mmm burgers & fries
24 October 2004 | filed under General, FilmsLast night we watched Supersize Me. I partly dreaded watching it, figuring there would be some graphic images of how cattle are treated and processed before those tidy meat packages arrive in grocery store fridges. Not so. It follows the healthy writer/director who aims to show what 30 days of consuming only McDonald’s food will do to his body. At the beginning his health is perfect, while at the end of 30 days his liver is mush and for all purposes he’s found himself another bite away from death.
What a sucker.
Of course his vegan girlfriend doesn’t approve, yet he’s determined to follow through despite doctors’ warnings to quit the psychotic diet plan immediately. I got the feeling some problems he’s faced with are exaggerated for dramatic effect, if only to better illustrate his point about the perils of consuming scientifically processed and manufactured food.
And obviously, this movie will make you think twice about consuming anything from the golden arches, or any fast food joint, ever again. The most convincing motivator for me was the fact that one burger patty from McDs could potentially contain meat from up to a thousand cows from multiple processing plants. Seriously, YUCK!
The special features on the DVD contained perhaps more interesting information than the film. For example, the director drops one each of McDonald’s ’sandwiches’ and fries into separate glass jars to leave them and see how they break down over time. For comparison, a freshly made ‘real’ beef burger and fries are also put into jars. After about a week the real fries are quite black and the real burger is molding nicely :) Meanwhile not much is changing with the McDs series. Over several weeks the McDonalds burgers break down quite a bit but definitely nowhere near the rate of the real burger. What’s scary is McDs fries, after 8 weeks, look nearly like they were just purchased.
There’s also an insightful interview with Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, whose book was surely an important inspiration for Supersize Me. And some shocking (?) insight into the quality of food served to children in the American school system.
Definitely worth a watch.
i thought that was a great movie. and although i was never a big mcd’s eater in the first place, i haven’t been able to eat there since. his liver took the same beating as an alcoholic!
comment by `jen on 25 October 2004 at 10:20 am
Ya, I didn’t eat any fast food for several years, but over the past few I’ve had McDonald’s food maybe a dozen times. Did you see the DVD features? MOST of the 100 or so nutritionists they talked to recommended NEVER eating fast food. One of the doctors mentioned that after eating a fast food meal liver toxins increase as much as after a boozy ‘bender’.
comment by Tiffany on 25 October 2004 at 10:39 am
morgan spurlock is such a fat-o-phobe, it’s completely disgusting.why is everyone so obsessed with losing weight?skinny does not always equal healthy.too bad he had to ruin what couldve been a good film with close up images of anonymous fatties,as if there bodies are SO offensive.
comment by kristi on 26 October 2004 at 1:48 am
i think the point of showing “close up images of anonymous fatties” was more to point out how prevalent UNHEALTHY obesity is in america. not to point out how offensive they are.
i found it similar to showing anonymous people smoking.
i don’t think you have to be a “fat-o-phobe” to realize and recognize that being obese is extremely bad for your health.
comment by `jen on 26 October 2004 at 11:42 am
We watched this movie last night. Tiff I agree with your review. Everyone in the USA should see this film. The school system administrators hold a big part of the blame for this problem. They are all making money from serving this crap to the students and not giving any other attactive/affordable choices!
comment by Heather Vedan on 26 October 2004 at 2:40 pm
just showing pictures of fat people does NOT make a point of how unhealthy obesity is.how do you know how healthy those people are?by looking at their bodies?yes, obesity can be ONE indicator of poor health, but people get hung up on that one.those people could very well be more healthy that you or me.
but you should read this review, if you want.it says maybe what i’m not eloquent enough to say.
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/ny-supersizeme,0,738619.story?coll=ny-moviereview-headlines
also, fast food nation is a great book, if you havent read it already.the author actually has compassion for those in his book.
comment by kristi on 26 October 2004 at 4:12 pm
from your link:
“In March, the Centers for Disease Control said obesity was rapidly overtaking smoking as the No. 1 preventable cause of death in this country…”
that’s all i was trying to say.
comment by `jen on 26 October 2004 at 4:57 pm
i understand.i just think he was really arrogant and condescending.that’s all.i didn’t really want to come on your blog, which is probably only for your friends/family, and start an argument.i hope it doesnt seem like that.there is just so much fat-phobia in the world, it drives me crazy.
comment by kristi on 27 October 2004 at 1:42 am
Hey, no problem, a good debate is always welcome around here. Spurlock’s film was centered on a stunt, for sure, and there are several issues in his film that spark debate: health, obesity, body image, government policy & corporate irresponsibility, to name some of them. He’s an instigator. In my family, we called those people shit disturbers, and I was one of the worst :)
comment by Tiffany on 27 October 2004 at 9:35 am
Hey I was just surfing around and decided to post a short comment here. I run a movie review message board and am looking for people to write reviews and contribute at my forum. You can even post a link to your blog on your signature file at my forum. It’s all good! Take care.
comment by Action Movie Reviews on 31 March 2006 at 1:17 am