QTPC 27-Fast Food Nation (225-288)

Quotation: page 231 “If we eat McDonald’s hamburgers and potatoes for a thousand years, we will become taller, our skin will become white, and our hair will be blonde.”

Talking point: On page 241 Schlosser mentions that tastes for foods develop in childhood and it is difficult to lose that taste as an adult. This, along with advertising fast food to children at a very young age, adds to the obesity epidemic. Children get a taste for fast foods, and can’t lose it in their adulthood, so they keep going back for more.

Connection: I made a connection with Maus when Schlosser describes the German town of Plauen. It was a place where a lot of German refugees went after their hometown was destroyed. It reminded me of Spiegelman trying to find a safe place to hide during the Holocaust.

QTPC 26- Fast Food Nation (pg 169-222)

Quotation: page 172 “And then I notice the building does have one window, a small square of light on the second floor. It offers a glimpse of what’s hidden behind this huge blank facade. Through the little window you can see bright red carcasses on hooks, going round and round.”

Talking Point: I found it interesting that some workers think that it’s a good idea to use methamphetamine while on the job. A slaughterhouse is dangerous enough when you aren’t high.

Connection: When Schlosser described the work conditions for the late-night clean up crews, I made a connection with the show Dirty Jobs. Having a short period of time to clean up the mess left behind from three to four thousand cattle that were slaughtered during the day is rough. The number of hazards, from machinery to the conveyer belts, add danger to the job. Having to wash down everything while the building reaches temperatures of over one hundred degrees is unimaginable.

QTPC 25-Fast Food Nation (91-166)

Quotation: page 120 “This mix gave the fries their unique flavor-and more saturated beef fat per ounce than a McDonald’s hamburger.”

Talking point: With the statement above, along with the fact on page 115 that claims, “today the typical American eats about forty-nine pounds of fresh potatoes every year-and more than thirty pounds of frozen french fries. Ninety percent of those fries are purchased at fast food restaurants.”, it is obvious why there is an obesity epidemic in our nation.

Connection: I made a connection with the smells of Greenly, Colorado described in the book to the smells of a town nearby my hometown. Whiting, Indiana borders lake Michigan and is home to many steel factories. The smell that comes from the factories can be found throughout the town.