Fennel

Fennel is a recurring image throughout "This Is My Milwaukee".

Appearances

 

• First Video
  • 1:25- Worker is seen planting a fennel bulb in the ground.
  • 1:38- In the Activity Room, coloring pages with depictions of fennel are seen on the walls.
    • Girl's message
  • 2:45- A fennel bulb is punched while the narrator says "Review"
  • 2:50- A fennel bulb is placed under a table while the narrator says "Under"
  • 6:03- The fennel bulb coloring pages are seen hanging out of a trash bag.
  • 10:08- The lyric "Charming yasai" (Charming Vegetable) may be a reference to fennel

 

• Second Video
  • :17- Worker is seen holding a briefcase with the coloring book page from the Activity Room attached to the side.
  • :23- The Basketball Player is seen raising a fennel bulb in the air, and apparently causing  Worker's glasses to break.

 

Clues

 

• There are several references to burying fennel bulbs.
  • In the first video, Worker is seen planting a fennel bulb (1:25)
  • The coloring book pages in the Activity Room (Video 1, 1:38) say "These belong underground. Where are yours?"
  • During the "Jobs" segment of the first video, Worker is seen placing a fennel bulb under a table (2:50)
• In a conversation with Mike Russo, he has said that this is not fennel, but a family tree.
• The fennel bulbs appear to have some supernatural power
  • In the second video, when the Basketball Player raises a fennel bulb into the air, Worker looks shocked, and his glasses shatter (:23).

 

Symbolism

 

In Greek mythology, Prometheus used the stalk of a fennel plant to steal fire from the gods. Also, it was from the giant fennel, Ferula communis, that the Bacchanalian wands of the god Dionysus and his followers were said to have come. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennel)