1 post tagged “fast food nation”
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” - Mahatma Gandhi
Sunday afternoon was simple enough. I was invited to hang with a few new friends, walked around some parkgrounds. Afterwards, headed over to someone’s home for a bbq and watch a few films.
After being served an all-American lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers, Fast Food Nation was put in the dvd player.
For some of the readers out there, Fast Food Nation might be already old news. First there was the 2001 book, intended to be an expose on the United States fast food industry. In 2006, a fictionalized film version was released directed by Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused) and co-produced by Malcolm McLaren (former Sex Pistols manger). I remember seeing the book around in the stores but I never had the chance to read it. Although the film wasn’t exactly ‘uplifting’ it was a reality check on hidden facets of society. Basically the ugly truth on how not only is fast food produced, but the greed and exploitation of people as well as animals.
The film starts out with illegal Mexican immigrants trying to cross the border to the US. They’re smuggled across and quickly hired to work in a meat processing plant for a major fast food chain. At the same time, a high ranking marketing executive gets sent to this same processing plant to investigate breakouts of e-coli. Mr. Executive meets a young female cashier at the local Mickey’s (the fast food restaurant in question) making minimum wage. The male immigrants get sent to the very dangerous field of cutting up meat without proper safety training. The female immigrants work on the assembly line, supervised by a guy who sexually exploits the newbie chicks. Keep in mind that although fictional, the story itself is based on actual facts. Oh, and yes, it does show cows being killed in the same processing plant for your favorite burger. Not too nice.
I'll spare you the rest, but after viewing this film you'll think twice about ordering from a fast food place again. If 'Supersize Me' wasn't deterrent enough, then this will. Personally I was a semi-vegetarian for 11 years, and this film had me re-thinking my diet. Even if you decide that swearing off meat isn't for you, perhaps you might still skip going to your local McDonalds or Sonic.
UPDATE: Around the same time when I was posting this, I stumbled across this most recent news flash...Canned Meat Recall
