Super Size Me.

I know I'm three years too late.

I think that by even speaking of a movie that's over six months old I'm breaking some sort of Internet Law. But please forgive me as my reasons for the delay will become apparent.

I refused to see this movie when it came out. I was no longer an employee of the Arches at that time, but I was still in the "defensive " mode, and argued against it like a Halliburton employee would rail against Fahrenheit 9/11.

After working in Management at McDonald's for so many years, you just get used to fielding criticisms about where you work. People have such a maligned image of the company, and are so ready to ponce on any rumors or innuendo that may come up. (Yet they all still eat there, even after saying how much they hate it.) It's second nature for almost any Manager to discount or discredit half of the bullshit they hear. So when this movie came out, I was picturing it as just another stab at the company that I used to work for. I did want to see it eventually, but just never got around to it.

It was on the CBC just the other night, and I wanted to make a point of watching it. I went into it open minded, yet cautious. I wanted to see if I could filter the information through the layers of expected bullshit and accusations.

I was pleasantly surprised.

The director doesn't attack McDonald's as much as uses them as a familiar backdrop to explain his case. He's saying Americans are getting fat, the kids are getting fat, the health-care system is unable to cope, and the Government refuses to do anything about it. He also points out how eating a diet compromised of fast food is essentially unhealthy. (I can't grasp the fact that there are people out there who don't understand this fact. If you eat high fat, highly refined foods and live a sedentary lifestyle, you are going to get fat. that's the way it works.) As everyone knows, he eats nothing but McDonald's for a month to prove this fact.

Why did he go after McDonald's? Because it's the biggest kid on the block. If he would have done the same thing with Arby's I don't think as many people would have paid attention. He does specify that McDonald's targets kids in their advertising, but so do all the other fast food places. It's a business model. If the kids want to eat there, Mom and Dad will follow.

In the end I have to agree with almost everything that was pointed out in the movie. He's not bashing the companies for serving a product, he's suggesting that people take personal responsibility for what goes into their bodies and what goes into their kids bodies as well. (The section on School lunches was an eye-opener. I think when the Boys get to that level I'll watch what's on the menu at school.)

I know urging people to see a three year-old movie is a little bit retarded, but I'll do it anyway.
If you are working or have worked for the Arches, I think you'll even like it.

Later.