In the movie, "Fast Food Nation, inspired by Eric Schlosser's book, different characters combine and interact in order to give us some insight in the world of the fast food nation.
The movie opens in Mexico at the U.S. border, introducing us to men and women who risked their lives to cross the border in order to find more opportunities and more jobs.
Then it switches over to a corporate office meeting room in Anaheim, California where corporate members of Mickey's Burger are meeting to talk about the marketing of their famous Big One burger. Don, who is VP of Mickey's marketing first goes into a "taste" lab where he is given different tubes of chemicals to smell. Since a large portion of taste is determined by smell, Don is able to "taste" the different products they serve through smelling the different liquids. During the meeting, the CEO of the company reveals to Don that they have tested for and found a high amount of fecal substance in the meat, showing that somehow the cow manure is getting into the meat and contaminating some with E. coli. The company decides to send Don to the company's meatpacking factory to look into the high amounts of E. coli in the meat.
The next character we meat is Amber, a high school student who works at a Mickey's restaurant as a cashier. She and her fellow coworkers talk about how the number of robberies at fast food restaurants keep rising in their area, putting them all in constant danger.
While Don visits the meatpacking company, he gets to see the workers, who are illegal immigrants, viewing a video about safety, saying that worker safety is their responsibility. In addition to many of the workers having to deal with their own injuries, some of them have to deal with sexual harassment from their supervisors, in return for drugs, better jobs, etc.
When one of the final characters, Rancher Rudy, is introduced, he takes Don to see his farm land. He shows them his neighbors - a big residential area, telling Don that the meatpackers are the meanest bunch and they don't care. They will refrain from buying cattle from anyone who opposes them. When Don asks Rudy if he thinks the meat is clean, Rudy just laughs at him. He says that people are getting their arms cut off at the company, and they don't seem to care, so why would they care about how clean the meat is. Rudy's wife explains that it could happen if the guts and intestines are not removed correctly and then the manure and everything would just spill out everywhere. According to Rudy and his wife, this happens every day.
Don is upset that the speed of the slaughterhouse lines are causing the meat and other products to be made without keeping them clean. Harry, who works at the top of the meatpacking companies, tells him that the grills are made to cook the bad stuff out of the meat.
When talking with his niece Amber, Amber's uncle tells her that if enough people want something to change, it is possible. But it can never happen with hope alone. You have to get out there and do something. This is a message that we can all take into account when it comes to anything, especially when it comes to our health and our nutrition.
Before the movie ends, the producers reveal what happens during extreme injuries to workers at a meatpacking factor. One worker is really harmed while on the job, the meatpacking companies simply blame the accidents on drugs and pin it all on them. In this way, the companies deflect the blame and the responsibility, putting it all on the workers who cannot even hope to afford what it costs to get medical attention and help.
The movie ends with the arrival of more, even younger immigrants from Mexico, including two young boys. The driver hands them happy meals and welcomes them to America: to the nation of fast food and the philosophies that come with it.
Exercise: Today is relaxing day! Even though I am taking the day off to relax, I still went for a short walk with Aaron today. It is so nice to get outside and enjoy the sunshine (even though the cold is not so enjoyable…).
Eat: I went to the bookstore today to pick up supplies for next month's topic and came across an amazing book that I will be using for my daily food tips. The book is called "What to Eat" by Cooking Light. IT goes through a grocery store guide of what food are good or bad to buy and explains some of the benefits of different foods. So today will start off with a tip I learned from the book about healthy shopping (the first of 10 tips they give): Base meals on items from the grocery store perimeter. According to the book, "shopping along the outside edges of the grocery store is the easiest way to amp up the nutritional quality of what you eat." The perimeter of the grocery store holds the freshest, healthiest foods; such as fresh meats, vegetables, dairy products, and fruits. They also suggest that you shop in aisles containing 100% whole grain products; such as oatmeal, barley, and quinoa. (From page 10)
Relax: Today to relax, Aaron and I took a trip to the bookstore. For those of you who don't know… I absolutely LOVE bookstores. I could spend hours in them just looking at books. While you may not share my same passion for reading, I still suggest that you go to a local bookstore and just browse around and find a book that suits your fancy.
No comments:
Post a Comment