Morgan Spurlock - "Super Size Me"

Miszu1 · 06-09-2004, 02:59 PM

I want to see this.
I am happy to see him do so well with this. Talk about David and Goliath!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movi...eut/index.html

Adam Campbell · 06-09-2004, 05:17 PM

I don't get what the big deal is with this movie besides entertainment. I mean, if you want to gain fat, supersizing every meal is a great way to do it. Duh. But I could get you fat with a vegetarian diet if I had you eat the wrong foods.

You can also eat at McDonald's every meal and lose fat if you eat the "right" foods in the right quantity (note: I didn't say it would be "healthy").

This guy wanted to get publicity and I think he's sending the wrong message. It's not McDonald's fault that America's fat; it's our own fault for eating the wrong way. (That may not actually be HIS message, but that's a lot of the publicity surrounding it.)

I actually suggested that MF take the opposite approach with this story (they were approached by Spurlock just like MH): Show people how you can make "good" choices even in a "bad" environment. (We ended up doing nothing on it at all.) Basically, take control of your lives instead of blaming restaurants that thrive in a capitalistic society (they have the products they do because there is a high demand for them).

That's not to say it isn't a funny movie (I haven't seen it), and that Mickey D's doesn't get everything they deserve. It's just my take on the PR aspect of the movie from a fitness magazine standpoint.

Maybe I should do a documentary on Wendy's where I eat there every day for a month and get ripped abs. I'd be richer than Jared!!!! [img]smile.gif[/img] (Hmmm....)

Johnka · 06-09-2004, 08:17 PM

I agree with you Adam about taking responsibility for ourselves and quit trying to blame restaurants. And that's a great idea with Wendy's...man, it wouldn't take much to make a lot of money [img]tongue.gif[/img]

But I did see Supersize Me and very much enjoyed it. I think it was Spurlock's attitude - he wasn't arrogant or overly sensationalistic (as compared to, say, Bowling for Columbine). Granted, the outcome was obvious, but it was more funny (in a sadistic way) than a documentary. He also did a good job of revealing the money they throw into advertising to children. There was one scene where he was showing pictures to some first graders. None of the kids recognized a picture of Jesus, but all of them knew Ronald McDonald. Frightening!

Mostly I felt sorry for this Spurlock guy - he goes from one extreme of killing himself with McDonalds, to the other extreme of his vegan girlfriend designing a "cleansing" diet for him afterwards of arugula and tofu. He looks like a guy who could easily put on some muscle, but he's living in anti-testosterone world.

Miszu1 · 06-10-2004, 01:21 PM

I agree with you both on this. My takeaway (having not seen the movie yet) from this, so far, has been Spurlock saying look... at LEAST be honest with people about this and stop trying to portray your products as healthy. If they were in fact, healthy, then he should have been able to eat there every day with no/few harmful effects. Now, granted, you cant expect to consume 5000 calories and expect to remain thin but does the high level of calories account for the rest of the breakdowns in his body?
The beauty of this may be that, in an extreme way, he might have woken a few people up and made people think a little more about the food choices that they do make. At least I hope so.

Adam Campbell · 06-10-2004, 01:32 PM

good points by you both--agreed!

wingsfan · 06-12-2004, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Miszu1:
at LEAST be honest with people about this and stop trying to portray your products as healthy. If they were in fact, healthy, then he should have been able to eat there every day with no/few harmful effects.

but, i have to say, i have yet to see a mcdonald's commercial that uses the actual word "healthy." sure, maybe they show salads, and low carb this and low carb that, but i've never once heard or seen the word "healthy" in one of their commercials. if it's implied, well, that's up to interpretation and is part of "toeing the line" of advertising.

KFC recently got ripped for actually using the word "healthy" and were told (i think by the FCC, can't remember the government agency) that for every commerical they use with the word "healthy" in it to describe food that clearly doesn't have that claim, they get slapped with a $5000 fine.

so from a legal standpoint, a person couldn't argue that mcdonald's actually used the word "healthy," people just interpret it that way based on the genius of advertising techniques.

LostMatt · 06-25-2004, 01:15 AM

i am going to go and see this movie on monday with some friends