Fred Walk Normal Community High School

The Golden Arches will never be the same after reading Schlosser's indictment of the fast food industry. However, this book is much more than taking on the meatpacking industry and the McDonald's of the world. The reader is introduced to the politics of the restaurant industry and its economic, geographic, and social implications upon our nation and the world.

The fast food industry has contributed to what is referred to as the "consensus society." Our physical and cultural landscape has been homogenized. No matter where you are in the United States the same restaurants will appear, chain this and chain that. Our landscape has been sterilized and subjected to sprawl and predictability. Bet your bottom dollar that you will find a brand name food joint off the interstate exit ramps. Hey, it's McDonald's! Oh, the joy. Of course we take comfort in name recognition. You know what you are getting at your well know fast food restaurant. Conformity is cultivated by the comfort of place. How much of this is a reflection of who we are? This is one of the many questions that surface as I reflected on the issues contained in Fast Food Nation.

I was especially intrigued by the regimentation of the fast food worker. Skills are not required to work these type of jobs. Actually the fast food conglomerates discourage any sort of thinking on the job. This type of work is reduced to mindless and meaningless tasks. Punch in the order, fill the order, deliver the order and say thanks. All of this in the name of efficiency. How ironic is it that many school work programs have our students work at these restaurants. Last time I checked, work study programs are subsidized by the government. What a deal! As educators we have much cause for concern with this exploitation of our most cherished resource. We are subjecting our students to these mundane tasks for paltry wages.

Numerous labor issues exist with the intense concentration of the food industry. Is it any wonder that some 33% of restaurant workers speak little or no English. Increases in minimum wage laws are strongly resisted by the fast food lobby. Attempts to unionize are suppressed as well. Can we have quality capitalism is a question begging to be addressed with this reading. The parallels between Fast Food Nation and Upton Sinclair's, The Jungle, are striking. These works provide an excellent case study of immigrant history. Struggling to make ends meet many immigrants are attracted to the skilless, low paying, and routine positions offered by the meat packing and restaurant industries.
The impact of the meat packing and restaurant industries are far ranging. How much control do we have over our diets? Children are conditioned to pester their parents for the latest fast food junk toy/stuffed animal. Schlosser provides the connection between the fast food industry and Hollywood. It appears that fast food is ingrained into our system our society and our bodies. Fast Food Nation provides an awareness, the first step to meaningful change. Reading this book could save your life!

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