Food Formulas

            Last week, we watched Food Inc. in class. I knew it would be about the truth behind the food industry, but I really wasn’t prepared to see the horrors of it for myself. Halfway into the movie, it started to look really familiar, and I realized I had seen the movie before. Maybe my horrified reaction at some of the things I witnessed in the movie suppressed the memories of it, but overall, I still learned a lot the second time around.

            My biggest impression after watching Food Inc. is that food is disgusting and we should just stop eating all together. Of course, that’s not a very probable option, so my next impression is that something needs to change. They used a lot of pathos in the movie to appeal to the viewer’s emotions, and it works. With all of the overview shots of supermarket aisles, we as viewers can relate to the situation, even without knowing the truth behind it. But after watching the film, we no longer want to even step into the supermarket and buy the food that was once loved wholeheartedly. I don’t think Food Inc. will change anybody’s life dramatically, but it could make them be slightly more cautious about what they eat. After all, how can we escape this? Literally everything we buy are either raised in a disgusting environment or dosed into chemicals. The healthiest option may be to just grow vegetables ourselves, but by then, the film would have made the viewer suspicious about everything around them. Maybe the fertilizer used to grow vegetables is packed with chemicals to make the plants grow at extraordinary rates. There really doesn’t seem to be a way out of this. I do think this movie was very informative and effective. It forces you to think about the world around us, even the things that we choose not to think about. We live up to the quote “out of sight, out of mind,” but this movie really makes you wonder what else the big businesses are hiding from us.

            My food formula would probably be “eat, drink and be merry.” Honestly, I don’t think we have any more hope for improving the way we eat, especially with all the secrets of the food industry and conflicting theories. We might as well just embrace it. Eat whatever you want, but know your limits. Drink lots of water, because that may be the least contaminated product of all. Be merry, make sure every little thing you do ensures your happiness. That’s what my food formula would be.

Response to Eric Schlosser's "What We Eat"

In Eric Schlosser’s “What We Eat”, he argues that fast food has been incorporated into American society, through layers and layers of the industry. It has quickly become part of the American lifestyle, something everyone living anywhere recognizes. The sad truth is, we can’t even imagine life without it.

                Schlosser uses several methods to support his argument. One of these methods is description. He uses second person perspective to describe the feeling of entering a fast food restaurant. “Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk in, get on line…and moments later, take hold of a plastic tray full of food wrapped in colored paper and cardboard.” This description uses vivid imagery and appeals to the reader’s sense to make them feel as if they too were experiencing the act of entering a fast food restaurant.

                Schlosser also uses definition in his essay. The word “uniformity” is defined as “the key to a successful franchise, according to many texts on the subject…Franchises and chain stores strive to offer exactly the same product or service at numerous locations. Customers are drawn to familiar brands by an instinct to avoid the unknown. A brand offers a feeling of reassurance when its products are always and everywhere the same.” This definition of “uniformity” is to show that customers always stick to what they know. Whether it’s in New York or in Alabama, customers everywhere will visit a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s because it’s familiar and comforting to them, especially if it’s on a trip outside of their comfort zone. This allows the fast food industry to thrive all over the world.

                Schlosser uses a couple of methods in his essay to support his argument. Combining them allows the reader to become fully involved and convinced that his argument is correct. They are enveloped by these methods and make them relatable and easy for the reader to understand.

Eric Schlosser’s writing style is very interesting. It is written in an engaging manner, especially since it is on a subject that almost everybody can relate to. It makes the reader wonder how they too might be affected by the conformities of the fast food industry. I agree that it has pretty much taken over the American society. Living in New York City, I constantly see a McDonald’s or some other well-known fast food chain within a few blocks of each other. I feel that if Americans would stop relying on McDonald’s to get them through their life, America would be a much healthier nation.