Much has been made of the political and social repercussions of Morgan Spurlock’s film Super Size Me. Just as the film was opening McDonalds launched their new line of “healthy” products, salads and downsized portions The film also seemed to coincide with the sudden realizations that America was not only the fattest nation in the world, but that obesity had become an ‘epidemic’ that had to be addressed. How much of this sudden focus on the role that corporations like McDonalds and Burger King play in contributing to this epidemic is due to Spurlock’s little movie? It seems incredible that this film, basically an experiment wherein Spurlock forced himself to eat McDonalds for every meal for 30 days, made on a shoe-string budget would have such instant repercussions. Corporate spokespeople for the fast food industry deny that the film had anything to do with their sudden interest in consumer health, but it’s easy to see past their sound bites; this little movie had a big impact.
While the political importance and timeliness of Super Size Me is undeniable, the question remains: is the movie really that much fun to watch? Can we really sit through an hour and a half of a guy stuffing burgers into his face, and is the outcome-he gets fat, cranky and depressed-really all that much of a shocker? Luckily, Super Size Me is just as enjoyable as it is important.
The main reason the movie works is the pleasant and amiable nature of its writer, director and star Morgan Spurlock. A self-effacing, slightly irreverent New Yorker, Spurlock’s direction is the antidote to the Michael Moore, incendiary and in-you-face style. His reasons for embarking on this gastrointestinal journey are vague at best, one gets the sense that he’s really just fed up with his girlfriend’s vegan cooking. But as he travels across America, interviewing McDonalds patrons and employees, as the insidious nature of the chain’s mass marketing becomes more and more obvious, as the nationwide dismissal of good nutrition and regular exercise becomes more and more apparent, and as his own health begins to rapidly deteriorate, Spurlock’s motivations come into focus for both him and the viewer; he has to get the word out. He has to spread the message that many people do eat the majority of their meals at fast food restaurants, and that is distinctly linked to the rise of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in this country. By politely inquiring as to where, exactly the charts listing nutritional information that McDonalds claims to display are, Spurlock reveals much about just how much McDonalds is willing to take responsibility for its products.
And by showing that kids have an easier time recognizing Ronald McDonald than Jesus, George Washington or President Bush, Spurlock shifts focus onto our own role as consumers. Responsibility falls not just on the shoulders of the corporations, but on us as well. The roots of the obesity crisis are complex ...
