Blog #4 your "Trusted" friends

       In this chapter “Your Trusted Friend” Eric Schlosser explains the different ways fast food chains increase sales, often targeting young customers. Walt disney and Ray Kroc were great examples of successful entrepreneur. They both used ads to increase their popularity. Walt disney used a marketing strategy called "synergy", which allows several firms to use his characters in their ads. Ray kroc also uses Walt Disney's characters as their toys. Fast food chains didn't only form marketing alliances with walt disney for his characters but they also used Hollywood studios, sports leagues and a lot others to increase their sales. Fast food pioneers competed for young costumers. Fast food pioneers spend over 3 billion dollars on television advertising, majority of them targeting children.Walt Disney, Ray Kroc and other successful fast food pioneers use synergy to increase sale but they all seem to have one thing they direct ads to;children.

Essay

One of the largest industry today is the food industry. After world war II people decided to make food faster and In california during the 1950's, the fast food industry started. The book Fast food nations written by Eric Schlosser explains the many stratagems fast food Pioneers used to expand the industry to what it is today. Eric Schlosser explains the evil sale motives people used to brainwash us americans to increase their sales and profits. The people behind the food chose to direct their unhealthy food to people that don't know wrong from right; children. Their major tactics used were targeting children, teenagers and advertisement.

At first the fast food pioneers targeted teenagers with cars. At the time the nations car industry was increasing so someone decided to make drive-in resturatnts "People with cars are so lazy they don't even want to come out of them to eat" said Jesse G. Kirby, also know as one of the first pioneers to own a drive-in restaurant. Teenagers were both consumers and workers for the business. They hired teenaged girl who would carry the trays of food from patrons to the parked cars know as carhops. Usually they wore short skirt or wore a variety of adorable costumes such as mermaids, cowgirls and majorettes. They were usually attractive, which brought a lot of teen boys to hangout there. Owners of later drive-ins competed for attention, realized that Bright neon lights attract people. They also used a variety of visual lure and decorated their buildings.

Walt Disney and Ray Kroc (CEO of McDonalds) both used tactics targeting children, who bring in their parents, who bring in money. They realized that children play a big part in our nation, so they came up with a strategy called the “cradle-to-grave”. It hopes the nostalgic childhood memories of a brand can lead to a lifetime of purchases and loyalty. According to Eric Schlosser a person’s “Brand loyalty” may begin as early as the age of two. I agree with him because I still eat McDonalds. They came to this conclusion after the 1980s when parents worked so much and had little time to spend with their children so, they effortlessly bought them thing to make them happy. They called it “the decade of the child consumer.” This had a huge impact on not only fast food pioneers but any entrepreneur. McDonalds took advantage of this; they started giving toys with every kids meal and wrapping them in a little box that looks like a present. They made McBurglar VHS and built fun playgrounds which were also examples of the innovation that McDonalds made to attract children. I remember being so happy when my parents took me to mcdonalds it felt like it was a kid’s paradise. I could play, eat and still go home to fun because I got a toy.

Advertising also had a huge impact in the the fast food epidemic. During the 1930's walt disney pioneered the marketing strategy which is now known as the synergy. Disney signed a licensing agreement to use mickey mouse on their products and their ads. After noticing the success, disney wanted more. He later used television to achieve a degree of synergy beyond anyone did in the past.He began to create a lot of television shows to promote his characters. Soon enough the fast food industry used synergy too.There were a variety of advertisements directed at children. The ads taught children different stragems into nagging their parents. They wanted children to nag..nag..nag...no matter how u do it, get what you want. Then came the internet, which was another tool to learn more about the children consumers and sell their products. according to Mr.Schlosser  about 89 perfect of websites targeting children requested personal information. On a McDonalds website children were told to send Ronald secret mail regarding what are their favorite meal on the menu.

The fast food industry is using us americans to brainwash us into buying their unhealthy foods. McDonalds, Pizza hut, and all other fast food places don't really care about what garbage they are feeding us. The come up with fun  playgrounds, food packages in shape of presents and pretend like they are doing it to make people happy but in reality they are doing it to profit themselves.

Founded fathers (Blog entry #3)

       In the first chapter of "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser focuses on the history of fast food in Southern California and how the huge epidemic of fast food started. It all started with Carl N. Karcher, a fast food industry’s pioneer. He lived and grew up in upper Sandusky Ohio until his uncle offered him a job in Anaheim, California.  While in California he eventually he started selling food out of carts and which turn into fast food chain and eventually an epidemic. Fast food chains started to rise around early 1940’s. They started off with waitresses that would bring food to the parked cars, they were known as carhops. The drive-in restaurant had become popular to teenage boys who were attracted by the car scene and the young carhops.

          In 1937 Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a drive-in in Pasadena selling mostly hot dogs. A few years later they opened The McDonald Brothers Burger Bar Drive-In in San Bernardino, it was a success but the McDonald's seemed to want more. In 1948 the brothers decided to close the shop to increase sales and customers. They fired all their employees, added larger grills and then reopened with a new strategy of making food; they called it the self service system. There were no more bus boys, carhops or glass dishes and an employee had a station and did only one task. Soon enough a lot of entrepreneurs started coping this technique. This is what started the epidemic of fast food.

Food effects everything in the nation

           Meals play an important part to my family. Food can either make the family join together or segregate. I live with my mother and little sister. My mother is British but was raised in Trinidad & Tobago. My mother loves Trinidadian food and so does my little sister. Unlike them I prefer American food. My mother has a variety of multicultural meals she makes. she sometimes contributes her past religion (Muslim) with her and my father’s nationalities to synthesize them into a combination of deliciousness. For example, she would make Yellow rice with red beans and stew chicken with potatoes.(a mixture of Spanish and Trinidadian food),she’s never cooks pork because she grew up in a Muslim family, although she isn’t Muslim anymore she still doesn’t eat pork. When I was younger she never made pork  or allowed us to eat it so growing up I wasn’t a big fan of pork and still am. 

        Where we eat depends on what we are eating. Usually at 6pm my family gets together and eats at the dining room table, however if I don’t like the food, I’m not going to eat with them. My mother know what I like and what I don’t like, she knows if I don’t like what she cooks ill either make my own food or just go without food that night. Every night my mom cooks chicken feet I yell at her and tell her she’s selfish because I HATE chicken feet. the simple fact they don’t have a lot of meat on them and the thought of the filth in between their toes grosses me out. chicken feet always bring controversy our household because I refuse to eat that disgusting food with them.

Is America's food supply safe?

The Article "Is America's food supply safe?" explains why Dr. David Acheson believes America has the safest food and food supplies in the world. Dr. Acheson, the assistant commissioner for food protection and drug administration (F.D.A) says that the FDA is always working to protect food from bacterial, viral, and chemical contamination. Although there were recent condemnations such a E.Coli in Spinach and salmonella in peanut butter, Dr. Acheson doesn't seem to think our food supply is unsafe. I disagree with Dr.Acheson; I think the food we eat can be unsafe sometimes due to the FDA not inspecting accurately. If the FDA has inspectors to prevent unsafe food from foreign countries, they weren't doing their job right if there were two recent contaminations. I believe Dr. Acheson is bias considering he is the assistant commissioner for the FDA. The passage talks about numerous ways the FDA is using to ensure safe food however it seems like they didn't do the best job. 

In the passage Dr.Acheson says “If we suspect anything, we try to fix it and prevent it from happening again." Apparently they didn’t do a good job fixing it. That quote bewildered me, how can u fix food? if its poisoned what does the FDA do? I’m guessing that instead of them throwing the poisoned or suspicious food they just try to take the poison out or try to "fix" it. The FDA is accountable for any American that passed away or got an illness from eating food that was already examined. Just like a doctor or vet you have to be careful of what u do and try to work in the most precise way possible because someone’s life can be at risk. About a year ago one of my friend's uncle got extremely sick after eating McDonalds. When her uncle came into the restaurant it has an A for inspection. After her uncle filed a report, they had to get another inspection just more thoroughly and the restaurant got a C. The FDA has been overlooking a variety of things can effect over a billion people. I believe the FDA is trying to make our food safe but I don’t agree that it’s ensuring us safe as Dr. David Acheson was implying.