential blacklisting and other threats only served to fuel backlash.
If you plan on viewing this one-time watch despite its controversy, don’t see it with your parents, or even your friends. Spare yourself the ticket fare and wait for its release on Netflix. After all, Sausage Party is best viewed in solitude to prevent utter embarrassment.
