Ritualistic behaviour and consumer symbolism

The fifth ritual

The fifth ritual

Can your stomach rupture if you eat too much? It is extremely unlikely for your stomach to explode from overeating, yet this is exactly what happened to Joe White, according to the doctor who performed the post-mortem examination on Joe's body. The body was found to weigh 500 pounds and upon examination the stomach contained as many as 37 undigested chicken nuggets, 8 cheeseburgers, and a large quantity of French fries. Joe had lived on benefits for the last years of his life and had been very private, there had been no contact with family and hardly any with friends. However, one old friend took it upon himself to empty the house and see what condition it was in. The friend expected a mess, but the house was remarkably clean and tidy, except for the backyard. In the backyard the friend found the most fantastic sculptures made of waste and food scraps, a castle made of KFC bags and chicken bones, a ship made of Burger King disposables and a bouquet of flowers, made from used napkins, straws and chicken nuggets from McDonald's. It was a wonderful sight, however there was a strong smell of decay and the place was crawling with insects. It all seemed part of a ceremony or ritual celebrating consumerism...

 

Oil on panel, 39 x 28 cm, 2024. Private collection The Netherlands.