Abstract This paper reviews and critiques the Eric Schlosser book "FastFoodNation." The paper discusses Schlosser's contention that what a nation eats reveals its social, economic and technological values. The paper also lauds Schlosser's success in demonstrating that the business practices of fastfood companies are neither communal nor wholesome.
From the Paper "Eric Schlosser announces early on that his book Fast Food Nation is about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made. He believes that what a nation eats tells you more about its social, economic and technological values than..."
Abstract This paper reviews Eric Scholosser's 2002 book "FastFoodNation" and its portrayal of the dehumanization of the fast-food industry and losses to the American consumer. The author presents many aspects of the fastfood culture.
From the Paper "We've all heard and most likely dismissed the adage that we are what we eat. Usually if we spend any time at all bothering to think about this, we have some vague idea that it means if we eat unhealthy things than our own health will suffer. While that's certainly ..."
Abstract This paper firstly discusses how Eric Schlosser's "FastFoodNation" is subjected to a semiotic analysis. Secondly, the general conditions of the corporate state are enumerated with some historical context. The marketing of fastfood to children is considered, criticized. In conclusion a solution is mentioned.
From the Paper "I will begin with some general observations in order to provide a background and context for the semiotic analysis of "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser. Next, I will discuss some of the major problems for which the fast food industry is ..."
Tags:fast, food, television, advertising, corporate, America
Abstract The writer explores Eric Schlosser's book "FastFoodNation" by first offering a summary of the work, then providing a discussion and analysis of the work. The writer paints a picture of the corruption, greed, exploitation and lack of concern for health and workers inherent in the fastfood industry and concludes that this book couldn't be more compelling because of its true and real nature.
Outline:
Introduction
Summary of the Book
Discussion and Analysis
Conclusion
From the Paper "The fast food industry has gained enormous amount of press over the years. It has become accessible to millions of peoples in world. A McDonald's ad once displayed, "... 6.5 Billion people served" stating the enormous amount of appeal that it has on society. Many people eat at fast food restaurants for convenience and for budget. In a society where time is as precious as money, being able to get an order within 90 seconds of ordering definitely speaks for itself. The business strategy and marketing schemes behind the fast food industry is even more complicated and sophisticated. The franchising system allows retailers to franchise names and get continuous supplies of finished products. This has led to the creation of global based fast food companies that meet the needs of customers around the world."
This paper summarizes and critiques part of Eric Schlosser's now classic book, "FastFoodNation", about the American fastfood industry, its history, influence and effects.
Abstract This paper explains that Eric Schlosser, in his book "FastFoodNation", states that what America enthusiastically and habitually eats explains much of the national psychology of the U.S.; thus, fastfoods represent a national "craving" for sameness, predictability and conformity. The author points out that, in Chapter I, Schlosser reports that the "founding fathers" of the American (now very heavily-exported) fastfood industry actually used their own originality, creativity, ingenuity, risk-taking capacities and entrepreneurial ways to create, ironically, the bland yet predictable sameness and conformity that has existed from the start within the fastfood industry. The paper states that, because the book was easy to read and entertaining, the extensive list of well-written end-notes, thorough bibliography and index was surprising and indicated the far-reaching research upon which the book is based.
Table of Contents
Summary of Chapter I: "The Founding Fathers"
Schlosser: FastFood is a Metaphor for the Nation Chapter 10: "Global Realization"
Critique of "Meat and Potatoes" Section
From the Paper "Also within Chapter 10 "Global Realization" of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation (2001), the author discusses the targeting of children by fast food advertisers, and even of international conferences and marketing organizations like the Gepetto Group that study children's consumption tastes and habits, and marketing trends and techniques that appeal to children in particular. As a result of such efforts, though, childhood obesity, as Schlosser points out, has become an epidemic in America, and in other nations that have embraced the American-created fast food habit."
Tags: conformity, children, founders, research, international
Summary and discussion of "FastFoodNation" and its commentary on how the fastfood industry has shaped and defined American society and the society of other nations.
Abstract This paper explains the premise of Eric Schlosser's book, "FastFoodNation", which argues that the fastfood industry is representative of American culture and that this culture is exported abroad, often to the detriment of the target nations. The paper looks at Schlosser's discussion of the myriad problems in the fastfood industry and the ways in which this industry has altered American society and may alter society around the world.
From the Paper "The icon that represents fast food culture for most people is McDonald's, though the fast food culture developed long before the creation of that restaurant chain and includes many other practitioners. Schlosser considers the impact of such fast-food chains but also considers the primacy of the hamburger in the American diet and some of the dangers it poses. The spread of McDonald's around the world has been decried by many as exporting some of the worst of American culture."
Abstract This paper offers a brief review of Eric Schlosser's book "FastFoodNation". The writer highlights the major issues in the book in 10 points. 1)Fastfood is taken for granted in the U.S. 2)Americans spend billions of dollars on fastfood. 3)French fries are the most common form. 4)Fries are the most fattening product. 5)The flavor industry is just as much to blame. 6)Fastfood creates jobs. 7)Other health problems. 8)Worker safety. 9)Tainted food. 10)Impact on agriculture.
From the Paper "So much has already been said about Fast Food and its negative impact on Americans that you might fail to understand why Eric Schlosser would choose to write a whole book in the subject. Don"t we already know enough" After reading the book, however the answers surprisingly turns out to be an emphatic No. Indeed we know very little about the real fast food industry and the way it carries out is operations. True it adds to obesity problem in the country but do we really know the truth about those French fries that have been criticized widely for their fat content."
Abstract This paper paper focuses on Chapter 7 of Eric Schlosser's "FastFoodNation" to illustrate how Schlosser attempts to dissuade people from consuming fastfood. The paper describes Schlosser's political discussion of sub-standard workers, the way he heightens readers' sense of disgust and his method of utilizing effective imagery, that all contribute to the way he gets his message across. The paper concludes that Chapter 7 of "FastFoodNation" sets an effective tone for the rest of the book, which completes some of the ideas, and turns imagery used into concrete examples.
From the Paper "American culture has been shaped by the media and retailing industries. In the hustle and bustle of today's world, convenience has taken priority over what had been a health conscious society just a few decades ago. This lethal combination has combined to assign this country a label of becoming one of the most overweight, sedentary nations known to date. While television has seemingly been a cause for Americans to become the best versed on shows such as "Dancing with the Stars" and "Extreme Makeover," the result of being bombarded with McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials have rounded out the all-American excuse. In the seventh chapter, "Cogs in the Great Machine" Schlosser utilizes all of the human senses in attempt to turn the world into vegetarians. Throughout Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser uses a sardonic tone to scold people for their daily fascinations with the hamburger, hot dog, or any other couch potato fantasy."
Abstract This paper examines how, according to the book, "FastFoodNation", by Eric Schlosser, fast-food chains have caused as much damage as they have added to American culture. It looks at how it raises several of the major problems with fast-food restaurants, including taking advantage of poor and unskilled workers in factories and restaurants, questionable preparation of meat, loss of small private farms/ranges, and increases in obesity.
From the Paper "It is true that fast-food restaurants have made it easy to get a quick bite to eat. However, there are tradeoffs. Franchises have multiplied so much over the past several decades that is difficult to find any major city without a strip of these establishments along the main drag. As Fast Food Nation states: ?The fast food chains feed off the sprawl of Colorado Springs, accelerate it and help set its visual tone. They build large signs to attract motorists and look at cars the way predators view prey.? St. Louis exemplifies this problem. Sprawl is rapidly devouring choice farmland and open space. According to the American Farmland Trust, the five counties around St. Louis lost over 170,000 acres between 1981 and 1996, which comprised nearly one-third of developed farmland lost statewide during that period."
Abstract This paper looks at how ?FastFoodNation? is a broad, investigative journalism work that describes, examines, criticizes, and attacks the American fastfood industry on several levels. It is also an eye-opener that reveals to the readers the whole new facet of this industry and makes links that no one could have imagined existed. It shows how the fastfood industry is a multi-faceted entity that is affecting lives of millions, usually in a very negative way, and how the most rewarding part of reading the book is the amount of new knowledge and insights it provides.
From the Paper "Understanding the history of each event or chain of events that led to the development of American fast food industry is a key in order to be able to grasp the whole picture of it. The book starts with describing the very roots of hamburger industry in the U.S. and the "founding fathers" of it. McDonald's Corporation and the Walt Disney Company were the two giant corporations that were developing simultaneously. Both had the same great impact in creating the American nation as it is now: controlled by giant corporations, interested only in making profits and in spreading "americanization" around the world."
Abstract This paper presents a critical analysis of Eric Schlosser's book, "FastFoodNation". The paper examines the writer's thoroughness in presenting the fastfood industry as one of the most corrupt industries. The paper contends that the book is one-sided, not illustrating the positive aspects of the fastfood industry.
From the Paper "As a first criticism, one may notice that the author writes some 350 pages on the subject of fast food and the fast food industry finding almost no positive aspects whatsoever. It isn't much to say that, at the end of the book, you will be able to assimilate the fast food industry with some of the most criminal and degrading industries in the world, drug and human traffic, for example. It is not necessarily his vehemence (which almost doesn't exist throughout the book, as I will refer to further below), but the thoroughness with which he covers the disturbing aspects in the fast food industry, ranging from the managers and founders who barely have a high school diploma, to the "overworked and underpaid teenage workers" and to the chemicals that are behind the tasty flavors we find in fast food outlets."
Abstract The paper discusses how Eric Schlosser's book "FastFoodNation" serves to demonstrate the numerous ways in which the aims of the ruling class in American society have ultimately been delivered to the American people, thus homogenizing our way of life. The paper discusses the social conflict theory, referring to Emile Durkheim's beliefs and the works of Marx and Weber. The paper then shows how "FastFoodNation" portrays the United States as a nation whose choices have almost uniformly been in favor of those holding the most power.
From the Paper "The central premise of social conflict theory is that individuals and groups within society generally use their power--as much of it as they have--to gain benefits. Essentially, the resultant jockeying for position tends to strongly guide, though not completely determine, the actions of individual people within a society. The manner by which human behaviors are guided is through social controls; these stand as the formal manifestation of the interests of the ruling class. So, in a way, these social controls act as the structural groundwork for conformity and consensus within society--in one way they promote obedience. However, they also promote further conflict by virtue of the fact that they exist to oppressively root out competition and crush the aspirations of those seeking to usurp power."
Abstract This paper discusses the current debate in American society regarding the unhealthy eating habits of the nation. It examines Eric Schlosser's book "FastFoodNation" in which the development of the fast-food culture is explained.
From the Paper "Schlosser's book is also persuasive because of the healthy dose of humor he brings to his subject, despite its serious implications. McDonald's after all, uses cartoons and bright jingles and funny advertising to lure people in. His book offers a trip down memory lane for many readers, learning about different songs used by the company to make the product seem more attractive, and how different products were introduced and became part of American culinary life. However, despite this humor there is always a worthwhile moral at the end of Schlosser's tale. McNuggets may now be ubiquitous, and created to answer the threat posed by Kentucky Fried Chicken-but even learning about the 'war' between fried birds, one is reminded that these innocent looking finger foods are highly processed, bad for the body, and even contain beef by-products in their construction. (139-140) The common call, but what can I do in the face of such corporate callousness, that one often makes when reading journalistic exposes receives a resounding answer in this text."
A discussion of Morgan Spurlock's four claims in his award winning film, "Super Size Me" and how Eric Schlosser's book, "FastFoodNation", accentuates Spurlock's argument.
Abstract This paper discusses how Eric Schlosser's "FastFoodNation", Stephen Sinatra and James Punkre's "The FastFood Diet" (2006), and Alex Jamieson's "The Great American Detox Diet" (2005) modify, qualify, or complicate Morgan Spurlock's argument on the obesity epidemic in the United States, and how the ideas from these authors are applied, developed, or modified in Spurlock's film.
From the Paper "Look after the customer and the company will take care of itself" (Super Size Me). This statement appeared at the beginning of the film Super Size Me by Morgan Spurlock, and it explains just how the fast food industry conducts business. As long as companies continue to appeal to and please the customer, they will receive consistent money flow and support from the consumer and never fail. America has become the wealthiest country in the world with the highest number of fast food chains and the heaviest people. For years the United States has suffered from the epidemic disease of obesity and now is identified as the fattest nation on earth."
Abstract A critique of the fastfood industry that discusses Eric Schlosser's book, "FastFoodNation" and Morgan Spurlock's documentary film, "Supersize Me". It contends that both present ample evidence that the health and longevity of the American people are being severely damaged by the fastfood industry.
From the Paper "Eric Schlosser's, "Fast Food Nation" uses the truth to persuade his readers of the reality of the facts and opinions presented in his book. Unlike the devious deceptive and manipulative methods used by the fast food industry to stimulate sales on ..."
