Fast Food Nation: Scary Truth About Fast Food Industry

“Fast Food Nation” is a film directed by Richard Stuart Linklater and presented in 2006. It sheds light on the fast food industry as a big machine focused on making fast food and money without any care of the food quality, its safety, and safety of its workers. The viewer gets to know that behind the polite smile of a pretty girl at the box office hides the severe truth and mysteries of the numerous fast food establishments. The very concept ‘fast’ neglected the ideas of food, humanity, loyalty, safety, and responsibility both from those who work for the industry and those who consume its food. The film opens the viewers’ eyes about all the pitfalls of the fast food industry and the effects it has on lives of so many people one way or another.

The thing that impresses the most is how much cruelty and cold ignorance is included in producing the hamburgers and other food from the menu. It concerns the cattle: the way they are kept, fed, and slaughtered; it concerns the workers: the way the management cares about the working conditions, safety at the workplace, accidents, workers’ mental and physical health; it concerns the clients: the quality of food they are served, its safety, and the quality of service they receive (the moment when a guy spits onto the hamburger and puts the cutlet with bare, maybe, dirty hands, and then gives it to the client who has no idea what was going on in the kitchen is a perfect example).

Another impressive fact is that people know what is happening, what company they are working for, what food they make and serve; they know it is dangerous and dirty, infected with E. coli, and many clients also heard about this but continue ordering hamburgers and French fries in McDonald’s and other similar restaurants. The immigrants, who come to work, also know about the working conditions at the plank, they know about disguising smell of blood and excrement, shocking pictures of killed animals, danger of having your limb cut or broken, they know all this, but they continue coming here and taking part in a great crime against animals and humanity called “Fast Food”. No one is forcing anyone to work or to buy and eat these products. It is all about freedom of choice, and as long as people will continue to swallow everything they are given without saying a word, there will be no change for positive, the children will die from E. coli, and their parents will become invalids until they decide it is enough and stop supporting and encouraging the Fast Food industry by eating their food preferring something that is safer and more useful.

The information, presented in the film “Fast Food Nation” is very relevant and is of great importance. First of all, because it shows the great nation of consumers who do not care about the quality of what they produce or consume, the only things which matter are the speed and quantity. “More and faster” seems to be a logo of today’s world. Unfortunately, the price for this rhythm of production and life is too high – lives and health of thousands of people, and the benefits are very doubtful if they are worth these sacrificing. As for me, the most crucial information I can take from watching this film is that humanity should be above all. I understand clearly that if I am doing something, I must do it with respect to those for whom I am doing this. The neglect I show towards the other people (like the boy who spits in the hamburger) can be returned to me or members of my family. The lesson is that I should treat others the way I want them to treat me. As a manager, I understand that there are much more things except for my own pocket to care about. First of all, it is important to think is my doing right, safe, and beneficial for the people, environment, and planet. Finally, as a guest, I should be more careful and attentive when choosing a place to stay or have lunch.