Category: Fast Food

Mcdonald’s French fries are very popular among every one of all ages. Eric Schlosser uses words such as chemicals, manipulation, and reputation to inform the reader of the secrets and the unspoken truth regarding the ingredients that are being used in factories and industries to create products such as home and food items. Throughout his essay he also draws attention to the fact that the flavors and big companies don’t really consider the health of others, they mostly care about creating new flavors and products.

Eric Schlosser first begins to get his message across early in his article when talking about natural and artificial flavoring labels on the back of every product. He says “You’ll find “Natural flavor” or “Artificial flavor” in just about every list of ingredients” (Schlosser 50). When companies use labels such as “Natural flavors” or Artificial flavors” we are unaware of what actually is in the food that we are consuming. Companies use labels such as these to cover up the actual ingredients that are in our food. By using these labels they also hide the fact that most of the food items consist of many chemicals to get that exact flavor. They don’t mention the chemicals that are being used because they know that if they do then no one would buy their products. In his essay, Schlosser even mentions how natural flavors are not necessarily a healthier option than artificial flavoring. By using these words and mentioning the real ingredients behind the flavorings, he makes the readers feel alarmed and leaves them questioning their food because they are unsure of what they are actually eating.

Another place where Eric Schlosser further supports his message is when he mentions the secrecy of famous companies and brands. “The secrecy is deemed essential for protecting the reputations of beloved brands” (52). Schlosser uses words such as reputation, protecting, and beloved brands to show the readers that there are big and popular brands that don’t want the world to know about what happens in the factories, they do this because they don’t want to ruin their reputation and put their companies at risk. Later on, he also mentions the non-disclosure agreement that he had to sign. By using this he makes the readers feel confused and curious as to what the companies are trying to hide.

Schlosser continues to get his message across by talking about the manipulation of chemicals and the effects it has on us. He says “All these aromas are made through essentially the same process: the manipulation of volatile chemicals” (53). In order to get his message across, Schlosser uses facts and words to convey an informative tone. He also purposely structures the sentence by leaving “The manipulation of volatile chemicals” at the end because he wants that sentence to be the last part the reader reads. His intention for leaving it at the end is meant to make the reader aware that it’s not all real and that we are being tricked into believing that the aroma of what we are eating is real when in reality we are just eating food with lots of chemicals.

Over the years food industries have been using many tactics such as new flavors, commercials with celebrities, Super Bowl ads, and social media to capture the attention of their consumers. In his article, Eric Schlosser says “At Burger King, Wendy’s, and Mcdonald’s coloring agents have been added to many of the soft drinks, salad dressings, cookies, condiments, chicken dishes, and sandwich buns” (54). Schlosser mentions popular fast food chains such as Mcdonald’s and Burger King because he knows that they are famous among the people in America and around the world; he also knows that it will grab the reader’s attention. Schlosser conveys this message by mentioning the usage of coloring agents in popular food items and he does this to make his readers feel horrified, shocked, and somewhat disgusted with what they have been eating.

Toward the end of his paper, Schlosser continues to get his message across by mentioning the blind sniff test that was done on him by Flavors Grainger. “The aroma was uncanny, almost miraculous- as if someone in the room were flipping burgers on a hot grill. But when I opened my eyes, I saw a narrow strip of white paper and a flavorist with a grin” (56). Schlosser uses the word “ uncanny” when talking about the aroma because he thought it was strange how just taking a sniff of a piece of paper made him believe that there was someone actually grilling fresh burgers. He also uses the word “miraculous” as if it’s such a magical thing, like a magician doing tricks. When Schlosser opens his eyes he sees Grainger with a grin, by mentioning the flavorist with a grin sends the reader a message, the message being that the florist knows that he tricked you because of his overconfident “I know” grin. Schlosser does this on purpose, he does this to make the reader feel as if they are being played and fooled.

In conclusion, Eric Schlosser was able to get his message across through his words by informing people about the unspoken truth and about what we’re consuming. Throughout the essay, Eric Schlosser uses his informative journalism skills to get his point of view and message across. He also uses examples in his essay of how food is made and what ingredients/chemicals are put into not only food and fruits but also household products. Schlosser mentions the ingredients so that people are more aware of certain products, he also does it to somewhat educate the readers.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to exchange lives with somebody for a week or maybe even a day? What if it was with a plantation worker that is employed by a strawberry farm? Yes, no, maybe so? Well, do not be afraid to ponder over it, because the article “In the Strawberry Fields” by Eric Schlosser, describes the daily life of a worker. It acknowledges the numerous complications and hurdles that they have to overcome daily. Schlosser addresses that “It would be wrong to imply that all strawberry growers routinely mistreat their workers, but some do” (86). Many of the migrants encounter a considerable amount of hardships, which consist of having a low income, restricted housing space, and long hours of work. There have been many solutions or implied solutions to the problems; however, they have not been conducted properly. A couple of ways that might possibly help regulate and fix the issues involve having frequent check-ins and investigations within the farm. It could also be helpful by turning abandoned places into shelters and housing for people who are without a roof above their heads. Another thing that can be beneficial is fundraising, such as raising money for the workers and donating it to them or using the money for projects like building tiny homes. The hardships that the workers face have brought up many solutions that can benefit them and they include: doing annual check-ins and investigations, building homes, and giving out work visas.

California is the location of the largest agriculture industry where many immigrants come to find jobs. However, Schlosser identifies that “Migrants are among the poorest workers in the United States” (82). In other words, they do not get paid enough, which is way under minimum wage. By not getting paid the correct amount of money, there are countless possibilities that have been limited causing the immigrants to experience an unpleasant outcome. Being paid a low amount gives them barely anything for them to spend as well as not having enough money to use for the necessities. An additional component that plays a part in how much the workers get paid is that “The market for strawberries can prove just as unpredictable and disastrous as the weather” (Schlosser 84). There are many factors that go into growing strawberries that influence the market of the fruit. It includes a wide variety of pests, weather conditions, and perishability/how early it is picked and shipped to the store. Due to that, the wages that they receive fluctuate a lot. Schlosser confirms that growers can “reduce labor cost by keeping workers off the books” (86). This means that paying “invisible workers” in cash reduces the amount that the worker should have earned by 20 percent (Schlosser 86). There have been rules implemented by California about overtime; however, “in agriculture, the rule does not apply until the workday reaches ten hours-effectively cuts those wages by 50 percent. And paying less than minimum wage brings the greatest savings of all” (Schlosser 86). In other words, many plantation owners find ways to cut back on paying their workers. The workers are mainly composed of illegal immigrants who don’t have the ability to contact law enforcement about violations of the labor code (Schlosser 86). Without the law being enforced, many workers are suffering.

The minimum wage in California is 12 dollars an hour; nonetheless, the workers still are not getting a big salary. One way that we can fix this problem is by doing annual investigations as well as frequent check-ins.

Finding a place to sleep is sometimes a very difficult thing to find. Schlosser points out that “Another constant worry is finding a place to sleep” (96). There are some workers who would sleep outdoors or even try to rent out their friend’s garages to sleep in. They might end up “paying $100 to $200 a month to sleep in a garage with anywhere from four to ten other people” (Schlosser 96). Schlosser addresses the fact that one place that the workers try to avoid is the labor camps. It is not because of the cost, but it is due to the fact that their possessions might be stolen during their stay (96). Many of the migrants tend to go there as a last resort; however, if there is nothing else that they can do they will go to the camps.

Rhetorical Analysis Why the Fries Taste Good

“Simplot displays the contradictory traits that have guided the economic development of the American West, the odd mixture of rugged individualism and a dependence upon public land and resources.” (Schlosser pg. 2) A fifteen-year-old dropout defied the odds and became one of the richest most famous men residing in Idaho. With brilliant ideas for dehydrated potatoes J. R. Simplot changed the path for food rations during World War 2, and by 1953 Simplot branched out selling directly to the consumer. Schlosser takes the reader through each process and travels the depth of international flavor testing aiding the taste of French fries, and he shows the vast development of techniques used in other forms of French fry production. By sensory details the author allows the reader to not only understand the creation process, but he paints a visual picture by describing the town where it all started. Schlosser opens the mind of the reader with a clear and precise motive for this article, to inform and educate others about what potatoes farming started has further grown into, and will become.

Split between two men Simplot and his landlord Maggart purchased the electric potato sorter an invention of the time, but greediness stood between them and greatness. Simplot laid the future of his company on a coin toss, with an enormous amount of luck J. R. won the toss and thus created his first potato cellar in Delco. (Schlosser 2) Within a blink of an eye, Simplot traveled nationwide meeting and forming relations with commodities brokers, selling and sorting potatoes for area farmers, and building new warehouses to expand his farms. (Schlosser 2) Schlosser expresses how the West quickly recognized J. R. as the largest producer of potatoes with over 30 warehouses spread throughout Oregon and Idaho. Schlosser thoroughly explains his firsthand experience taking part in the potato process from the operations and workers to the aromas of the factories. “Perhaps the real reason behind the popularity of fast food is that it tastes so good. One of the most revealing points in Schlosser’s book is when he interviews the food flavor scientists who are able to synthesize the chemicals to produce appealing aromas and tastes virtually out of the air” (Brailsford 119.)

References

1. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser Review by: IAN BRAILSFORD Australasian Journal of American Studies, Vol. 22, No. 1 (July 2003), pp. 117-119
2. Schlosser, Eric. “Why the Fries Taste Good.” Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. 26 March 2010. 4 pages. Web. PBS. 16 Nov. 2011.

In Eric Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation,” Schlosser illustrates how eating habits and production have varied since the mid-20th century. Schlosser begins by describing how he studied the careers of many different people from all walks of life, including, farmers, employees at restaurants, and even higher-level executives. He then goes on to describe that he will also be examining the ways that the production of food has varied since the end of the Second World War.

Schlosser begins by studying the ways that many fast-food businesses have succeeded. He draws comparisons between the success of restaurants such as McDonald’s, Hardees Jr, and Wendy’s, and the way that the suburbs expanded as well as the growth in ownership of the car. He goes further to say that these expansions in society (especially in California) were not only instrumental in the explosion of fast-food chains but were necessary for their success.

Schlosser goes on to describe in detail the technological advances these businesses made that were fundamental to their respective success. Schlosser begins with what is one of the most important practices imposed by McDonald’s today; the “Speedee Service System.” This system employed by most fast food restaurants today draws comparisons from Ford’s assembly line, in which the job of creating a burger is split into many different parts and individually managed by employees. This way of dividing up work allowed for much faster production time which greatly increased their profits.

Schlosser continues by describing the landlord-type ownership of fast-food establishments. He writes that many of these businesses make huge profits from this system that draws comparisons to the medieval practice of feudalism, in which lords rent land from their king, and then pay them back through profit and military service. Schlosser then goes on to write about the lives of a few fast-food employees and franchise owners who are involved in this feudal system of economics. Schlosser then shifts his focus to the farmers who are affected by large corporations. He describes how they are struggling to compete with the titans of farming and continues by stating that it is nearly impossible at this point to be an independent farmer.

Next, Schlosser explores the production of beef and chicken. Schlosser describes the unhygienic and downright revolting methods of producing what people eat at fast food joints. He writes that much like fast food restaurants, many of these producers have begun to cut down on time by streamlining tasks and relying heavily on unskilled laborers. He continues by stating that it is not uncommon for chicken and beef to be tainted by fecal matter. This leads to the production often carrying salmonella, E. coli, and other harmful pollutants that can cause serious illness.

Schlosser closes by stating that although fast food is thought of as an American institution, it changed the American diet.

The value of fast food is a big issue that has been spreading around the world since the Second World war and became popular since then in America. Fast food refers to food that is characterized as quick and food that is prepared and served quickly. In this essay, I will explore three main positions on the issue of fast food. First, there are people who eat fast food every single day without knowing if it is good or bad for their bodies. With the expansion of fast food, people should know more about the negative and positive effects of eating fast food every day. Second, there are those who truly believe in an advertisement for fast food on TV because an advertisement is so influential to a company’s customers. Approximately, 60% of customers are likely to make a purchase of fast food after knowing a TV advertisement because advertisers use every mean on TV to make everything looks tasty and good to get people money without worrying about health. People should really consider their health and how much money they could save. Third, there are those who eat fast food that will become a habit because fast food is easy to find, it literally everywhere on the street, and fast food also tastes very delicious, consuming them becomes a habit. That is really a problem for people nowadays.

According to the new report by Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistic, American adults from ages 20 to 39 were most likely to say that they consumed fast food on a given day, at nearly 44.9%, compared with people from ages 40 to 59 was 37.7%, and 24.1% of adults 60 and older. These numbers show that people really don’t care about the effects of fast food on their bodies. In my point of view, I think fast food is neither good nor bad because it just depends on how people consume it. When fast food regularly replaces nutritious foods, our bodies eventually will be damaged. For example, if we eat fast food over a long period of time, we will see links to health problems such as digestive issues, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. But it is okay to eat fast food twice a week, as long as it is not high in cholesterol and sodium. Furthermore, fast food is a favorite meal of children, especially school children because fast food is very enticing, and ingredients in fast food such as fat, sugar, and salt make it taste incredible because it makes our bodies release the pleasure hormone dopamine, in comparison to regular food. In some cases, most students are in a critical stage of physical and cognitive development because of the fast food which they consumed. It is very important to know the type of food that children consume as it may affect their health. However, fast food is extremely cheap and convenient for children. This means that consuming fast food saves people a lot of time to do other things, particularly school children who need time to study. Overall, fast food is cheap for everyone to purchase and also convenient for everyone who doesn’t know how to cook and wants to save time. On the other hand, fast food will affect your body negatively if you consume it often.

Since the 1975s, the fast food industry in America has targeted some of its advertising directly at the youth population and considers them as a dominant market force. The instance of obesity has also significantly increased at the same time. Advertising never tells us the negative sides of fast food or what happens if we consume it every day. Advertising always tells people the positive side of fast food such as convenience, lower cost, and more choices. Another thing that advertising does is to make food look as amazing as possible and there is a food stylist who prepares food for television and also a photographer who is in charge of creating an attractive photograph of food. These tricks help explain why fast food advertising often looks different than fast food looks in real images. However, for some reason, people still strongly believe in the advertised fast food, maybe because advertisers are so good at using every means to tell and to show how the products are great. Furthermore, people will feel hunger and excitement when they see all the commercials about eating. That’s why people frequently don’t take into consideration how fast food will affect their health if they consume too much. Another reason fast food is unhealthy for some people is that most people underestimate the number of calories they were consuming and they don’t really care about it, as long as it’s tasty and convenient. On the other hand, the advertisement for fast food is not really negative because some advertisement for fast food is very good and helpful. For instance, some advertised fast food is of good quality and can contain toys with specific meals and fast food is not just about burgers and fries. There are some healthy vegetarian options we can get at fast food chains. Advertised fast food is in a lot of convenient locations for customers and workers, while others do a carry-out service.

Fast food becomes a habit for many people mostly because of its nature of being highly delicious and tasty. Ingredients in fast food such as sugar, fat, and salt can easily release chemicals that make us feel good. Because fast food lacks fiber, eating too much of it could lead to obesity. Our lifestyle eventually could be changed by obesity. For example, consuming large amounts of fast food will affect the performance of our brain such as impacting our memory, and mood and increasing our risk of dilemma. However, fast food is not always bad because we can decrease the risk by choosing healthier options. We can have healthy options by taking advantage of healthy side dishes offered at many food restaurants. For instance, instead of choosing cheese, we can choose fresh tomato salsa and a half-sized salad. But remember, watch what you drink because most of the drinks in fast food restaurants are high in calories.

In conclusion, although fast food is inexpensive, convenient, and tastes good. We shouldn’t consume it frequently, as it may result in health problems such as cancer and obesity. In order to improve a healthy lifestyle, it is important to avoid cigarette use, give up a sedentary lifestyle and eat healthily how the choice will affect our health? Every time we find ourselves trying to buy fast food, we should think about how fast food could

Should schools sell fast food instead of traditionally cooked, cafeteria food?

Across the United States, students that attend a four-year traditional college would either prefer eating in the campus cafeteria, or a fast-food chain like Pizza Hut or McDonald’s. With the students being able to choose between the two, this affects those eating fast food by becoming a direct effect on their health and a problem for the colleges. Whether there are students that eat at the cafeteria or a fast-food chain, they seem to be unconcerned if they are putting anything nutritional that’s needed for their body. There’s a possibility that this would cause concerns for the states that have these traditional colleges and situations.

Is there anything that can prove how unhealthy it is to eat fast food? Due to the controversy between fast foods and cafeteria foods, there’s an article name ‘Fast-Food Examination’ that explains what is going on within a fast-food chain and what causes people to convert to eating those foods. In this article, I noticed that there are three traps that all fast-food chains use for Simple Sugars, Saturated Fats, and Hydrogenated Oils. Could there be fast food in schools? The author infers ‘The more research my students conducted, the more convinced they became. Having a fast-food cafeteria wouldn’t be such a good idea after all.’. The substances that are used in the foods that are being cooked are speculative because of how they can negatively affect your body.

Eating at these fast-food chains can also cause these students to consume a lot of calories when eating those foods. In another article called ‘Fast-Food Nation; School Cafeteria Food Fight: [Home Edition]’, the author pointed out something that was a turning point because it states, ‘More school-lunch bills are kicking around California right now than fad diets.’. This issue seems like a problem with the government wanting to provide healthy food options with not enough money to support it. The article also states more information about the bills by stating ‘Though each bill makes a contribution, the different pieces of legislation do step on each other’s toes a bit, and it’s still hard to fathom the reasoning that would ban sodas but allow fruit juices that have even more sugar and calories but little or no additional nutrition.’. With this information, it does prove that there’s a belief of taking away products that are ‘junk’ is more important than taking away products with more sugar and not nutritional. Meanwhile, the article believes that Schools can teach what good nutrition looks like without learning it with chips, candy, and other junk food. But, will it possibly harm schools in different states across the United States?

While the author of this article does bring up the concern of how it might impact these schools by stating ‘This school year, Texas began an even tougher approach than those of California’s bills.’. This article mainly talks about the differences between presenting a bill and being able to have enough money to support this action. Being able to approach this bill with enough support is a problem for different states throughout the United States. With the importance of these schools wanting to provide a good nutritional meal for the students, there should be enough support for this action. Even though, there are states that will allow this bill, but, the important thing is how long will they keep the bill. Allowing the schools to provide a nutritional meal for students within the cafeteria would be helpful causing more students to want to eat the cafeteria food.

With schools not having fast food, it causes people to realize eating fast food is what students expect. Why are students wanting to get food from a fast-food spot instead of eating at the school cafeteria? In the article ‘Did Somebody Say School Lunch?; Fast-Food Franchises have Invaded the Cafeteria. Kids Expect the Choices these Days.’, the food director for the Des Moines district states, ‘If they don’t get what they want at school, they’ll go across the street to a convenience store or a fast-food spot.’. The food director implies, if they don’t serve what the students like, there’s a possibility that they will leave the school to get what pleases them. Throughout this issue, I view this as a student we should be given the option to have something different, this would allow every student to pick whatever food option they desire. With there being convenience stores that offer those options can grab their attention, causing them to want those items.

I agree that schools should sell fast food because this would expand the choices that students would have to pick from. Being able to have a different variety of food choices to pick from can be useful and helpful for every student that enters the cafeteria. There are still some pros and cons to it, but it’ll work. Having different types of food provided a change in students’ perspectives on what they should eat. Understanding that there are some pros and cons to the situation of having fast food at schools would eventually become a positive thing that happens for all the schools.

As a student, I do see that there’s common ground between fast-food and cafeteria food based on what I’ve seen over the years. Within the transition from High School to College, you can notice how things change within the cafeteria are different by noticing what types of foods are being served. Every day at High School you’re probably receiving something you wouldn’t want versus at a College. Even though, being in College, you are given the freedom to choose what you want with the different variety of foods there. Students are being affected because we do believe that our voices should be heard. If you notice, High School students’ voices aren’t being heard, and are not given the same choices that College students are given which causes them to go get fast food.

In conclusion, having schools sell fast food would become a growth factor for schools across the United States, causing the number of students eating in the cafeteria to increase. Allowing fast food places to serve students would allow them to have a better food variety instead of them having to eat traditional food. Knowing what type of effect, it’ll have on the students is important as well. Being able to pick what you want to eat is always the best thing to do because you know that you’re not going to waste anything.

Work Cited

1. Baird, Rod. ‘Fast-Food Examination.’ Current Health 1, vol. 29, no. 6, 02, 2006, pp. 8-11. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/docview/209824356?accountid=10008.
2. ‘FAST-FOOD NATION; School Cafeteria Food Fight: HOME EDITION].’ Los Angeles Times, Mar 26, 2005. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/docview/421981878?accountid=10008.
3. McGarvey, Carol. ‘Did Somebody Say School Lunch?; Fast-Food Franchises have Invaded the Cafeteria. Kids Expect the Choices these Days.’ Des Moines Register, Jan 26, 2000. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.cpcc.edu/docview/889996746?accountid=10008.

Junk food, junk food, and junk food are around all corners of schools. Chocolate, cookies, soda, potato chips, and Sour Strings may sound delectable to some people, but are they nutritious? Some people wonder if there should be a change. Encouraging exceptional nutrition in schools is essential by reasons of students will consume foods that are better for them, schools will pay less for meals, and fewer students would go hungry.

‘Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food’ (Hardy, 2006). The Greeks followed this idea by the philosopher Hippocrates, but today`s society does not take the message seriously. A majority of people eat harmful foods and do not receive the nutrition they need to stay healthy. There are a number of reasons why nutrition is lacking. A lot of teens and college students eat snacks that are not healthy such as chips, pop, candy, etc. The majority of people might only eat one meal that contains the nutritional foods because they are on the go or just simply do not care. Schools should educate students about what they consume from what they offer students for breakfast and lunch. ‘With many school districts facing budget shortfalls, a quick solution has come from offering more profitable fast food’ (Barboza 17). In order to keep their jobs schools shouldn`t directly turn to fast food. It shouldn`t be the job of schools to decide what is fed to the children but the parent’s job to help decide what is best to feed their children, since the students do not know what is best for them. Money shouldn`t always be the reason that schools turn to fast-food companies for help. The school should receive help from its community so the children who go there have a place they can go and receive good quality information. ‘Schools get paid a kickback for every sugary soft drink or burger sold’ (Barboza 24). Students usually apply what they learn from school to the real world because that`s what they are taught to do. Students who learn at school that junk food and fast food are ok to serve at breakfast and lunch will think it’s ok for them to eat them whenever they are not at school. In conclusion, schools shouldn`t teach students that it’s ok to eat junk food and fast food they serve for breakfast or lunch they should be offering kids a way to better their life when at school and not at school. School should be a place for educating students about good nutrition that they will apply in their lives. If teachers tell the students the health facts at school it is easier for that one teacher to learn everything and teach multiple people than for many parents to gather the information and tell multiple students who will most likely not want to listen to what is being said. I did use quotes from Davids Barboza`s If you pitch it, they will eat it. Some say this article does contain biased parts, but Barboza does bring forward some interesting points that do need some discussion about. Better nutrition in schools is critical being students will eat food that is better for them. Research shows students that who eat school meals are more likely to obtain a healthier weight than students that bring a lunch if the school abides National School lunch program (NSLP). This shows that school lunch is healthier by showing students who eat school lunch tend to be at a healthier weight if the school is following the school meal program. The facts are that nutrition is needed for all life. School lunches have to serve crucial nutrients and be in age-appropriate serving sizes as designed by nutrition professionals (Haugen). Nourishment is important to serve and that shows schools are required to have essential nutrients in food if following this school’s meal program. If the school follows NSLP guidelines the students who consume lunch benefit from more vegetables, milk, milk products, and meat than those students who do not (Haugen). Statistics show schools that follow a school lunch program eat healthier.

In conclusion should find ways to inform students about healthy lifestyles what they feed them, the classes they offer, and what they allow to be exposed at schools to the children. We need to care because it is important for students to learn about health so they can make better life choices and so they know what is actually being fed to them. Encouraging better nutrition is important in schools because students can apply in their lives how they treat their bodies by eating healthy foods.

In the chapter “Behind the Counter” Schlosser creates an image of the ideal place which can be compared with fast food idyll. Schlosser underlines that the fast food problem in society, culture, and identity is presenting all Americans with profound dilemmas- that are badly in need of clarification and resolution of real life values and ideals Schlosser wonders whether it is politico-cultural choice for citizens or expansion of the fast food empire. Thesis I agree with Schlosser that Fast Food Empire hides many drawbacks and disadvantages unnoticed by the population but changing its core values and cultural traditions.

Schlosser sets the task of clarifying the dynamics of culture through a discussion of what he regards as fundamental presumptions at its core. First, there is the presumption, by which fast food commonly and easily comes to substitute for American life style. This discursive shift has resulted in a cultural politics that is patron­izing to the population and fast food. Schlosser’s second presumption is what he associates with fast food proliferation and expansion, whereby Americaness has come to be associated with fast food bars. “Every few miles clusters of fast food joints seem to repeat themselves. You can drive for twenty minutes, pass another fast food cluster and feel like you’ve gotten nowhere” (Schlosser cited Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz 43). In this description, there is acute irony and desperation portraying a region as fast food paradise.

Hav­ing diagnosed the sickness at the heart of the national culture, Schlosser then moves on to make some suggestions as to how these cultural-political dilemmas increase (Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz 44). Schlosser unveils true nature and business goals of McDonald’s corporation as a test area for “other types of restaurant technology” (Schlosser 66). The need for unskilled work, especially in late afternoon and evening shopping times, opens the way to after-school and weekend jobs for millions of Americans. No particular prior training or experience is necessary in these jobs. These mature concerns are offset by the amount of fast food and snack foods consumers bought–burgers, fries, corn chips, ice cream, cookies, soft drinks.

He puts his hopes, not in regional or national futures, but in a new urbanism, with cosmopolitan and multicultural possibilities. Schlosser argues that the logic of economic and cultural changes deprives people a chance to choose their life style and even thinking. Using such symbols as Academy Boulevard, Schlosser invites readers to reflect on the significance of culture and fast food values. There are those who now seek to mobilize the ideal of fast food, invoking ‘a core of ideas around which appeals to the “natural” heart of life can be based. Fast food, the symbol of cultural modernization becomes devolution, which contradict the old logic of national identity and uniqueness of American nation.

In sum, in this excerpt Schlosser gives an account of the significance of fast food in the construc­tion of the national culture. The issue of fast food remains a central one in America: for some, it remains crucial to the maintenance of an enduring’ national home: and for others, it represents a fundamental obstacle to the creation of more accommodating and cosmopolitan cultural order.

Works Cited

Lunsford, A. A., Ruszkiewicz, J. The Presence of Others. Bedford Books, 1999.

The movie created by Richard Linklater raises several significant questions about which the society prefers not to talk. Without any disguise, Fast Food Nation tells a story of how producers of meat exploit employees, slaughter animals, and disregard hygienic and sanitary norms the adherence to which is of utmost importance in the sphere that concerns food consumption. The film raises a range of feelings, the major ones being aversion, hatred, sympathy, and shock. Fast Food Nation may be regarded as a confession from the fast food producers that they will never have the courage to make. This is a story of how one of the most favorite things in the country is destroying people’s health and undermining the belief that the world is a friendly and kind place where people love their neighbors.

The most shocking issue in the movie is the revelation of work processes at the meatpacking processing plant. While the primary reason for performing an examination of the plant’s work is to find fecal masses in meat, many more appalling factors are discovered by Don Anderson, the marketing director of Mickey’s hamburger chain. There is no concern for safety regulations. Employees do not have enough time to check whether the waste stays away from the meat. The smell in the plant department is unbearable, and there is a scene when a new employee is recommended “to breathe through the mouth” (Fast Food Nation). Such issues must not be silenced, and their occurrence should be not eliminated but eradicated.

Personally, I found the scene where animals are being slaughtered the most intense one. I do realize that to get meat, animals have to be killed. However, I did not assume that they are killed in such a brutal manner. Moreover, the conditions in which people are working are impossible to accept. They look at the masses of dead animal corpses, the blood of dead the animals in everywhere, including employees’ clothes and faces, and it seems impossible to work in these conditions. Probably, the only reason that does not allow these people to leave the job is that they have no alternative. The majority of the plant’s employees are illegal immigrants who agree to work anywhere and in any conditions only to obtain the possibility of providing for their families. This state of affairs is a global problem, and it involves many organizations, but Linklater is one of the few courageous individuals to speak about it out loud.

The movie makes a strong impression on viewers. Although it is not a documentary, there is little doubt that many fast food makers do not put their interests first, disregarding consumers’ health and not caring about the conditions in which employees work. Fast Food Nation makes people think over their food preferences carefully and inspires them to refuse from consuming fast food. While those who sell fast food may be furious and try to refute the issues shown in the film, it is undoubted that people will approach the question of choosing what to eat more cautiously. Thus, Fast Food Nation may be regarded as an eye-opener for the society the preferences of which have such a long history that some individuals may be afraid to alter anything. The movie shows that a change is not only possible but compulsory.

Work Cited

Fast Food Nation. Directed by Richard Linklater, performances by Greg Kinnear, Bruce Willis, and Catalina Sandino Moreno, Participant Media, 2006.

Introduction

Eating is no longer a practice done just for the sake of it. With many processed food available, it has become a nightmare for most people who say that they are diet conscious. For these people, they tend to scrutinize a product before they buy it but little do they know that the same ingredients they could be avoiding are exactly what they are going to get.

The thesis tries to analyze ideas presented in Michael Pollan’s book “omnivore’s dilemma” and establish the viability of his ideas concerning the arguments he presents (Kuypers, p13). The threads of ideas as presented by Pollan in the first chapter of the book are scrutinized to establish the truth in it.

Discussion

This book tries to examine how this happens by explaining to the reader how the food chain works and its relationships with almost everything present in the environment.

Though most people try to choose what it is they eat hence the question, what shall eat for dinner? many still don’t understand that it is difficult to accomplish that question because all food is linked in one way or the other therefore one cannot choose what to eat and what not to eat. If you enter a supermarket, for instance, the various products displayed could only be attributed to the two main sources plants and animals. “Except for the salt and a handful of synthetic food additives every edible item in the supermarket is a link in a food chain that begins with a particular plant growing ….”

The author claims that most people feel satisfied eating at the bottom of the food chain without considering any repercussions their habits might upset the chain, such people he says should not have any business with this book. His main targets are people who want to eat in the know. The author’s main objective is to get people to understand that it is important to know what is it you eat because as he puts it …. “You are what you eat….so that is, us as processed corn walking” he further demonstrates that even though most people will not notice corn is the main ingredient of what people eat today. From what animals like chicken, turkeys feed on, ingredients of most foods e.g. milk, eggs, and most drinks so in essence what we eat is just corn.

The author’s main purpose in writing this text could be summarized as a plea to food-conscious people that there is more to what they don’t know about the food they eat. He looks to admonish people against falling into the trap set by big marketing companies and fast food outlets (Nestle, p358). He therefore critically analyses the food chain using corn to demonstrate that indeed all food originates from one source even though they may appear not related in any way.

This text depicts an environment where people have been confused by so many types of food making them unable to decide as to what is good or not good to be eaten. This is precisely the audience the author is trying to address by explaining to them the chains of food and how all of them are related to the other. He says that if you start from one point of the system you will find yourself at the end at the same point you started.

The author mentions that the dilemma faced by people especially the omnivores gave rise to this text. His main agenda was to explain how the food chains worked and their inter-relationships with each other.

The circumstance surrounding this text is pure consumption of healthy food by all people. The author’s point of view seems to be how to make people understand that it is not necessary to process all food as some could be eaten in their natural form. He seems to argue that the more the food is processed and ingredients added, the more the chances of it bringing complications when selecting what to eat and what not to.

This text’s background dates back to the ancient times of hunting and gathering when human beings survived by merely picking what is available in the surroundings which were not necessarily processed and run up to date where almost all foodstuffs are a result of processing and mixing different substances. The author argues that the destruction of the environment by the hunters and gatherers has resulted in the food chain disaster we are currently experiencing.

In this chapter, plant, the author tries to explain how corn though thought to be harmful is the center of all the food chain. He examines the corn plant which is an ancient plant with its origin dating back to a very long time ago and concludes that indeed the plant plays a major role in the food chain. With his arguments, it becomes clear that all revolve around the plant with almost 90% of all products containing corn or an ingredient made of corn….”corn is what feeds the steer that becomes steak. Corn feeds the chicken and the pig, the turkey and the lamb…..the eggs are made of corn…”

The author arranges the text in a manner that takes the reader from one point to the other without much struggle. He starts by examining the importance of corn in the form of an experience in the supermarket and how almost everything displayed contains corn. He goes further and explains the concept of corn walking which he says is due to the consumption of corn in almost all food we consume. The third part explains the rise of maize or Zea Mays, also related to corn, which eventually adapted itself to the climatic conditions of North America and hence became the staple food in the region. It further describes the dependence of the plant by man hence guaranteeing its existence. The text has been written in a manner that flows naturally and is easy to follow.

Conclusion

With the knowledge of the food chain and how it could affect the ecological system, reading this text in a way will change peoples’ attitude towards certain foods and help them understand what goes on in it, therefore, answer the question that is often difficult to answer; what shall we eat for dinner? (Brock & Scott, p320)

Most people do not even know whether they are vegetarians or not, others call themselves “strict” vegetarians but do they really know if indeed they are strict? How will they know if almost all the food comes from a common source that is from plants and animals? These plants and animals largely depend on one another, so is there any form of strictness? Well according to Michael Pollan the answer to this question greatly depends on one’s understanding of the food chain.

Works cited

Brock, Bernard L & Robert Lee Scott. Methods of Rhetoric Criticism: A Twentieth-Century Perspective, Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1989.

Kuypers, Jim A. Rhetorical Criticism: Perspectives in Action. Idaho: Lexington Books, 2009.

Nestle, Marion. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, California: University of California Press, 2007.

Pollan Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2007.