RIP Morgan Spurlock

[justgladtobehere]

I enjoyed "Super Size Me" when it came out, but as I look back on it ... the best film on McDonald's IMHO is Michael Keaton's portrayal of Ray Kroc in "The Founder."

"Super Size Me" and especially "Fast Food Nation" don't really hold up.

I didn't know about his personal stuff, but "Super Size Me" was a stupid premise from the start.

Are you talking about "Fast Food Nation" book or movie?

 

[Kato]

The Mayor McCheese prison/ jungle gym was my favorite part of the McDonald's play land back in the day.

I think, but could be wrong, that the jail gym was Big Mac, not Mayor McCheese, because Big Mac was a cop (I had a Big Mac glass — a glass glass! — from a Happy Meal way back. You don't see him much anymore, yet the Hamburglar is still on the streets. I guess McDonald's defunded the police.

 

[I Should Coco]

I didn't know about his personal stuff, but "Super Size Me" was a stupid premise from the start.

Are you talking about "Fast Food Nation" book or movie?

The movie. The "Fast Food Nation" book was well written, which gave me high hopes for the movie. They took it in a different direction, I guess.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

When I saw Supersize Me in 2004, I found it very persuasive.

Of course, when you eat in a huge calorie surplus every day what happened to him is the likely outcome.

There have been a number of people who have set out to lose weight eating nothing but McDonalds. The guy in the video below was quite successful at it and his bloodwork improved. He doesn't recommend people do what he did ( the K-State professor who did the "Twinkie Diet" also doesn't recommend his diet) but it shows that weight management is about energy balance more than anything.

That said, I've noticed in the last few years fast food chains have fewer "healthy" options. I don't think McDonalds carries the Egg White Delight anymore or salads.

Except for Chik-fil-A and Wendy's, fast food places don't offer grilled chicken anymore. The fried chicken sandwich seems to be all the rage these days.

 

[OscarMadison]

I was pretty disappointed in the movie version of Fast Food Nation.

My feelings about Spurlock are mixed. As a documentary filmmaker, he walked a path very similar to Louis Theroux. The difference between them is Theroux had a better grasp of the concept of being a participant-observer than Spurlock. Theroux struck/strikes me as far more ethical and conscientious than Spurlock. Was it a function of his being possibly better educated regarding the ins and outs of ethnographic field work? I don't know.

Much of Spurlock's work seemed gimmicky. Where in the World is Osama Bin Ladin is my favorite of his features and some of the 30 Days episodes were very good. He lost me when he revealed one of his sources had black lung before he had a chance to tell his family. Spurlock's response to the blowback was that he got caught up in the story he was telling. While Spurlock's explanation for his actions rang mostly true, I (and others who document culture) found his choice unacceptable. I hope he was not trying to get a reaction for the cameras. That would have been the worst assumption and I am hoping that those who settled on that explanation were wrong.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I think, but could be wrong, that the jail gym was Big Mac, not Mayor McCheese, because Big Mac was a cop (I had a Big Mac glass — a glass glass! — from a Happy Meal way back. You don't see him much anymore, yet the Hamburglar is still on the streets. I guess McDonald's defunded the police.

Those McDonald's glasses were amazing. Give kids glass items with God only knows what kinds of chemicals on and in them and then tell the kids to drink out of them, repeatedly.

 

[dixiehack]

Until 3-4 years ago, Mom still had the Christmas glassware set she got from Arby's when I was in middle school. They only got thrown away when shards of glass started breaking off during use.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Those McDonald's glasses were amazing. Give kids glass items with God only knows what kinds of chemicals on and in them and then tell the kids to drink out of them, repeatedly.

That lead paint didn't hurt me. I'm just fine. And also, that lead paint didn't hurt me. I'm just fine.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

That lead paint didn't hurt me. I'm just fine. And also, that lead paint didn't hurt me. I'm just fine.

Why you laugh?

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Until 3-4 years ago, Mom still had the Christmas glassware set she got from Arby's when I was in middle school. They only got thrown away when shards of glass started breaking off during use.

I often used a glass I stole from Pizza Hut in college. Probably for 20 years. Those dark red plastic cups they had were awesome and durable.

 

[Hermes]

The time giant pandas Nan Nan and Le Le came to the Toledo Zoo in 1988 will never be forgotten in my parents' house thanks to McDonald's glasses.

Also, Garfield.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Come to think of it, from age 5 to 18 in my house, I'm not sure that I consumed a beverage that wasn't in a fast food reusable or from an Indiana Hoosier ballgame cup.