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.
I think your blog post has a unique voice and it definitely poses a question to not just the fast food industry but our culture as well. What you said…“I actually see the next phase or new wave of fast food industries being self-sustainable by computers and machines alone.” I would say you aren’t alone in thinking that and whether the progression Carl speaks of is a good or bad thing.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this was a great topic to write about. You gave good examples to support it. The only things you should work on are your comma placement and sentence structure. Good job.
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