McDonald's Prepares for Fast Food Nation
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Independent, Celebrities and Controversy, Fox Searchlight, Newsstand, Cinematical Indie
Not only will Fox Searchlight release their
movie version of Fast Food
Nation (about the workings of a fast food chained called Mickey's) later this year, but that book's author,
Eric Schlosser, is also soon to release Chew
on This: Everything You Didn't Want to Know about Fast Food, a similarly themed (but you probably guessed that)
book aimed at teachers and students. McDonald's however, isn't running scared. Oh no. Instead, they're exchanging
war-like internal memos, and promising a "full-scale media campaign" in responses to the upcoming media
assault. Among the tactics reportedly being considered are a "truth squad" (Maybe they'll carry around a giant, inflatable fry.), a "campaign
to tell the real story" ("Massive amounts of fat are good for you!" "Animals totally love factory
farms!") and, most tantalizingly, efforts to "discredit the message and the messenger." Oooooh. I can't
wait for that one -- do you think Happy Meals boxes will start featuring pictures of Richard Linklater's face with a big, red "X" through it? No release date has been set for Fast Food Nation, dammit, but it's expected out some time in 2006.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-12-2006 @ 7:23PM
joshua said...
i could never understand why mcdonalds has always been such a big target for attack. they're a business. they might not serve healthy food but where else can you get a $3 meal in 90 seconds? some people like a quick meal and don't really care how bad it is for them. mcdonalds is aiming for that market. not someone looking for a healthy meal.
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4-12-2006 @ 7:39PM
Razib Ahmed said...
mcdonalds has always been such a big target for attack because it has hardly listen to the protests over its food practices. If it had been sincere and tried to listen to those people then it would not have been the target of such attack. ANyway, I think that as long as they are not doing anything illegal, I have any complain against them. But tit for tat policy from such a business giant is not expected.
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4-12-2006 @ 8:13PM
patrick meaney said...
mcdonald's is a success story because it gives people what they want, good tasting food at a good price. if you know how to order, you can even eat healthy or you can splurge and not worry about the calories and fat.where can youget a compleate meal that tastes good for $3?
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4-12-2006 @ 10:52PM
Morgan said...
The irritating thing about McDonald's "protesters" or whatever they want to be called, is they can't just not go there and leave people alone that like it. They need to get their noses in there, right up deep in poeple's crack to affect what they do and what they eat. Now I can't even get a 44oz Diet Coke at McDonald's, and NO ONE has the quality mix they've got there. If there's such a pent up demand for fast-vegan-cruelty-free-tallow-free-added-karma whatever food, somebody'd be making a killing selling it. Busybodies and know-it-alls...
And by the way, this is just the kind of movie I've been waiting for. More preach, less entertainment. Gracias in advance, Fox.
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4-12-2006 @ 11:06PM
Chip said...
What part of "personal responsibility" don't these unfortunate obese "victims" understand?
Is there any doubt that a 24/7 diet of even, say, cooked-at-home burger-helper, is unhealthy? Anything in excess is unhealthy.
Simply put, McDonald's is a big target with deep pockets and heaven only knows how many bottom-feeding lawyers are out there to enrich themselves by representing idiots claiming they didn't know any better.
Puh-lease!
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4-12-2006 @ 11:20PM
flip said...
I guess no one really likes looking past the surface of things... you know, the fact that McDonald's encourages a globalized economy by taking its business into foreign countries, eliminating smaller and local businesses, and... believe it or not, helping push the destruction of precious rainforest territories to new extremes. Those many, many cattle ranches take space, you know? Please, look beyond the storefront and realize some of their practices are less than ideal.
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4-13-2006 @ 8:18AM
Elliott said...
I've read "Fast Food Nation". If the movie is true to the book, then it will not be another "Supersize Me" type film. The book has very little to do with the amount of fat involved in McDonald's food, so all the fatties can relax.
It will most likely deal with how McDonald's lies to vegetarians and Hindus by injecting their fries and chicken mcnuggets with beef extracts, the way they treat their workforce, and how they bully their suppliers.
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4-13-2006 @ 11:24AM
Josh Boelter said...
I've got heroin on sale for $3 a hit. I'm just giving people what they want at a good price. It's all about personal responsibility if you get hooked on the smack.
Come join the fun at McNeedles!
Personal responsibility does not negate corporate responsibility or vice versa.
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4-13-2006 @ 6:34PM
Mary said...
Re: comments by Joshua and Patrick Meaney
If those two guys work/flack for McDonalds, then the smear campaign is already underway. Let loose the hounds!!!
I give Fox Searchlight kudos for getting this film made, and I hope they'll back it during distribution too.
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4-18-2006 @ 11:03AM
Jordan said...
Glad to hear what Elliott said, as I have not read the book. It would be... actually rather embarrassing if it turned out to be just another "Supersize Me", which was kind of a no-brainer in the first place.
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4-18-2006 @ 1:38PM
joe said...
To Joshua, Patrick, Morgan, and Chip: You obviously haven't read Fast Food Nation. Maybe 1/4th (if even that) of the book deals w/fat content. Pick up a copy at your local library or bookstore--it will open your eyes. A $3.00 McDonald's meal may just seem like a good, fast, cheap meal, but there's a whole bunch of crap (figurative, but in some cases even literal) that goes into it.
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