Read and Remix #5: Consider the Lobster

David Foster Wallace’s piece entitled “Consider the Lobster” brings up many valid points in a well-constructed format, yet raises a few concerns for me in terms of this being a model text for our project 2. Wallace spends most of his piece discussing the ethics of consuming lobsters, as well as how chefs seem to ignore the traditions and history behind lobster. The early paragraphs of this piece seem perfectly relevant in describing the traditions of the Maine Lobster Festival, but quickly divulge into the ethical argument of meat consumption. This seems odd to be placed in a cooking magazine, which one would assume should speak highly of the many ways lobster can be prepared and consumed. Additionally, Wallace does not speak favorably about the widespread consumption of lobster, and thus isolates himself from this “community” and in a way denounces their actions. This piece seemed a bit odd to me, especially since Wallace, in my opinion, overcomplicated these issues to be posed in a cooking magazine and raised a few concerns for me as to how this is supposed to be a model text for our second project.