Fast Food: It's What's Wrong With America
Time and time again I here people talking about going out
to eat fast food, be it McDonalds, Taco Bell, whatever. I
am always puzzled by this. Who would willingly do that to
themselves? So I ask. "Why would you eat there?" Generally,
I get one of three responses:
-It's fast
-It's cheap
-I know it's shit, but it still tastes good
Is this what we've been reduced to? Eating terrible food
because we don't have the time or money for a real meal?
Thinking awful food is good because of lack of comparission?
The fast food situation exemplifies what is wrong with America.
We are a nation of brainwashed consumers, demanding everything
to be fast, cheap, and aesthetically pleasing, actual quality
be damned. Not to mention that fast food also ties directly into
three other big American problems - Labor, Obesity, and Franchise.
I have to believe this all spawns from ignorance. I don't see how
people can willingly do this to themselves and to the country.
So for starters, if you haven't seen
Super Size Me, do so. I defy anyone to deny the terrible things
fast food does to their body after seeing this film. In addition, go
read
Fast Food Nation. In addition to more information on why fast food
is bad for you (including showing evidence that fast food meat literally
has shit in it), it goes into detail about the economics and labor issues
behind fast food.
But back to my ranting. So the first issue is speed. Americans have an hour
a night to devote to American Idol, but they can't spend 15 minutes preparing
dinner? If you don't have time to devote to an actual meal, here's a bit of
advice: TURN OFF THE TELEVISION! The time it takes to grill up 4 hamburgers,
even with sides, is likely LESS time than it takes to drive to a McDonalds,
get your food, and drive home. And odds are, it will taste better and be
better for you. Or for those of you going to fast food for lunch, there are
often better, closer, non-fast food options. The closest Burger Kings and
Wendy's to my high school are about 5-10 minutes away by car. Where as, directly
across the street, there is a small, privately owned Chinese restaurant.
"But Vampire Ninja," you say, "I can't afford not to eat fast food. It's simply
the cheapest stuff out there!" Or so it would have you believe. A quarter pounder
with cheese, medium fries, and a medium drink costs roughly $5, maybe a bit more.
For a family of four, that's $20. Sure, that seems like a bargain compared to the
$10+ a person a family would spend at a slightly higher class of restaurant like
a Fridays or Bennigans (though with larger portions and actual quality of food and
service, I'd still pick that any day), but compared to eating at home it's actually more expensive.
A pound of hamburger is only $4-7. That's your four quarter pounders, right there. Add
a 2-liter of coke for a dollar, a frozen bag of oven french fries for $2-3, and assorted
condiments and you're still talking $10-15 dollars for the same meal. And as for those of
you eating lunch, the afforementioned Chinese restaurant has a lunch special for $3.50
that is actually more food than you'd get for $5 over at Burger King. And FAR tastier.
Americans cannot continue to turn a blind eye to fast food. You can't keep putting this
shit into yourselves, pleading time, money, or taste ignorance. It's just revolting.
And for those of you saying it's not that big of a deal, that's just a further problem.
Just like with modern politics, ignoring the problems and delegating them to someone
else is just making the problems worse.
-Vampire Ninja
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