What the “God made a farmer” ad reveals about U.S. farm policy
Summing up the opinion of many who saw the ad, Animal Agriculture Alliance president Kay Johnson Smith said the commercial “really showcased a piece of Americana.”
But to its detractors, the ad does nothing of the sort.
University of Texas historian Rachel Laudan, who grew up on a farm and finds the ad galling, writes that “if we continue to accept the kind of images promoted by this ad, images of the farmer as a good hearted chap, working with the technology of the late 1930s, and thus not frightfully smart, how are we ever going to get a sensible grip on agriculture?”
This agrarianism, argues Laudan, is built on a mistaken belief in “the simpler yet superior moral values of the rural life.”
A withering Funny or Die parody of the Dodge ad, God Made a Factory Farmer, blasts the ad for ignoring the large, subsidized corporate farms of today.
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American Ag is the largest welfare recipient there is. What other industry is guaranteed a profit and protected financially by the feral government? They are not all on the take but the majority are.
trs on February 9, 2013 at 4:56 PM
This woman grew up on a farm in Great Britain… WTH does she know about American agrarianism(as a sentiment rather than a movement)?
Reason Magazine is really turning into a big bucket of fail.
I also grew up a farm with outdated(ahem, gleaner combines) and the biggest shock going from my community to college was my disgust and revulsion with the behavior of Chicago suburbanites.
Things got much better when I transferred to the University of Illinois though.
ninjapirate on February 9, 2013 at 5:03 PM
I grew up on a farm and the farming life has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. Gone away are the majority of the little family farms like we have. Now it’s like a corporation.
My cousin still farms, he has way more land than anyone could ever farm on their own. So guess what? He got himself a bunch of employees. Like more than just one or two “hired hands”. He’s basically a decent sized business owner.
Is it a bad thing? No. Is it a good thing? Not necessarily. It is just is what it is. Like all jobs and life events, things change…..
mjk on February 9, 2013 at 5:09 PM
I’ll take farmer morals over factory union worker morals any day, but it is true that agriculture doesn’t need to be subsidized. I have no problem with corporate farms, and in fact prefer whichever is more efficient, but none of them need wealth transfers in the form of price supports or subsidies.
Count to 10 on February 9, 2013 at 5:11 PM
This really has not happened at all in my area.
ninjapirate on February 9, 2013 at 5:13 PM
The God made a farmer ad was schmaltzy cringe-worthy BS. Dodge asked for a hefty dose of cock snot, Richard Group did the job well. And apparently pundits lapped it up.
CorporatePiggy on February 9, 2013 at 5:37 PM
This.
This.
And the ad was made by/for Dodge, the primary brand of Chrysler Group. Who just so happens to be a huge beneficiary of big government, wealth transfer, and subsidy. Hell, not only did they get their most recent bailout that supposedly angered the same moron-tools now gushing over this pro-”farmer” ad, it’s not even the first massive government bailout they’ve gotten. See the Reagan years and the k-car for their earlier swindlery.
But why was I not surprised when the reactionary so-con “rural pride” authors (aka NOT AP) applauded the ad and hordes of commentariat joined into a circle of self-congragulation and praise of how great and essential farmers are.
As if farmers resemble ANYTHING like some self-sufficient entrepreneurs who (stupidly) divide their efforts between crop agriculture, animal husbandy, dairy farming, and poultry all at once, and keep ‘Merka afloat because of it. What a patronizing load of bull.
Daikokuco on February 9, 2013 at 5:48 PM
Archer Daniels Midland is a major corporation, but it is not engaged in farming. It transport processes, and resells agricultural commodities on a very large scale. While it is possible given the scope of their operations that they do have some interest in some farm somewhere in the world, such activity(if it exists at all) is trivial compared to their commodity processing and broking. Calling them a corporate farmer is grossly misleading.
This elementary and snide error suggests that the entire piece may not be reliable.
levi from queens on February 9, 2013 at 5:49 PM
Eat a dick.
ninjapirate on February 9, 2013 at 6:05 PM
BTW, I’m a proud “reactionary”… I’ll blood and soil over money anyday.
ninjapirate on February 9, 2013 at 6:06 PM
take…
ninjapirate on February 9, 2013 at 6:06 PM
For those of you climbing on your high horse to condemn the “God made a farmer” ad, just stop. Plenty of us who despise the bailout of Chrysler, and the subsidization of our agriculture (especially when combined with crap like ethanol mandates), can still appreciate the idea portrayed in that ad and say “nice sentiment”. Getting all vicious about it is really unnecessary. (I’m looking at you CorporatePiggy.)
GWB on February 9, 2013 at 6:06 PM
Good God. A secret, instantly eye-glazing discussion for in-the-closet victims of the giant industrial farm conspiracy.
Most any commercial can be dissected to the point that a casual observer would be convinced that all of the players should be shot. But at least this one punched a great many of the very best buttons.
applebutter on February 9, 2013 at 6:08 PM
Fair point.
CorporatePiggy on February 9, 2013 at 6:35 PM