Fast Food Communism
Written: Dec 15 '04 (Updated Dec 15 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Well-researched facts
Cons: Everything else
The Bottom Line: This could have been a great book. However, Schlosser's constant pushiness with his opinions and glaring bias in his writing is a turn off.
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| metalking's Full Review: Eric Schlosser - Fast Food Nation Tie-in: The Dark... |
(Note to WSU administrators: this review has been submitted online after I handed this in my History class, so let's not jump on any plagarism charges.)
The United States is in trouble. In the past 20 years, the amount of overweight people has skyrocketed. Our nation's cities, towns, and even some school cafeterias are overwhelmed with fast food chains. Eric Schlosser, in his book, went to great depths to research the "hidden meal" inside fast food's companies, influence on modern American life, and the food itself. I had already been aware of fast food's unhealthy qualities. However, little did I know that Fast Food Nation would give me more than I ever cared to know about fast food, and, unfortunately, Eric Schlosser's Communist (oops, I meant radical left-wing) bias, would give the book an awkward "balance" between hard facts and gratuitous Reagan-bashing/whining. Would you like to "Supersize" that Iron and Sickle tattoo?
The book starts off well with an introduction about the Cheyenne Air Force Station, and illustrates how even a secret building has somehow been influenced by the fast food stores within the remote base. As well, he clearly states his thesis by stating this is a book about "fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made." However, he follows with this statement:
"The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian Cross." Huh? What does that have to do with anything, and what is that implying? It seemed as though the author could have been blaming fast food for a "lack" of religion. It was then that I became aware of his bias and it became apparent throughout reading the book.
To Schlosser's credit, the "Founding Fathers" chapter is an interesting read and gives due credit to the entrepreneurs and their unique vision of reinventing the way food is served. He goes into great detail the stories behind the men's struggles and successes, all against great odds. His facts are accurate and very well researched, and there are plenty of them. From statistics to long lists of ingredients in artificial- and what could be called natural- flavors, his book is very effective in showing the cold, hard data about the fast food many Americans eat.
However, where Eric Schlosser excels in research he fails at common economic knowledge and non-selfish, non-political writing. Instead of letting the facts tell the story to open the reader's eyes, he constantly refers to what he doesn't think is "fair," and it makes for a disturbing tone in his writing. For example, he blames McDonald's for the decline in profits of private potato farmers in recent years due to more efficient, large-scale potato manufacturing. But why blame McDonalds? They just want fries to sell. The claim seems to be that these farmers have a guaranteed right to make money even if they can't compete. Should every one be equal in business, having their earnings split evenly, even if one business produces more than the others? Sounds great, Karl Marx. Please, let's hear some more great ideas about iron-fist government intervention with business; surely that wouldn't- say- strangle the Soviet Union's economy or separate Berlin's family members from one another for 28 years due to "Checkpoint Charlie."
Point being, free enterprise and competition is what made this country prosperous, but Schlosser doesn"t want to acknowledge that- he only wants his perception of "right" made into law. While there may be gross dishonesty in the fast food industry, the way he pushes his viewpoint towards the reader with his personal bias turns me off.
In the entire book, probably the section that bothered me most was his "Global Realization" chapter where he talks about fast food's influence on modern-day Germany. He talks of the city of Dachau, where the first Nazi concentration camp was built. He claims that the McDonald's over a mile away from the camp hands out leaflets in the concentration camp parking lot saying "Welcome to Dachau...and welcome to McDonald's." Excuse me? I myself have been to Dachau in Germany and have visited the concentration camp. I stood at the "ARBEIT MACHT FREI" gate and in the parking lot, too. I didn't see any McDonald's leaflets- only kneeling, crying men/women and petrified faces of my family and friends. How dare Mr. Schlosser use a topic such as Nazi oppression to drive his personal opinion?! His story about visiting the Dachau McDonald's doesn't even back up his claim regarding the parking lot. In the movie documentary Supersize Me, during an interview of Schlosser on the DVD he even exclaims "Sieg Heil!" complete with the extended right arm concerning McDonald's slogan "One Taste Worldwide." Highly inappropriate. There are plenty of facts and statistics out there to make a strong indictment against fast food without resorting to "Michael Moore" logic. Even though the DVD interview has little to do with this book review, it is reflective of the behavior he shows in his writing. Again, let the facts tell the story, Eric. What a jerk.
Fast food is unhealthy. Eating a frequent diet of it will make a person obese. These are not secrets; they have become common sense. Should McDonald's stop selling obese people food? Yeah, right- they'd be sued for weight discrimination! In the end, I can negate Schlosser's entire book with just six words: you don't have to eat it. Well, I suppose nine words: Communism is bad.
Recommended:
No
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metalking
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Location: Midwest
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Studying recording engineering. Proficient in guitar, piano, vocals.
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