The Whole Hog: Fast Food Films

By Andrea Hayes

Super Size Me, directed by Morgan Spurlock, rated PG, 100 mins, 2004. Suits: middle to senior secondary students.

Ten reasons to teach Super Size Me

Super Size Me is an excellent way to explore the documentary form because it: 1. Deals with subject matter familiar to all. 2. Is fast-paced, fun and informative (and demonstrates why documentaries are increasing in popularity). 3. Discusses issues relevant to students, such as the dangers of unhealthy diets and marketing that targets young people. 4. Uses a personal experiment to address many health-related issues besides eating McDonalds. 5. Is primarily told from one point of view but includes interviews with a myriad of experts. 6. Mixes statistics, animation, graphics, fly-on-the-wall footage and interviews with experts and people on the street with Spurlocks video diary of his experiment. 7. Contains graphic images that will both shock and fascinate. 8. Is highly topical given the rise of obesity in Australia and other Western

countries. 9. Can be divided into thirteen sequences for easier analysis (see Sequence Chart). 10. Had a significant real world impact on the issues it covered (see below, Flash Forward).

Flash Forward
During the films cinema release, the Australian McDonalds CEO, Guy Russo, appeared in a commercial deriding Spurlocks findings. Following the films release, pieces of fruit were introduced to McDonalds menu, while in America the Super Size option was dropped. In March 2004, the

30

ISSUE 44 SCREEN EDUCATION

American Congress passed the Cheeseburger Bill, making it illegal for people to sue food companies for making them obese; In 2005, Jamie Oliver tried to overhaul school dinners in the UK documentary TV series Jamies School Dinners.

Subject/Story
Concerned about the increasing rate of obesity in America and a lawsuit in which two teenagers unsuccessfully tried to sue McDonalds for making them fat, Morgan Spurlock embarks on a thirtyday McDonalds-only diet experiment. He sets himself four rules: 1. He can only eat things on sale at McDonalds. 2. He must Super Size his meal if asked. 3. He has to eat everything on the McDonalds menu at least once. 4. He has to eat three meals a day. Further, he decides to restrict himself to the average amount of exercise, typical of the American population. Spurlock, who has good genes, doesnt smoke, do drugs or drink alcohol, is declared at the start of the experiment to be in perfect health by two specialists, a general practitioner and a nutritionist. Super Size Me tracks his initial medical examination and the McDonalds-only experiment and all its effects. During the thirty days Spurlock also explores a number of related issues including: the fast food companies targeting of children, increasing obesity rates and the medical ramifications, school lunches, and the lobbying power of large food companies. Along the way he interviews

ISSUE 44 SCREEN EDUCATION

top left: director Photos: All Pictures from Super Size Me

31

Alister Grierson;

The Whole Hog: Fast Food Films

a host of characters and presents a barrage of statistics. By the end of his little extreme experiment, he has gained 11.25kg, his cholesterol has risen by sixty-five points, he has doubled his risk of heart disease, and he has a fatty liver described as pt by the GP.

Issues
Where does personal responsibility stop and corporate responsibility begin? The damaging medical, political and social effects of obesity on individuals and nations. The effects, availability and nutritional value of food served in schools. The influence of marketing on children. The political influence and lobbying power of large food companies.

Setting
The film uses a variety of McDonalds venues in New York and locations at cities in the fattest states. There are many interesting people in this documentary, but writerdirector Morgan Spurlock is the star. He has a fun sense of humour, speaks naturally and honestly, and plays the part of human guinea pig well. He makes jokes and asides all the time to the camera and his interview subjects. Spurlock takes his experiment very seriously and you admire his bravery at sticking with it even when he is obviously suffering. He is not as aggressive as Michael Moore but is just as effective in giving a personal face to a nations problem.

Style
Spurlocks style is fresh, personal, honest and fun. His documentary is event-driven in that it centers on a thirty-day experiment conducted by Spurlock himself. This works as a linking device between sequences and allows Spurlock to explore larger, related issues using a variety of documentary conventions to get his message across.

32

ISSUE 44 SCREEN EDUCATION

Visuals
Super Size Me uses a lot of postproduction visual effects (VFX) and

McDonalds call people who eat McDonalds once a week, Heavy Users, and people who eat there 3, 4 and 5 times a week, Super Heavy Users.

slick editing to communicate its many statistics and maintain a fast pace. Spurlocks narration is reinforced by images that are a mixture of interviews, video diary, fly-on-the-wall footage and graphics: Maps and graphics identify the fattest cities and states in the US. Statistics tell the audience that twothirds of American adults are either overweight or obese and almost forty percent of teenagers have too much fat in their bodies. Interviews with health officials, doctors and school administrators reveal alarming trends and also function as a dynamic counterpoint to the rapid deterioration in Spurlocks physical condition. Jump cuts help speed up

interviews and maintain the documentarys fast pace. There is a funny and informative animated sequence about chicken nuggets. Music complements the images (eg., Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen is played over images of fat Amaricans), or is used to counterpoint them (eg. the Blue Danube Waltz is played over footage of surgeons performing a gastric bypass). Super Size Me, the song, was cowritten by Spurlock and mocks the jargon associated with fast food. Footage of Ronald McDonald rocking with children to the tune of Curtis Mayfields Pusherman reinforces the way McDonalds marketing targets children. Frequent shots of big bottoms and large McDonalds workers reinforce the message that obesity is at epidemic rates in the US. Still photographs used in a who do you know? competition for children illustrate the effectiveness of McDonalds marketing: they are more familiar with Ronald McDonald than Jesus. Shots of vomiting and a close-up of a black hair found in McDonalds yoghurt evoke strong responses from the audience and provide memorable images. Fly-on-the-wall footage

33

ISSUE 44 SCREEN EDUCATION

The Whole Hog: Fast Food Films

of a school kitchen shows the vast amounts of processed foods used in schools. Internal body footage of a gastric by-pass operation emphasizes the obesity problem in America. Documents back up the films messages, eg. transcripts from a court case. Repeated shots of the McDonalds arches makes them seem ubiquitous. Unanswered phone calls to McDonalds demonstrate the companys refusal to acknowledge Spurlocks concerns. Titles announce different chapters of the documentary. Low-angle close-ups with a handheld camera make the film feel personal and immediate (eg. in the car with Spurlock). Video diary of Spurlock describing how he feels gives a personal touch and works as a continuity device that links all the sequences together in the film. Quick, sharp editing of the many images, graphics and interviews gives the film its fast pace.

Ten Key Quotes

1. Where does personal responsibility stop and corporate responsibility begin? Morgan Spurlock 2. The plaintiffs have failed to show that consumption of McDonalds food caused their injuries. Lawsuit transcript 3. In March 2004 Congress passed the Cheeseburger Bill which would make it illegal for people to sue food companies for making them obese. 4. Don Gorske has eaten 19,852 Big Macs. Cholesterol 140. He seldom eats fries. 5. You should never eat fast food. Nutritionist 6. You cant argue that people should exercise personal responsibility and then not give them the information on which to base it. John Banzhaf 7. By offering junk foods in the lunch line are we setting kids up to make bad choices? Morgan Spurlock 8. The worlds not gonna change, you have to change. Jared Fogel, Subway spokesman 9. No one eats McDonalds food three times a day and no one should. We believe, and have always believed, that McDonalds can be eaten as part of a well-balanced diet. Weve been taking the issue of obesity seriously for a few years now. Guy Russo, CEO McDonalds Australia 10. McDonalds call people who eat McDonalds once a week, Heavy Users (72 per cent), and people who eat there 3, 4 and 5 times a week, Super Heavy Users (22 per cent). The percentages here refer to the quantity of McDonalds cusomers considered in these categories.

34

ISSUE 44 SCREEN

Sequence chart
No. Sequence: Vision participants/action Sound

Where does personal responsibility stop and corporate responsibility begin?

Morgan Spurlock

1 Introduction - quote from Ray Kroc, McDonalds founder - shots of big bottoms - obesity trends map - changing graphics of teenage girls - court transcript circled - shots of McDonalds venues - Spurlock takes challenge 2 Medical check up - cardiologist, gastroenterologist and general - practitioner examine Spurlock - nutritionist and Spurlock consult 3

- children singing junk food jingle - narration

- Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen - results from checkups

The Last Supper - Spurlocks vegan chef girlfriend cooks meal - interview - Spurlock and girlfriend eat meal - fly-on-wall conversation

4 Day 1 - Spurlock eats at McDonalds, - cites rules (titles) - interviews with people on street - John Banzhrat interview in office - shots of kids in McDonalds play areas, - clown, toys, cartoon - Samuel Hersh, David Satcher interviews - Lisa Young demonstrates cup sizes 5 Days 2 & 3 - Spurlock eats in car and vomits - Reason magazine cover - Reason magazine editor interview - law Professors story about lolly cigarettes - Spurlock plays with kids in McDonalds - play area 6 The impact - graphics of obesity impact - Medical expert speaks about diabetes - Caitlin is covered by images from mag - Jared Fogle at conference - John Baskin interview and stills

- Talks to camera - narration - interviews

- narration - camera mans comments - Rock and Roll McDonalds by Wesley Willis

- narration - talks to camera

7 Days 5-10 - nutritionist advises about calories - hair in food at McDonalds - first weigh-in - interviews with people on the street - McNuggets cartoon - Spurlock travels to different McDonalds - Don Gorske interview - first-grade students look at famous portraits - cartoons about media advertising costs - Spurlock looks for Nutrition Facts sheets - first blood test and second weigh-in

- narration - talks to camera

ISSUE 44 SCREEN EDUCATION

35

The Whole Hoge: Fast Food Films

No. Sequence: Vision participants/action Sound 8 Its for kids - Naperville school lunches - interview Barbara Brown Sodexho - Spurlock and cook check out food boxes at Park Middle School - Appleton High School Dean interview 9 Days 1320 - Fat cities map - GMA interview - PE teachers interview in gyms with kids - girlfriend discusses sex life - third weigh-in - GP check up, results sheet 10 Addiction - medical expert interview - nine-frame screen split - graphics: heavy users and super heavy users - 2002 French ad - girls call 100 nutritionists - surgeons discuss obesity surgery - gastric bypass operation 11 Days 21 30 - Spurlock feels sick - GP check-up - interview with GMAs Gene Gabowski - family trying to remember oath in front of the White House - phone calls to Lisa Howard - Spurlock struggles up stairs - shot of Morgans detox diet with girlfriend - Last McSupper party at McDonalds 12

Ten Suggested Activities

1. Web research

- fly-on-the-wall conversations - narration - interview

- tape of phone call - narration - interviews

Ask students to: a) check out McDonalds Australian website (http://www.mcdonalds.com. au) and list the number of outlets in Australian capital cities; b) represent on a map the three closest McDonalds to your school; c) identify the five items on the McDonalds menu that are lowest in fat and sugar; d) download a menu and estimate what a Spurlock thirty-day experiment would cost in money and calories. 2. Food Log a) Ask students to keep a Food Log of what they eat for one or two weeks, noting: cost, types of junk food, fat and sugar levels (these are listed on most packeted food, try http://www. nutrition.com.sg/he/hefdchc.asp for a chart for other food). b) Discuss students Food Logs in class. c) Compare Food Logs with the recommended two fruits and five serves of vegetables daily suggested by the Healthy Living Foundation. Does anyones log meet this standard? 3. Advertising analysis Tape a McDonalds TV ad (or use a poster) and analyse it by asking students to: a) construct a detailed Sequence Chart of the ad; b) identify its target audience; c) discuss what makes the ad appealing (colour, sound, composition, text, graphics, people etc.). 4. School canteen report Write a report that evaluates the food offered at your school canteen under the following subheadings: available foods; nutritional value; suggested foods; how to educate the students about healthier eating habits (500 words). 5. Documentary genre and conventions As a class, define and discuss the documentary conventions used in the film (shown in bold in the Visuals section of this article).

-Pusherman by Curtis Mayfield - narration - phone calls - interviews - Blue Danube Waltz

- talks to camera - narration - Lisa Howard phone call - girlfriend talks to camera - Fat by The Violent Femmes - fly-on-the-wall conversations

Results - final weigh-in and blood tests - talks to camera - call to Lisa Howard - narration - transcript of lawsuit outcome - interviews - graphic/photo of Spurlock and results - doctors comment on liver function - shots of McDonalds sponsoring sports events - Premium salads poster - 30lbs of sugar on table - shots of ambulance, cemetery - graphic of tombstone

36

13 Epilogue - shots of John Banzhaf, Don Gorske, Bruce Howlett, Gene Grabowski with updates in titles - Cheeseburger bill - statistics from experiment - McDonalds announcements - Spurlocks hand over Ronald McDonalds mouth

ISSUE 44 SCREEN EDUCATION

- Super Size Me song - narration

6. Sequence Chart Construct a Sequence Chart with headings and ask students to complete it while they watch the film. 7. Sequence Analysis Analyse the following sequences separately by: a) identifying Spurlocks message(s); b) identifying the techniques, conventions and style he uses; c) explaining how he uses these to convey his message to the audience. Sequences Days 510 Its for kids Addiction (You may need to conduct a class discussion/brainstorm using the board to ensure all students are on the right track before they write it up as a Sequence Analysis). 8. Small group or class discussion/ debate topics a) Nobody would eat only McDonalds three times a day for thirty days, so

Spurlocks film is irrelevant. b) Where does personal responsibility stop and corporate responsibility begin? c) Junk food companies should not be permitted to sponsor childrens sporting groups. d) Any of the Ten Key Quotes. e) Why is Super Size Me a clever title? f) Super Size Me is a clever piece of reverse-marketing. 9. Essay topics 600800 words. Make sure students include discussion of the documentary conventions, techniques and styles used in film. a) Its not the food but the marketing that makes McDonalds so popular. How does Super Size Me explore this idea? b) How does Morgan Spurlocks little extreme experiment enable him to discuss more serious issues? c) Although Super Size Me is an eventdriven documentary, it is Morgan Spurlock himself who makes the film entertaining. Discuss.

10. DIY junk food documentary Ask students (in small groups) to do the pre-production for a 35 minute documentary about junk food. They will need to: Construct a sequence chart that includes song titles. Use at least two different conventions, eg. interviews, narration etc. Submit a narration/voice-over script if used. Provide an example of graphics. Submit a complete list of credits. Stage a mini film festival if students are able to actually produce their documentaries. Andrea Hayes is an experienced teacher, author, film text presenter and education consultant for Video Education Australia. She is also the producer of the documentary Bike Affairs (2004), and the Skinny film kit (2005), a teacher resource that introduces film process, techniques and analysis to Juniormiddle secondary students.

37

ISSUE 44 SCREEN EDUCATION