Speciesim: The Movie has two main objectives. The first of these is to raise awareness of the horrible treatment that non-human animals are being given in contemporary times, especially those being raised for alimentary purposes. Furthermore, he seeks to argue against the claim that humans are better than animals. He finds a whole movement attempting to fight for the rights of animals with respect to humans, much greater than the notorious PETA.
The way that Mark Devries accomplishes this is through investigative journalism, which he narrates in first person. Furthermore, he also speaks to experts in the field in order to better sustain his claims. For example, he finds an expert who claims that “Animals emotions could be even more intense than human emotions” (Devries 11:22). Obviously, this is a strong aspect of his argument, as most people believe that animals do not feel the same way that people do.
His main argument against people is that they would treat other species in this way, even though he also decries that humans are hurting themselves. He thus documents what happens in factory farms, where food-producing animals, such as chickens and cattle, are raised. By showing humans treat them horribly, he deduces that people should not be as highly valued.
I would say that it is pretty effective at arguing these premises. Devries is very charismatic and he presents many numbers and experts that would lead most people to be convinced of his point. Nevertheless, it is a tough point to make, as it seems to be a bit silly for him to be fighting so hard for this claim. His investigation of the factory farms is solid and interesting, yet the equality between people and animals might undercut this message for most viewers. Many would think that they are just being raised to be eaten, so it does not considerably matter what they feel.
Works Cited
Speciesism: The Movie. Dir. Mark Devries. 2013. Film.
