W4 The Other Other White Meat...

Bright-yellow and red tables, silly creatures, a massive playground equipped with slides, and a ball pit combined together amount to one thing, a child's obsession. As like many young children who grew up in America I always jumped for joy at the thought of going to McDonald's. The only thing I ate was chicken nuggets, fries with plenty of ketchup, and a bubbly cool coke. Until one eye opening day I bit into a chicken nugget, expecting the juicy white meat. However, I did not get a bite of juicy white meat, rather, a mouth full of a brown, fatty, and cartilage like substance. After that day, I never ate another chicken nugget at McDonald's fried on the other hand I didn't mind.

Once I began to understand how unhealthy and disgusting those eating establishments are, I stopped altogether. As for the rest of the American society I do not understand why they eat at such places. I do however have some theories. I feel that many Americans have chosen a more convenient path. They choose to go somewhere fast and easy so they don't have to stop to prepare and cook a meal loosing what they consider valuable time. I on the other hand, feel that, that time spent cooking is needed for a sane person to function.

Another theory I believe results in eating at McDonald's is the "cheap appeal" the establishment has signs everywhere promoting special deals, dollar menus, and even the commercials discuss how it can be cheaper to buy a dinner for your family at McDonald's than going to the store. I would like to poke a hole in this idea as well, these people do not see that it adds up. It always adds up to an unreasonable amount of money, not to mention the extra doctor bills and medication to attempt to recover these victims health.

Those commercials are very seductive, I don't know what kind of commercials exists in other countries. So, if you were to watch television here in America it seems like every other commercial is boasting a fast food chain. I think Americans are very susceptible to propaganda, all of those commercials and posters have vibrant colors and attractive people of all ages blissfully happy. And, for only two dollars you to can buy that happiness and that feeling of bliss. Some people might go as far as to eat it to feel they are a part of something, they believe they are connected to society by eating what society eats, they are doing their part to fit in.

I think another reason that Americans rely on fast food industries more than other countries is our shopping habits. Many foreigners buy their food daily, markets and small shops that they stop by after work. Where as, Americans tend to shop in bulk. Since members of other countries shop on a daily basis I feel they have their meals based on what produce is the best quality when they go. I also believe they are more health conscious in general choosing fresh, clean, and healthy produce over cheep and easy.

I also feel that family time dinner is more important in other countries. Now, in America people are working ridiculous hours in which many of the family members are unable to sit down together, so it is not as important to cook for a group.

I wish that America would take a more insightful approach to eating, but time, money, and convenience are important to society as much as I hate to admit it. For some individuals this is a daily habit that if broken they would feel inadequate to presume their daily tasks.