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In yesterday's Tribune, John Kass discovered the existence of "freegans." Like Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens trying to describe the Internet, Kass ridicules the movement as "equal parts youth, privilege, guilt and Al Gore's wackier environmental pronouncements mixed with bits of what your socialist professors told you in college but you can't remember, exactly" while theorizing (via his assistant) that most freegans embrace the philosophy because "(i)t's all about getting dates."
We have a hard time believing that Kass just found out about freegans. While we don't embrace the concept ourselves, we know enough about the subject to not simplify it the way Kass did in his column, as though he was just trying to fill column space. It's about more than just rooting around trash for dinner while trying to impress naive co-eds and hipsters. To those who fully embrace the concept, freeganism is a legitimate economic philosophy rooted in showcasing the wastefulness of our society. Groups that bring a whimsical smile to our face, like the Rat Patrol, have philosophies rooted in freeganism. It isn't completely about dumpster diving for food. Some freegans would argue that it's an immediate, walk-the-walk practice of recycling useful materials with better efficiency than the blue bag program. Like any counterculture philosophy, it's also easy to pick out the true adherents of the practice from the poseurs without making blanket assumptions.
"The wastes of capitalism are delicious" via Shira Golding on flickr.
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If it walks like a duck...
Eating out of the trash? Dumpster-diver.
My brother was in that whole scene for a long time, was a freegan for a while. When he lived with me, I didn't have much tolerance for the whole trash-as-food thing, he would bring home some totally questionable stuff...bottles from behind the Odwalla bottling plant on Elston all swollen (not good), stuff like pissed me off and I would throw it back out when he wasn't home.
Since then I've chilled out a bit, gotten used to it. When I went home for a visit, I went with him to the dumpsters behind this big shopping center. Among other things, we found a big ass bag of Science Diet puppy chow that had a small tear in it. There was a new puppy at home, so that was pretty sweet.
You'd be surprised how much useful stuff stores throw out. Sometimes he'd bring home stuff so cool, I suspect that an employee threw it out on purpose, and he kept them from picking it up later.
Can't everyone agree that the intersection of self-righteous vegans with pretentious hippies is worthy of scorn and mockery?
Can't everyone agree that the intersection of self-righteous vegans with pretentious hippies is worthy of scorn and mockery?
That's just crying out for a Venn diagram.
Chuck, seems like you were trying to fill some column inches, too. This was argued at length not too long ago on Chicagoist.
Oh yeah, I forgot, there are lots of vegan and other generally scrubby kids that do it just to get laid. They're called "mactivists".
The homeless alcoholic in my alley has no idea how hip and trendy he has become. I should build him a bike with two frames welded together.
Tapioca.
Oh yeah, I forgot, there are lots of vegan and other generally scrubby kids that do it just to get laid. They're called "mactivists".
Starcrunch, you just took me back to the heady days of my youth, getting tear-gassed in front of the IMF and running away from the cops with vinegar soaked bandanna around our unshaven faces.
Good times my friend. Good times.
Ferdy: You're thinking of Laura's post on "replating". Same concept, except that no one has to sully themselves diving, and it's intended for those among us who aren't as fortunate.
What the hell is wrong with regular food? These people are just a bit nutto, honestly. In this liberal left wack-job leaning world, now FOOD even has a bad rap?! There are reasons you live in a modern society, if you would rather not, don't; you could learn how the much poorer of the world scrounge for food and give each other lessons on the best technique.
I definitely agree that this column read like Kass was just trying to fill column space. My question is, when doesn't he?
Nice Alicia Dorr and Chuckie. I agree; if you don't agree with the columnist- that person is defiantly just trying to fill up space!! You guys are so clever here on chicagoist!
In this liberal left wack-job leaning world, now FOOD even has a bad rap?!
You're busting a blood vessel over a story about dumpster diving on local blog and they're the 'wack-jobs'?
Chicagoist calling out someone else out on timeliness?
My head asplodes.
I wouldn't call it 'filling up space' when Newsweeks is also reporting on the freegans: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20920377/site/newsweek/
Newsweek. haha.
My paradigm-shifting, system-smashing days are over... so hopefully a freegan can help me out with this one: I'm just curious what the wastes of socialism taste like, if the wastes of capitalism are so delicious?
This just reminds me of uppity college kids living in a tent on their freshman quads in order to somehow approximate the experience of being homeless (I observe this annually - somehow this never happens in bad weather). "See? Now we understand how awful they have it!"
This supposed problem of the 'waste of capitalism' will die out when the freegins all slowly die from diseases garnished from eating garbage and then waiting in line to get healthcare from the socialized clinics they put in place.
Just let them be, they will be eradicated.
"The homeless alcoholic in my alley has no idea how hip and trendy he has become. I should build him a bike with two frames welded together."
bwahahaha
also - white people are crazy.
I'd like to dive into the ones set up behind all of the studios kitchens/places that they use to tape Food Network's and all of the other cooking shows. I bet you need a reservation. I wonder how long the wait is behind the Iron Chef studio?