fast food Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I've been known to frequent certain fast food establishments far more than I should, to the extent that the employees recognize me and greet me warmly upon my return. So my guilty conscience prodded me to revisit Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me, which is available for free online viewing via our friends at SnagFilms. We've embedded it after the jump so you can view it right here at Cinematical.

SnagFilms is celebrating their one-year anniversary, and Super Size Me is currently the most popular title. Clearly it's not just guilty consciences that make the doc essential, and surprisingly enjoyable, viewing. Spurlock sets out to test the boundaries between personal and corporate responsibility, to see if eating every meal at McDonalds every day for 30 days would be dangerous to his health -- as one judge indicated would need to be proved if a lawsuit against the fast food giant could proceed. Spurlock establishes his baseline medical condition with three physicians, who anticipate that the diet may only affect him to a limited extent.

What starts off as "wish fulfillment of an eight-year-old child quickly turns to drudgery. A healthy man and a healthy eater, Spurlock finds no joy in his self-imposed diet, and has a tendency to be strident. Yet the medical risks are real, as is his concern about waking people up about the dangers of a fast food nation. Coincidentally (?!), McDonalds started to phase out super-sizing -- right about the time of the film's release. Super Size Me remains a vital document and a plea for the healthy, responsible consumption of food. It's funny, too!

Watch Super Size Me after the jump!

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?