Fast Food Nation (5) "Summary and Response Chapters 1-3" Revised

     
     In Fast Food Nations first three chapters Eric Schlosser examines the lives of Carl N. Karcher and the McDonalds brothers and describes these architects of the fast-food industry in southern California. I then began to read about Ray Kroc and Walt Disney’s daedalian relationship and there march towards acclaim. These chapters informed me on the in depth, lucrative ways of marketing to children and the stranglehold these capitalist have on almost every facet of our lives. From High Schools to sporting events and the cross marketing affects of film and food. Schlosser then talks about his visits to Colorado Springs, CO there he reports on the lives of the fast-food industry employee's and the American teens that are employed. We discover fast food industries steep scale of flat earning workers, minimum wage to more employees than any other business in America. The main theme that stands out to me in the first three chapters is "progress". In the beginning of chapter one I get the feel of a laissez-fare and a innocents about Carl N. Karcher and the McDonald brothers humble beginnings. The more you read the history reveals the rapid progression of the fast food companies in America.

     How Carl goes from selling hot dogs on the side of the road to having a million dollar company is self-explanatory. That to me is just a perfect match of timing and progression. At the time our nation was young and the car industry was booming roads were being built. It really makes sense to sell on the side of the road people were excited about driving at the time. From here the drive-thru's are invented drive-thru banks, motels, and restaurants were a hit. The progression from here I gathered was to make it faster smaller and pump out more units. The McDonald's did just that and turned their drive-thru restaurant into a factory line style kitchen. They shortened their menus and got bigger grills they hired workers for individual stations sold more burgers at cheaper prices. From Walt Disney's idea of synergy and Ray Crocs inventions and franchising ideas McDonald's has progressed into company seen around the world today. Off course Carl N. Karcher modeled these ideas and so did many such as David Sanders and Glen Bell.
     Even the marketing has changed and progressed over the years. Schlosser expounds on the marketing and research these companies do towards parents, teens, and children. Through the progression of science and psychology advertising is created to market these products. These businesses progressed into cross promotions of film, sport,and the educational system. Trust me, as much as it is about the almighty dollar the progression of human beings and viability are always present throughout the chapters.
     These businesses are almost organic in a sense of how they progressed through the times and to what they are today. The way it looks today is the companies quietly spend large amounts of money on new technologies and research. The average worker in a fast food restaurant is a teenager and the turnover rate of employment is tremendous. The executive’s wages go up and the employees salaries go down the machines get better the employees become less important. Basically it doesn't take a rocket scientist to run one of the machines at a fast food restaurant. I actually see the next phase or new wave of fast food industries being self-sustainable by computers and machines alone.
    
     In summary did you know you could see the golden arches of McDonald's by satellite? It was not that way to begin with.  Carl and the McDonald brothers started of with little or nothing and progressed into the fast food Empire we see and breath every day. I myself can’t even get through any programming on TV without seeing a fast food ad. Schlossser unveils in his journalism the progression of the men of these times and their ever expanding and evolving businesses. The expansion and growth in our country and the timing of these ideas, industry, and technology are wildly fascinating. "No! I believe in progress" is what Carl said and after seeing the dirt roads that had been paved. This raises a question where does it progress to next and honestly a very scary one to pose. In the footsteps of Yvon Choinard from the movie 180' South he states "The hardest thing in world is to simplify your life its so easy to make it so complex. The solution to a lot of the world’s problems maybe to turn around and take a forward step. You can’t keep trying to make a flawed system work." From the start of the chapter one to three it subtly gets dark and makes me think about the world around me. Where will we as a nation progress to next in my lifetime.

Fast Food Nation "Chapter 2: Your Trusted Friends"

 The marketing strategies used by the pioneers of this industry are cunning and ingenuous. They would certainly seem like trusted friends I mean why wouldn't they. They use many different avenues to bring in a variety of customers. You may be asking right now why do they do this? It is because they know what we want. These giants of industry have infiltrated every aspect of our lives from children to grown ups from TV commercials to high schools our favorite movies and even places of recreation. If they are in all these parts of our lives why wouldn't they be our trusted friends. What Schlosser is letting us know in this chapter is the savvy and marketing used by the fast food industry and others alike. How they make sure these household names are ringing all over town.

 One of the marketing strategies used was appealing to the children. Through research and studies of "kid customers" getting through to the kids was huge. Not only did it show them how to nag but to nag there  parents into buying them the product they were trying to sell. A professor of marketing  James U. Mcneal at Texas a&m reveals theses styles of nags that raged from subtle to forceful on pg.44 of  Fast Food Nation. It served for parents as well by making them feel like they were being "good parents" by buying them the product.  Another marketing avenue they used was giving away toys with meals. In the chapter on pg.47 under perfect synergy states "But when it gets down to brass tacks, a Brandweek article on fast food notes, "the key to attracting kids is toys,toys,toys." Schlosser goes into how building playgrounds for children in theses restaurants and the cross-promotion ties between Hollywood and the fast food industry. He tells us how ad's for products are placed in our school systems. These marketing efforts are precisely executed through testing and research.

 Schossler paints a clear picture on how these industries are us and are ingrained in our culture since childhood. Through TV,ad placement,radio,film or any social media's of the time. It actually really reminds me of a movie I saw called "They Live". In this movie this guy finds a pair of sunglasses and puts them on and actually can see the true meaning of ad's we see at newsstands and the broadcasts on TV. The ad's would show a new car and when he put on the glasses the same add would  say "OBEY". My point to this is and Schossler argument in this chapter is when you read between the lines there is a lot of stuff we wouldn't normally see and sometimes it comes in the form of a Magazine add,TV commercial, or "Your Trusted Friends".

Fast Food Nation "Chapter 1: The Founding Fathers"

  1917 Sandusky Ohio, one of the fast food pioneers was born his name was Carl N. Karcher.Writer Eric Schlosser writes clearly about the meager upbringings to the rise and fall of this entrepreneur. In chapter one "The Founding Fathers" Schlosser gives us a in depth look at the early and humble beginnings of the fast food industry. Carl as well as other giants to name a few Richard and Maurice McDonald,Karl Sanders, and Glen W. Bell. are the architects of this type of enterprise. A good idea some hard work and maybe just maybe I too can just turn my family famous brownies into billions. Ha! yeah  right I like to joke around but seriously these guys fell into a series of events that led to the "progress" of this industry. From start to finish of the chapter it details how selling a few hot dogs on the side of the road can turn into a billion dollar industry now that is what this chapter is arguing.

  Anaheim California is were this chapter starts to run when Carl meets his wife marries her and then borrows $15 dollars from her to buy a hot dog cart ha!. "I'm on my way" Carl states and the dream begins. I really do admire the mans perseverance and quite honestly I think his intentions was to build something from nothing in a honest fashion. Between the 1920's and 1940 the population nearly tripled and the automobile industry boomed. They basically were rolling in from all over the place to find a new life out west. Around this time the nations car culture reached its height according to Schlosser in southern California. The first motels and drive in banks are made. This statement was funny "People with cars are so lazy they don't want to get out of there cars to eat!". The government spent nearly 20billion in California alone. New roads and interstates are built and the birth of drive-in restaurants are made. By the end of the 1940's the McDonald brothers were tired of the drive in business. They shortened there menus bought bigger grills and set up the restaurant like a factory. No more glassware and the workers worked individual stations. The made the the golden arches the sign seen around the world today as McDonalds signature logo. This style of restaurant was now the model of most fast food industries from then on.

 The the main argument behind chapter one is progress in this world or industry as it is known today. At the end of this chapter Schlosser meets karl and talks with him about his life. They drive threw Karls old town and when asked if he was sad and missed old Aneheim he replied " No, he couldn't be happier". He had come from the rural countryside without most of the technological advances we have today. Karl stated "No! I believe in progress".

The Meaning of Food in My Life. (2)

 Meals are very important to me now a days. I have a whole slew of reasons why and I will  get into them. When I think back to when I was younger on a day to day basis it definitely was to fill a taste not a source of protein or energy. I do remember family gatherings on christmas,thanksgiving, and even easter sunday. Being that I am a native New Yorker and of italian decent this is something we do. Food is a big part of our culture and everything I mean everything is centered around the dinner table. For us  sharing food is one of those ways to be closer and enjoy the company of family and discuss life in general. Some of the funniest stories I have ever heard have come from my grandmothers dinner table. I have to honestly say not the healthiest of food culturally and the deserts were enough to make any diabetic run for the hills. Ironically a lot of the older members of my family were diabetic. Now that I think about it all the meat we would eat actually grosses me out now only because my lifestyle is a lot different presently.

 These days my food is a source of energy and health. I am very conscience of what I eat and when I eat because I am more in touch with my body. I try to eat at certain times and not late at night. All of these habits reflect how I feel and my performance during the day. For example I would have heavy meals past 6pm. It would consist of meat and carbs and the next day I felt so weighted down and tired for the early part of the day. It actually felt like a small hangover in some instances. I do all the shopping in my home and it is mostly meat and dairy free. The reasons for this are moral issues so I wont run on at about my personal morals and beliefs. I do all my own cooking and its a lot of steaming, boiling, and broiling rarely do I fry up stuff. I choose a healthier lifestyle because of the benefits and the prospect of long term living and how I feel on a day to day. I will not lie I am still a sucker for ice cream and certain other treats. I am no saint nor do I claim to be vegan however I do not eat pork and beef or chicken. Most days its fish,eggs or vegetables and It really has made a difference in my life. I do meet with my family on those holidays but I stay away from the stuff that I do not eat anymore. I have worked in the food industry and it was unhealthy food and I did eat it at times because I was hungry and needed a boost. I love good food but there are healthier options that will give you energy or keep you at a balanced weight that taste good too.

 It makes sense the saying "you are what you eat" I believe this to be true. If you eat like crap your gonna feel like crap that has been my experience. Everything in moderation and I don't think anyone has ever died form the occasional slice of apple pie but note the word "occasional". The role food plays in my life is huge it really determines and reflects how I feel about me.

LOVE

Is America's Food Supply Safe? (1)

 Do we actually know what we are eating this question crosses my mind a lot when I am at a restaurant or eating at a friends house for dinner. Do I really know what is in the food I am about to eat. Am I a crazed hypochondriac to think that every piece of food I eat to some extent is toxic or did this passage awaken a bigger question. I ask these questions in a generalized manner because I am reflecting on this essay. Dr. David Achelson tells us the ways the FDA works to protect us. Unfortunately it does this tirelessly and yet there is still a recent contamination's according to the essay. What it doesn't say is how the FDA fails us. With all the work through private companies and local agencies there are still contamination's this effort seems impossible to fix.

 The writing explains they work hard to catch problems early. They do so they find out where the problem started.This to me is the most important part of the passage. If you get contaminated food from a source it really doesn't matter how its prepared. My point is that if the source is bad this the root of the problem to begin with way before it reaches the hands of a consumer. In my opinion through reading various internet sites such as PETA and watching movies like Fast Food Nation or Fork Over knives there are many ways the FDA fails us. The FDA works hard for us but do they really? Animal farm housing,unapproved pesticides, and slaughtering methods are a thought. These are real examples of a "start of a problem".

 In conclusion I am sure the FDA would  like to say they do everything they can to make our food supply safe. This being said I believe this to be untrue and this passage is very one sided and ultimately a turd wrapped in a bow. I wont get into a deeper political side about the mentions of "private companies" and "local agencies" that contribute to the FDA's disclosure to the American public. I would love to rip the FDA a new one so I will stop here. I do believe as individuals we can choose what we buy and eat but that is another topic.Finding out If Americas food is safe according to this passage raises my eyebrow and will probably continue on for  some time to come.