Monday Morning Poll: Shouldn't We Just Leave Fast Food Alone?
Filed under: Cannes, Critical Thought, Celebrities and Controversy, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Politics
I'm not sure how many times I've eaten fast food in my lifetime. I would guess the actual number would at least be in the hundreds, if not thousands. Scary, ain't it? However, I know, that each and every time I shove a McDonald's hamburger into my mouth, there's a chance I would be utterly grossed out if I knew every detail of the gritty journey that burger took on its way into my stomach.
Though Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation isn't due to hit theaters until the fall, its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival is already conjuring up thoughts of protests and controversy. McDonald's has prepared a fierce campaign against the ideas presented in the film, just as it did after Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me. While Spurlock's documentary caused damage to the fast food industry, all but eliminating the super-size option and forcing chains to provide a healthier menu, he was but one man on the outside of an enormous monster. Fast Food Nation, although fictionalized for the screen, will delve much deeper and certainly has the potential to significantly damage the Happy Meal.
But is it worth it? There's obviously a demand for fast food throughout the world and, ever since Spurlock's adventure, the industry really has made a conscious effort to step up the health factor. Look, the point's been made -- eat this stuff at your own risk. We know this. We understand it. Is there more to say?
So, I ask you: Should we or should we not just leave the fast food industry alone?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-22-2006 @ 11:20AM
carpet said...
"Look, the point's been made -- eat this stuff at your own risk. We know this. We understand it. Is there more to say?"
It's not just about the health effects of eating fast food. Most people recognize the fact that it's not healthy (to different degrees, of course), but the fast food industry is damaging in other aspects. Economically, culturally, and environmentally. For example, fast food has undoubtedly helped to usher in the age of industrial farming, wiping out small, family-owned farms. And industrial farming is the least sustainable method of farming, of course.
And here's one other fun fact: the number one reason for deforestation in South America? Cows. The fast food industry requires millions of pounds of beef, and tropical rainforests have been cleared by the thousands of acres to make way for cattle ranches.
The list goes on and on. The fast food industry is just one part of a bigger puzzle which makes up our culture of maximum harm.
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5-22-2006 @ 11:57AM
Ray Arbour said...
Amen, carpet!
If you haven't read "Fast Food Nation," do it. It will change your life. Not only is the Fast Food Industry responsible for wiping out family owned farms, it is also directly responsible for the rise in need for unskilled labor - minimum wage jobs - while this might sound okay, the end result is more governmnent assistance for those employees, which means higher taxes for the rest of us.
As carpet said, the list goes on and on. Shouldn't we just leave fast food alone? Yes, on every level - everybody should leave fast food alone - don'e even eat the healthy stuff - it's not only their food that is dangerous, it is every aspect of their business practices.
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5-22-2006 @ 12:11PM
Amanda said...
Agree!! The message needs to be gotten out more than once - the industry will certaintly get their message out as often as possible. The truth will get lost amid the marketing, if no one is looking for it...
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5-22-2006 @ 12:43PM
Rob X. said...
Whoop-dee-freakin doo. Another screed by PC whiners against a successful business for creating a popular product. Look deep enough into any industry and you'll find negatives (family farms have laws written for them that allow for cheap child labor!).
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5-22-2006 @ 4:32PM
Finished.Law.School said...
No, we should not leave fast food alone.
Look around at all of the fat people. Look around at all of the people still eating fast food on a regular basis. Look at the idiots who think suing fast food companies is the answer.
Sure, these idiots make the decision to eat like that but uncovering and putting on display some of the facts regarding how unhealthy this stuff is and how the companies handle food and otherwise should continue. No one should ever think that eating fast food is healthy.
With that being said, I love Fatburger, In-N-Out and Burger King and would eat there more often if I could...
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