Tolog Review: Fast Food Nation

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
by Eric Schlosser
reviewed by Leah Rassam

Fast food is part of the American lifestyle. Fast Food Nation, a work of non-fiction by Eric Schlosser, is an ambitious book that informs people about fast food companies and discourages them from eating at them. He discusses the destruction of the American diet that fast food has caused from the beginning of its existence. 

Schlosser first gives background information about the “founding fathers” of fast food. It started with Carl Karcher and his hot dog cart. Mr. Karcher is the founder of Carl Karcher Enterprises. He started his business at the same time McDonald’s began. The fast food industry was a great way to make a lot of cash fast. Cars influenced the rise of drive-through lines, and the fast food industry became huge. It was an easy, accessible, inexpensive way for people to eat. The competition started between companies, and then it grew inside of them. “At the age of sixty-seven, more than five decades after starting the business, Carl N. Karcher was prevented from entering his own office, and new locks were put on the doors” (Schlosser, 26). People would do anything to earn money. 

Marketing can sell anything, especially fast food. Access to the internet and television makes it easy to reach customers. Interestingly, Eric Schlosser compares McDonald’s and Disneyland. Walt Disney and Ray Kroc, of McDonald’s were some of the first people to advertise to kids and get a great result. “Walt Disney and Ray Kroc were masterful salesmen. They perfected the art of selling things to children” (Schlosser, 33). Food companies first directed their advertisements towards adults, but many ads are now directed towards kids so companies get more than one customer; children influence what their parents purchase. These marketing skills have gotten many people through their doors. Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s are an easy default to homemade food and are hard to resist because, as Schlosser puts it, “America is a Fast Food Nation” because of advertising and convenience.

The most intriguing part of the book was learning how meat and potatoes are prepared. The plants responsible for McDonald’s meat slaughter 84% of the cattle population, according to Schlosser. The processors make sure everything from the cow or other animal is used. What is not used for human food is turned into things like dog food. Schlosser adds an intriguing view of how the potatoes are manufactured, being cut and cleaned by a high tech machine. What made McDonald’s fries seem putrid was that their flavor comes from a chemical called Natural Flavoring, giving the fries their iconic taste. 

I learned about this book through P.E. class when Mrs. Brown read us excerpts in class. Since we were not reading the whole book, I thought I would read it for SSR in English. The book surprised me, for it talked about many problems caused by fast food companies through an opinionated voice that was easy to understand.