Inspiration from Ratatouille: The new needs friends!

After a tiring workday or even after a great outing with friends or be it a get-together, a general conversation among the friends or colleagues goes,

“Hey, let’s meet somewhere. How about Rosie’s burger joint next street?”

“Oh no… Why Rosie’s? Let’s go for McDonald’s. “

“Yeah but Rosie’s has its own special flavour and the grilled cheeseburger is something I found truly unique!”

“Nope. Can’t risk on new and spoil our day. McDonald’s please!”

“Umm… well okay. See you there at 6!”

A seemingly harmless conversation where’s nothing uncommon and weird. We have heard it or been a part of a similar kind. Rosie’s burger joint got snubbed for a reason. For the reason of being new and unknown. There’s a possibility that the burgers at Rosie’s joint might actually not be at the same level of that of McDonald’s, the place might not be as cosier and the service may not be efficient enough. But these factors weren’t even tested before judging. The supposition was made on the basis of speculation that the new, small joint probably would disappoint.

It reminds of the movie Ratatouille (2007) by Pixar, in which a rat named Remy wishes and strives to be a chef, only to succeed after a series of obstacles. It’s not just a children’s movie where a rat’s fairy-tale conquest of becoming a chef is depicted. Marked by one of the most beautiful monologues of the decades in the end by a character named Anton Ego, a fastidious food critic voiced by legendary Peter O’Toole.

The monologue goes as follows:

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defence of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new: an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto, “Anyone can cook.” But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.”

– Anton Ego, Ratatouille

The monologue is special because it’s not about a military commander galvanizing his troops by giving a motivational speech neither is it of a superhero rising from ashes; instead, it is honest without a hint of being tendentious or utilising an enticing soundtrack or a powerful voice. A masterpiece based on the sheer content of the speech.

Often when an amateur individual or organization comes up with something new, they have put in a lot of hard work, passion, creativity and patience; all with a tinge of ungroomed approach and obscured by a cloud of inexperience. And even when they are done with the final product, it is more likely to be a shallow idea or concept, that doesn’t work out as they planned more often than not. Only after multiple failures and consistent efforts, they are able to hit the average patch and their work makes a lot of sense. However, they are still volatile and need support. That’s exactly what the monologue reciprocates and goes on even to assert the role of a critic. A critic who turns out to be an arbiter of success or failure for an individual’s work or an organisation, can’t be complacent or emotional while deciding their fate because they literally hold the office solely to set the bar of excellence. But at the same time, it is their prime duty to uphold the new who have shown the zeal to be the best but are still in infancy.

Time and time again, there are a lot of Remys around the world dismissed even before giving them a chance based on various grounds such as race, gender, region, a franchise they belong to, references and connections they have or even for them being ‘different’ than the general convention. Students and fresh job seekers applying for jobs are quickly judged by their grades, the institution they have studied from and without even giving them a chance to showcase the personal skills and specialities they possess. The opinions and suggestions of the new and meek investors or employees in an organization are often side-lined or rarely given a second thought, the children are quickly brushed aside from a conversation of grown-ups and students are often upbraided for trying to attempt something considered as ‘unconventional’. Copernicus was dismissed as a heretic fool, while Joan of the Arc and Servetus both were burned to death. All of them had a thing in common; they belonged to the category ‘new’.

Remy the rat, is a strong shout-out to all those ‘new’ dismissed to hang in there and focus on their abilities, for the kind few out there require some time to recognize and validate them before the world by garnering support. Support against the villains of traditionalism and conventionalism; so that the next time you judge Rosie’s burger joint, only after you’ve given it an unprejudiced try!

Always remember, ‘Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere!’