Rotten

Each story is a deep dive into a narrow industry segment like poultry in America. It is educational and informative. I like programs like this that are presented honestly and without an agenda.

The concept for this show is really quite brilliant. Looking at the shady underbelly of food manufacturing, and trade is a compelling idea. The first episode dips into this potential by looking at how Chinese honey exporters dilute their honey with various syrups made from rice, corn, and other food products. The fourth episode about garlic taps into part of the concept as well by looking at how Chinese garlic producers use prison labor to peel garlic that they then sell to the U.S.

However, despite moments of thoughtprovoking brilliance, this series only scratches the surface of most topics, and is increadibly unfocused in several of the episodes. The episode about chicken for instance deals more with a series of chicken coup attacks in the Southern U.S., then it does looking at the payment structure for farmers and the globalized scale of ownership with chicken companies.

So while the core idea is terrific, the execution of the series leaves a lot to be desired. They should've dug deeper into the issues, focused their episodes a lot more, and ensured that the finished product is just as engaging and thoughtprovoking as the idea itself.

I really liked Rotten, a tile that suggests a dramatic exposé which it is not, The drama is in its close-up look at real people working in the growth/ production of peanuts, garlic, milk, bees/honey, fishing (cod), and chickens. in the U.S. as well as the current state of these particular fields with regard to regulation, trade, consumer demand, profitability, etc.

It's very engaging, fascinating even, with honest and caring attention to the foods and those who produce them. I totally enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

"Rotten" is, at times, a very interesting and worthwhile television series. And, at others, it seems directionless and confusing. In other words, some episodes are well worth seeing...and others not. The problem is that the underlying philosophy of the program seems difficult to determine.

Episode one, about honey production and the adulteration of honey coming from China is the best of the six shows. It presents a strong case and is quite compelling. But, this isn't the case with other shows...which often seem to contradict themselves. For example, in the episode about garlic, the show spends much of the time attacking one particular mega-corporation....and then, in a big switcheroo, then attacks its competitors and makes you wonder WHO is the bad guy. Another example is the show about the poultry industry. The first half of the show is about some local chicken producers who were attacked by an unknown culpret and their chickens killed....but then, suddenly, it becomes an attack on a Brazilian mega-corporation! To make matters worse, after spending all that time attacking the Brazilian corporation, the show admits that there was a huge shakeup in the industry and this same Brazilian corporation had to divest of many of its companies around the world! Talk about a lack of focus!!

I wish the show had chosen to simply dealt with food adulteration like the first episode. And, oddly, one of the most famous adulterated products, olive oil, is never even mentioned in the series.

Overall, some good, some very bad....a series that can be compelling and frustrating.

Some episodes are better/more interesting than others, but overall it's a good docu. It has some major focuses and unlike other wannabe docus out there lately doesn't try to create a false image of the world and what YOU should do to follow their idea of fairness. It informs and does so well as it should be. Not some highly biased individual experience based "idea" of a docu. Good stuff and worth/enjoyable to watch.