Williams 1 Justin Williams Mr.

Jones AP Language & Composition 29 September 2011 Freedom Burger

a simple explanation for why eating a hamburger can now make you seriously ill: There is sh*t in the meat. Within the aforementioned quote from Eric Schlosser, author of the popular polemic, Fast Food Nation, the fast food industry is described in a relatively crude, yet accurate, manner. From the humble beginnings as simple hot dog stands, to the high-tech kitchens of today, fast food has taken a dive in quality since its inception due largely in part to the speed with which it expands. Through his polemic, Schlosser successfully educates the average consumer on the dangers associated with the fast food industry through various appeals to ones sense of reason and morality as well as a shocking revelation to the truth of just how far the fast food giants will go, in order to earn the next dollar. Throughout the entire book, one thing remains constant: Schlosser never ceases to make his readers think about the shocking truth regarding the industrys questionable policies. Whether said policies deal with advertising, the workplace, or the sale of foods, one thing is certain, the industry has a tight grip on modern society. That control has led to choices that have been deemed immoral, or otherwise wrong. Proof of this immorality can be seen almost anywhere, most notably the workplace. The fast food industry controls most of its workers by denying them the right to unionise, which, as a result, keeps wages low and dependence on the company high. The question posed, and answered by this conflict is Did somebody say McUnion? [...] Not if they want to keep their McJob. (77) This remains a prevalent concept throughout the majority

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of Schlossers book. If any employee wishes to keep their job, they must become a slave to the industry, so to speak, willing to work odd hours and do whatever is necessary to maintain maximum profitability. Another of the fast food industrys questionable policies is its highly suspect advertising methods. The unfortunate target of the industry is the youth of any nation in which the food is served. Most [m]ajor ad agencies now have childrens divisions and a variety of marketing firms focus [ing] solely on kids (43). This unfortunately means that the industry aims to target children and use them as nothing more than regular customers who will come to recognise their brands at a young age, thus leading to a lifetime of purchases, which the industry has aptly named their cradle-to-grave advertising [strategy] (43) . Schlosser reveals the shocking truth behind the industries policies regarding advertising and workers rights, thus appealing to an individuals sense of morality. Schlossers argument features an even balance of factual evidence and shocking emotional examples to prove the evidence correct, or to grab the attention of the audience. Most of these anecdotes deal with the harsh working conditions within the meatpacking factories across the nation or the horrible policies and how they affect the workers within the factories. Easily, the most emotional of the stories feature throughout the book is that of Kenny Dobbins. Schlosser describes Kenny as a man who devoted his life to his work, suffering from back injuries, broken arms and legs, lung injuries, and he was even struck by a train. After all of those injuries, he stayed loyal but in the end, Monfort fired him. Despite the fact that Kenny had been with the company for almost sixteen years (190). Kenny had felt betrayed by the company because They used [him] to the point where [he] had no body parts left to give [] then they just tossed [him] into the trash can. (190). As unfortunate as Kennys experiences were, they were the result of the lack of concern of the meatpacking factories. To worsen matters, Kennys

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experience is a common occurrence across the nation, specifically in Texas. Texas is the only state that allows companies to set up their own workers compensation and workplace injury policies. With that said, once injured in the workplace, a worker is immediately presented with a waiver. (283). If the waiver is signed then workers forever [surrender] the right to sue IBP on any grounds. Workers who sign the waver may receive medical care [] Or they may not. (283) In direct dissimilarity, those who do not sign the waiver not only risk getting no medical care [] but also risk being fired on the spot. (283). The inclusion of such harsh policies regarding the workplace within Schlossers book, make the thought of working in a meatpacking factory unbearable. In regards to the success of the fast food industry, most of its progress rests solely on the shoulders of the average customer, the average citizen, the average American. In its infancy, fast food was nothing more than a few burger joints scattered across vast expanses of freeway. Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, the fast food business grew out of control and most, if not all of its success, was the result of poor government action, for [c]ongress should [have] ban[ned] advertising that preys upon children, it should [have] stop[ed] subsidizing dead-end jobs, it should [have] pass[ed] tougher food safety laws, it should [have] protect[ed] American workers from serious harm [and] it should [have] [fought] against [the] dangerous concentrations of economic power. (267) While Congress should have already done these things, it is unlikely to do so anytime soon and due to this lack of limiting legislation, the issues will continue until the average customer decides to demand higher quality products from the industry. If customers were to demand higher quality products, then the industry would undoubtedly be forced to deliver. Of course, not every business suffers from an inherent lack of concern for its customers and employees; one exception would be the In-N-Out fast food chain. According to Schlosser,

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In-N-Out has followed its own path (259) which has undoubtedly led to the chain being ranked first in food quality, value, service, atmosphere, and cleanliness (260). The popularity of the chain speaks for itself and it shines as an example of what the fast food industry could be, but isnt. Schlossers main argument throughout his polemic is the hindrance of the fast food industry on modern society. Of course, this argument is invalidated by the fact that Schlosser adheres to a rather biased opinion. His views on the fast food industry are obviously negative, but he fails to look at the few benefits the fast food industry have brought about such as advances and reforms in the way food is prepared and the creation of a large number of jobs every year as the result of new restaurants opening at a steady rate. While it may not be widely accepted, the fast food industry is very fast and very efficient. The price of the food is also an attractive option for those who cannot afford to visit a market and cook every day. While Schlosser does go over these points, he covers them with a tone of contempt. But this tone, upon looking at it from a normal consumers perspective, is well deserved due to the constantly shocking nature of the fast food industry. Any way the industry is looked at, there is no room for argument and Fast Food Nation hits that point head on. Thanks to Eric Schlosser, there will be those who know what is really happening behind the counter or at the meatpacking factories. Those will be the people who will do all they can to stop the seemingly unstoppable expansion of the fast food industry. Of the many messages and purposes that Schlossers polemic sends and serves, all of them can be summed up in one short, yet meaningful, proverb: if it tastes good, its bad for you.