How well are you using SNS in your life? According to Hootsuite’s 2017 paper, about 2.8 billion people use social media – a 37 percent penetration of the world population. That’s proof if needed that SNS in embedded in a large segment of the population’s life
SNS has both advantages and disadvantages. SNS can help interactions with various people in other places and countries. Also, nowadays, people are using it to advertise their products, services and other business. However, some people are using SNS to insult others by abusing their anonymous cover or spoofing ID details. I would like to introduce a film that shows the SNS ambivalence – the coexistence of good and evil. The film is “Chef”, directed by Jon Favreau, who also plays the lead role, released in 2015.
The film begins by a scene introducing Carl Casper (Jon Favreau), the chef of the Gauloise restaurant in California where he continually develops menus. Because Carl is always busy with his work, his wife divorces him and he ended up maintaining an awkward relationship with his son Percy. One day, Carl has a chance to serve the popular restaurant critic and blogger Ramsey Michel, to whom he gave to taste his latest creations. But Riva, the restaurant owner, demands at the last minute that Carl serves the critic the menu’s old favorites. That evening, Michel wrote a review criticizing harshly Carl’s dishes that quickly spread on Twitter to many people.
The next day, Carl’s co-workers told him to “ignore Twitter.” Curious about what his co-workers told him, Carl asked his Percy to explain what Twitter is all about. Many Twitter users agreed with Michel’s assessment of Carl’s food by leaving bad comments. So, Carl started to insults the critic for his review, not realizing that his reply went public, and gained a large Twitter following. Carl came up with a new menu that his staff loved and he invited Michel to come and taste it. However, Carl’s boss prevents him to choose the menu to serve. So, Carl leaves restaurant and goes home. His assistant becomes the interim chef and even the regular dishes fail to find favors with Michel who again tweets negative comments. Carl to go to the restaurant and publicly berates the food critic. Videos of Carl’s meltdown go viral, and his professional credibility takes a big hit.
After that event, Inez, Carl’s wife, invites him to Miami, where he spends time with his son Percy and rediscovers his love for Cuban cuisine. Carl reluctantly accepts Inez’s invitation to start a food truck. He and Percy bond while refurbishing the truck and buying groceries. Carl buys his son a ‘Chef’s Knife’. Martin, Carl’s friend and line chef from the Gauloise, leaves his restaurant to work with Carl, who has regained his passion as a chef. Carl’s food truck serves Cuban sandwiches and Yuca fries. Percy promotes them on SNS, and they find success in New Orleans and Austin. Back in Los Angeles, Carl and Percy understand better each other. In the last scene, Michel visits the truck. Will Carl regain his reputation as a chef and succeed in improving his relationships with people he had let down?
This film shows how SNS helped the American chef rebuild pride in his work and leave his arrogance behind. SNS is a double-edged sword – capable of doing good and evil. In this film, Carl is both a typical victim as well as the beneficiary of SNS. Through the social media, Carl lost his reputation, but he also brought his food to the world. The scene where Carl abuses Michel seems to represent the victim’s voice on SNS, which take for granted the assessment of others. To me, the film seems like a dish made by combining the criticism of SNS and at the same time the change it brings Carl, as a chef.
Is SNS good or bad? I can’t give a definite answer. It can be good or bad for you. As the film shows, whether SNS is good or evil becomes clear according to how you use it yourself. I recommend “Chef”, a film that encourages you to look back into your use of SNS as you are watching a chef’s evolution to a successful conclusion.
