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Selling junk food in schools is a hot-button issue, because, while vending machines make money for cash-strapped districts, stocking them with crap doesn’t really teach kids about how to make healthy decisions. But what about a vending machine that wouldn’t take money, wouldn’t give out junk food…and only sold lessons? That’s what the LiVe Machine does. In theory it’s kind of a cool idea, but I’m not quite sure the snarky execution of this is quite right for kids.
Don’t get me wrong–I’m no Positive Polly, and I definitely get a little blue when I see scores of teenagers gathered in front of vending machines at shopping areas, getting ready to guzzle gallons of soda. But I can’t quite get behind the message that if a girl wants someone to hold her hand (because that’s all a girl should ever want, right?), she should “stop covering it in barbecue flavoring.”
What’s interesting, though, about this project–which is part installation piece, and part thought experiment–is that it was commissioned by Intermountain Healthcare, a health provider who’s started a pretty cool, very progressive campaign that’s designed to curb obesity, and speaks directly to kids in a positive way.
Their health tips are great–don’t be negative about weight, have a good relationship with food, eat as a family–but the lines that the vending machine is doling out seems like a disconnect. But then, maybe after writing about body-positivity has made me overly-sensitive to this kind of messaging. A vending machine that said “Love your body, feel it kale!” probably wouldn’t go over as well. Maybe snideness is the only language teenagers understand.
Either way, I’m glad that Intermountain is doing something. I’m just not sure this is the thing. Am I being overly-sensitive? Is this kind of snark the only thing that kids will listen to? Watch the video and decide for yourself:
Image: Intermountain Healthcare
