Fast Food Nation

He is shocked that the greatest power house in t e world has this disease in it’s system and it is right under our noses.

1. 2. Believe that the primary goal Closer had in writing this book is exposing a America the fries, burgers, pizzas, subs, that we consume isn’t what we think t is.

The chicken, cows, and pigs aren’t raised on a farm, slaughtered humanely, thro ugly inspected, packaged, and appears on our plates with a nice wrapper around it . He wanted us to be aware that this industry is doing everything in their power to exploit innocent workers, helpless animals, and the system with power and politics. Ink Closer is hoping for America to open their eyes and realize what is really g Long on around them. He wants to see any change, not drastic changes but slowly chaw Eng things. He might expect us to spread this information to anyone that hasn’t re ad this book. To spread the info he gave to us to anyone that isn’t aware of what is go ins on in their local fast food restaurants.

1. 3. He kind of depicts an American culture that seems to be oblivious of what is g Ongoing on and just wants to consume, consume, and consume.

He kind of writes about transition of a culture where everything was made from scratch and hard word k paid off. No short cuts were taken. Nothing was ‘fast?’ just quality food. He described American Farmers as a dying species, businessmen as money hung children as exploited adolescents, general working public as being manipulate d, and the eating public as an unaware audience.

1. 4. The tone of Chlorate’s text is subtle yet stern. I would classify this book as outstretching, dark, heartrending and informative.

I honestly do not b live that anywhere in the book there was a hopefulness or optimism. It just seem to get darker and darker the more you read on. He asserts his opinion in sections like and Potatoes, The Most Dangerous Job, Your Trusted friends. Yes there are SE actions that are less/ or more biased. (Kenny pig 186, Sharp Knives pig 1 72, A Broken Link pig 146)

1. 5. The effect of these stories is to have us feel connected in a way with them.

Like e we know them personally, and understand and feel what they been through, and they are included to give us a generalization of how long these industries have been d Long these things.

Scoring Your Test From the SAT Preparation Booklet

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The College Board: Connecting Students to College Success

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Each year, the College Board serves over seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the Advanced Placement Program (AP). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

The majority of essay readers teach English, composition, or language arts courses. Each essay is scored independently by two readers on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being the highest score. The combined score for both readers will range from 2 to 12. If the two readers’ scores are more than one point apart, a third reader resolves the discrepancy. In scoring the essays, readers follow the scoring guide below. The scoring guide describes the features typically found in essays at each score point, including critical thinking, development, organization, language use, and sentence structure. A student can get a top score on the essay even with minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics.

A typical essay

Effectively and insightfully develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates outstanding critical thinking, using clearly appropriate examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its position

• is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating clear coherence and smooth progression of ideas
• exhibits skillful use of language, using a varied, accurate, and apt vocabulary • demonstrates meaningful variety in sentence structure
• is free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

Score of 5

An essay in this category demonstrates reasonably consistent mastery, although it will have occasional errors or lapses in quality.

Score of 4

An essay in this category demonstrates adequate mastery, although it will have lapses in quality. A typical essay effectively develops a point of view on the develops a point of view on the issue and issue and demonstrates strong critical thinking, demonstrates competent critical thinking, generally using appropriate examples, reasons, using adequate examples, reasons, and other and other evidence to support its position evidence to support its position

1. is well organized and focused, demonstrating coherence and progression of ideas
2. exhibits facility in the use of language, using appropriate vocabulary
3. demonstrates variety in sentence structure
4. is generally free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
5. is generally organized and focused, demonstrating some coherence and progression of ideas
6. exhibits adequate but inconsistent facility in the use of language, using generally appropriate vocabulary
7. demonstrates some variety in sentence structure has some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

Score of 3

An essay in this category demonstrates developing mastery, and is marked by one or more of the following weaknesses:

• develops a point of view on the issue, demonstrating some critical thinking, but may do so inconsistently or use inadequate examples, reasons, or other evidence to support its position
• is limited in its organization or focus, or may demonstrate some lapses in coherence or progression of ideas
• displays developing facility in the use of language, but sometimes uses weak vocabulary or inappropriate word choice
• lacks variety or demonstrates problems in sentence structure contains an accumulation of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

Score of 2

An essay in this category demonstrates little mastery, and is flawed by ONE OR MORE of the following weaknesses:

develops a point of view on the issue that is vague or seriously limited, and demonstrates weak critical thinking, providing inappropriate or insufficient examples, reasons, or other evidence to support its position

An essay in this category demonstrates very little or no mastery, and is severely flawed by One or More of the following weaknesses:

1. develops no viable point of view on the issue, or provides little or no evidence to support its position
2. is poorly organized and/or focused, or
3. is disorganized or unfocused, resulting in a disjointed or incoherent essay demonstrates serious problems with coherence or progression of ideas
4. displays very little facility in the use of language, using very limited vocabulary or incorrect word choice
5. demonstrates frequent problems in sentence structure
6. contains errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics so serious that meaning is somewhat obscured
7. displays fundamental errors in vocabulary demonstrates severe flaws in sentence structure
8. contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that persistently interfere with meaning

Getting Ready for the SAT

Sample Essays for the SAT Practice

Test Essay #1

This essay received a score of 6 Americans nowadays are far too concerned with their privacy. In our culture of large houses, home security systems, and private counslers, everyone is trying too hard to seclude themselves and cut off their emotions with the outside world. Two summers ago some friends of mine and I went on a trip to Thailand for one month.

In Thailand I observed how communicative Thais were with all of their problems and emotions, and I became convinced that this culture of sharing one’s emotions was far superior to the American way of hiding them. In America we all are individualists, meaning we all care about standing out in a crowd and making a unique, strong impression. So when my friends and I arrived in a small village in the North of Thailand, we were somewhat shocked to find that Thais centered around groups, not individual people. When it came to emotions, if someone had a problem, the group had a problem, and everyone would try and fix it. It was as if the entire village was one large team that had a mission to help all of its individuals. No one was left in isolation.

In contrast, we Americans hid all of our stressful or other serious emotions. We were concerned once again with our appearance, how we would be judged by our friends, and whether or not it suited our unique identity. For us, it was “every man for himself. ” If someone had a problem, it was up to them to fix it. The advantages of this might be that everyone learns to solve their problems on their own, but people are then not learning how to communicate their problems, they are not learning how to communicate in a group. For example, my friend Duncan had recently got refused by a college he had had his heart set on, and he was feeling depressed about it.

While in Thailand we all asumed that he was doing ok because he never talked about it. After one month however, all of us in the group had grown closer together and we started to share our feelings more. Duncan confessed to us that he was still upset about his college refusal, and we all worked together to cheer him up and get rid of his depression. There was nothing “weak” about him feeling upset. In fact, he showed us strength by being brave enough to express himself to us. Should people keep their emotions private? If they have serious emotions that they hold inside of themselves, most likely these emotions will be a lot harder to make go away.

Thai culture, and the Thai way of solving problems as a group, convinced me that people are meant to express themselves in a group. Confessing one’s emotions to others is a way to cope with problems, and it teaches us valuable lessons of communication and honesty. People need to confess their problems, not keep them private.

Why Essay #1 Received a Score of 6

This essay demonstrates outstanding critical thinking in effectively and insightfully developing a point of view on the issue (“Confessing one’s emotions to others is a way to cope with problems, and it teaches us valuable lessons of communication and honesty”) with a clearly appropriate example from personal experience.

Well organized and clearly focused, the essay uses an account of a trip to Thailand to illustrate the point that Americans, who “all care about standing out in a crowd” and thus conceal “all of our stressful or other serious emotions,” “need to learn the Thai way of solving problems…people are meant to express themselves in a group. ” The essay demonstrates smooth progression of ideas (“Duncan confessed to us that he was still upset about his college refusal, and we all worked together to cheer him up…There was nothing ‘weak’ about him feeling upset. In fact, he showed his strength by being brave enough to express himself to us”) and uses language skillfully throughout.

This essay received a score of 6 I cannot help but believe, despite my slight ambivalence over the issue of privacy, that the trends which now-adays indicate a slight reluctance on part of people to keep some things private, are dangerous. Shows like “Jerry Springer” in the USA tend to reveal information that is inherently dangerous for young children, and thus should be kept private. A problem with capitalism that I have become cognizant of, through my observations, is that if some activity can help amass profits, it is widely employed.

This almost insane drive to attain profit maximization not only ignores external and societal costs, but is setting dangerous cultural precedents. Since lurid, sensationalist confessions by ‘average’ people are quite appealing to the general television viewer, it is unsurprising that myriad shows have propped up on television, which pander to these very wants by exposing stories and information which is better kept dissembled. In this context, the show ‘Jerry Springer’ epitomizes my argument. In this show, an array of family problems are presented to an audience, not for information dissemination, but for ‘entertainment’; In this case, which means—and I think this is quite obvious—nothing but mockery and amusement over the antics of people who choose to expose their problems.

These ‘personal predicaments’ range from some less disturbing ones, such as people cheating on their friends or marital partners, to extremely grave ones, such as people sleeping with their relatives. I am not someone who would like to contravene principles like freedom of expression, or freedom of choice. But democracy as a system doesnot herald absolute freedom for its own sake; rather, it champions the cause of ‘live and let live’. The latter principal is surely being violated by people who choose to expose such stories— for no plausible reasons I can conjure, since no family problem has actually been solved by such shows—to impressionable young children; for TV ratings and parental supervision do not always work. Am I exaggerating?

Is it not harmful or psychologically detrimental when a child is exposed to such ideas? You be the judge.

Why Essay #2 Received a Score of 6

This essay demonstrates clear and consistent mastery, effectively and insightfully developing a point of view on the issue (“the trends which now-a-days indicate a slight reluctance on part of people to keep some things private, are dangerous”) with clearly appropriate reasons and examples. The essay displays outstanding critical thinking in linking the “harmful or psychologically detrimental” behavior publicized on the “Jerry Springer” television show with capitalism’s “almost insane drive to attain profit maximization. The essay is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating smooth progression of ideas (“I am not someone who would like to contravene principles like freedom of expression, or freedom of choice. But democracy as a system doesnot herald absolute freedom for its own sake; rather, it champions the cause of ‘live and let live’. The latter principal is surely being violated by people who choose to expose such stories—for no plausible reasons I can conjure, since no family problem has actually been solved by such shows—to impressionable young children”). The essay also exhibits skillful use of language, featuring precision and variety in vocabulary and sentence structure.

Essay #3

This essay received a score of 5.

People no longer respect the privacy of others or of themselves. This is evident through the exposure of famous peoples’ lives, the “showing off” of possessions and sex appeal, and pornography. Society should learn to respect the privacy of others despite the urge to get involved. One of the most common places privacy is violated is among famous or upper class groups. The reason society feels a need to know everything that goes on in a famous person’s life is because of jealousy. People constantly remind the rich and the famous that their lives are not “perfect. For instance, when Brittany Speare’s married her limosine driver and then divorced him eight hours later, everyone read it in the tabloids, newspapers, saw it on the television and heard of it on the radio. Another reason why such people are constant victims of over exposure is because the media takes advantage of certain situations in order to increase their ratings and profit. A popular practice, especially found in the United States and European countries, is the “showing” off of possessions. People want the world to know that they have money and own an Escalade or Rolls Royce. MTV has a show called CRIBS, which shows the audience the interior and exterior of rich multi-million dollar homes of famous musical artists. Also, the “showing” off of bodies and the use of sex appeal has become almost a necessity in the fashion business.

Women and men completely expose their bodies in an effort to make money and become famous. This has a negative effect on society because it leads to a decline in self confidence and people, especially young teen girls, in an attempt to look like super models, starve themselves. Pornography is another aspect of life that should be private. Sex is a sacred act that is shared between a man and a woman yet people, such as Paris Hilton, have violated and abused it. This brings the idea that sex sells. Society should not overexpose their bodies, money, or the private lives of others. This could help decrease the amount of crimes, teen pregnancies, and identity theft.

Why Essay #3 Received a Score of 5

This essay effectively develops a point of view on the issue (“Society should not expose their bodies, money, or the private lives of others”) with appropriate reasons and examples. The well-organized essay uses strong critical thinking to explain how people are hurt by the lack of privacy in today’s image-focused, media-saturated society (“Women and men completely expose their bodies in an effort to make money and become famous. This has a negative effect on society because it leads to a decline in self confidence and people, especially young teen girls, in an attempt to look like super models, starve themselves”). The essay exhibits facility in the use of language (“People no longer respect the privacy of others or of themselves.

This is evident through the exposure of famous peoples’ lives, the “showing off” of possessions and sex appeal, and pornography”). To earn a score of 6, the writer needs to use stronger critical thinking to explain more fully how celebrity overexposure and pornography are harmful to society. This essay demonstrates reasonably consistent mastery and earns a 5.

Essay #4

This essay received a score of 5 For a person to be honest, he need not share every aspect of his life. It is not dishonest to not mention a fact that was not inquired about. Even if it was asked of, one can easily say, truthfully, that they care not to speak of the issue.

People in our modern society should make an effort to keep aspects of their lives private, for it would give them and others many problems, most of which are much greater than dishonesty could ever be. Many issues are personnal, and relevant only to you. There is no reason why personnal information should be shared, unless it is by the will of that person, or in order to solve a larger problem. In the United States, we have our government separated from our religious institutions, and for good reason. People should be allowed to worship however they choose, and the rest of the world should have no effect on it, as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

However, this is not always the case. In the Nazi-controlled Europe of WWII, Jews were forced to wear a Star of David on their arm to show they were Jewish and therefore were shunned. Their right to privacy was violated, and should not have been. In the world today, there are many diverse cultures. The United States, for example, has races from all over the globe. Many people have opinions about some of these different races and the beliefs that correlate. Groups such as the KKK outwardly show their opinions of other ethnic groups, in many cases violently. For the safety of themselves and the ones they shun, they should keep their opinions private.

Even on the smaller scale, if two people were to divulge all their opinions and beliefs to the other, they would no doubt find many ideas upon which they disagree. Instead of ignoring their minute differences and getting along well, they chose, by not keeping their ideas private, to bring them out and possibly argue heatedly about them. There are many more instances in which privacy should be honored, but these two should give an adequate idea of why privacy is very important to a peaceful society.

Why Essay #4 Received a Score of 5

This essay demonstrates strong critical thinking in developing a point of view on the issue (“privacy is very important to a peaceful society”) with appropriate reasons and examples.

Well organized and focused around the idea that privacy helps people avoid “many problems, most of which are much greater than dishonesty,” the essay displays coherence and progression of ideas, first citing the violation of Jews’ privacy under the Nazis, then explaining that in today’s world of diverse cultures, little good comes of people “divulg[ing] all their opinions and beliefs. ” The essay exhibits facility in the use of language and demonstrates variety in sentence structure (“Groups such as the KKK outwardly show their opinions of other ethnic groups, in many cases violently. For the safety of themselves and the ones they shun, they should keep their opinions private”). To achieve a score of 6, the writer needs to explain the link between the two examples more insightfully. The essay is effective and earns a score of 5.

David Velleman had an idea that many may believe as truth, however, when looking at the entire picture it is clear that in all free countries everyone has a right to keep things to themselves. In our very own constitution we have dedicated the 4th Amendment to protecting people from incriminating themselves in the court of law. People every day do things and refuse to tell others about their actions. If a person truely wants to keep something private then that person has the right to do so. Our culture becoming a far too confessional and selfexpressive is not a true statement in that people have and will always have the ability to keep something private if they want to. Our culture in America is growing closer to utilizing therapy as a tool to improve their state of mind and well being.

This, however, requires a person to be more open so that a trained professional can use their skills to help solve problems. However, at the begining of the 1st therapy session the therapist is required to tell the person or group that they do not need to share something if they dont wish to. This then gives the choice to the patient who decide what to tell and what not to tell. In the past some might say that people were forced into saying things more than in our present day culture. The Spanish Inquisition tortured their victims and forced them to say things even if it wasnt true in order to sentance the person to death. It is an obvious choice that therapy is a far better way of opening a person up.

This essay develops a point of view on the issue (“If a person truely wants to keep something private then that person has the right to do so”) with reasons and examples that adequately support the position, thus demonstrating competent critical thinking. Generally focused around the idea that people in contemporary America enjoy the right to privacy, a right that people have not always possessed, the essay features some coherence and progression of ideas (“In the past some might say that people were forced into saying things more than in our present day culture. The Spanish Inquisition tortured their victims and forced them to say things even if it wasnt true in order to sentance the person to death. It is an obvious choice that therapy is a far better way of opening a person up”). The essay exhibits adequate facility in the use of language despite some errors.

To earn a higher score, the writer should further develop the interesting contrast between therapy and the Spanish Inquisition with additional focused reasoning and other evidence. This competent essay receives a score of 4.

Essay #6

This essay received a score of 4 People should have a choice whether they want to keep their own matters private, and the public should respect people’s decisions. If people want to keep their matters private, they should not have to make an effort. An example of “confessional and self-expressive” matters is a diary. Many people express their deepest thoughts and feelings in diaries and journals. Some people, such as celebrities, choose to publicize their diaries. If such is their desire, no one should have a problem.

Some celebrities just want average people to know what a famous is actually like. These inside peeks can be entertaining and informative. On the other hand, if people choose to keep their diaries secret, then others should respect them. People can use diaries to disclose embarrassing, revealing secrets that would otherwise eat away at them. People can use their diaries as an escape. Others should not violate their privacy for no reason. Of course, sometimes people do have a good reason for invading someone’s privacy and reading his/her diary. Because people often think that no one who matters will ever read their diaries, they can reveal their innermost thoughts. These diaries can be important to historians.

For example, Anne Frank’s powerfully moving diary revealed a great deal about life during the Holocaust. Her diary has proven to be an excellent primary source. Another important diary is Go Ask Alice. Alice’s diary opens up the world of drugs. Her story can be used to help other drug-addicted teens or to prevent people from trying drugs. Thus, opening up diaries to the public can be very useful. Clearly, there are benefits to keeping certain things private or public.

Why Essay #6 Received a Score of 4

This essay demonstrates competent critical thinking in developing a point of view on the issue (“Clearly, there are benefits to keeping certain things rivate or public”) through a generally focused discussion of diaries. The essay uses adequate reasons and examples to examine both sides of the privacy debate (“If people want to keep their matters private, they should not have to make an effort…. Of course, sometimes people do have a good reason for invading someone’s privacy and reading his/her diary”). The essay demonstrates some progression of ideas and exhibits adequate facility in the use of language (“These diaries can be important to historians. For example, Anne Frank’s powerfully moving diary revealed a great deal about life during the Holocaust. Her diary has proven to be an excellent primary source”).

To achieve a higher score, the writer should use critical thinking to reconcile the opposing sides of the issue, perhaps by answering the question, “when, exactly, is it acceptable to read someone else’s diary? ” The essay is competent and receives a score of 4. People have a lot of views, ideas, stories, etc. and if they feel that it is necessary to tell them, then let them. I think that if it is helpful, necessary, or comforting to the person talking or talking to, then anyone should be able to talk about it. My first example is if someone was having a problem.

If this person is feeling really bad and their friend (peer) wants to tell them how they feel about the topic, then keeping it private is the wrong thing to do! The feelings that the second person is expressing to the first could be extremely helpful. My second example is that some people solve their own problems by talking about it. Often times when someone is having some kind of problem, speaking out and letting people know how they feel can help them. Just hearing themselves talk about it can really help a person. This doesn’t mean that you have to physically talk about it to another human. As long as you aren’t screaming at someone that you don’t know, then let it go.

My last example is if you knew something or had an opinion on something that could greatly help you or someone else from doing something that is physically or mentally damaging. For example suicide. No one wants you to keep your feelings in if it is going to be something dangerous like this. I think that if it is helpful, necesarry or comforting to the person talking or talking to, then anyone should be able to say what you feel.

Why Essay #7 Received a Score of 3

This essay demonstrates some critical thinking in developing a point of view on the issue (“I think that if it is helpful, necessary, or comforting to the person talking or talking to, then anyone should be able to talk about it”) with reasons or examples.

However, the evidence provided is limited in focus and is inadequately developed to support the position (“My last example is if you knew someone or had an opinion on something that could greatly help you or someone else from doing something that is physically or mentally damaging. For example suicide. No one wants you to keep your feelings in if it is going to be something dangerous like this”). The essay also displays developing facility in the use of language. To attain a higher score, the writer should improve the focus of the evidence provided, perhaps by including examples of actual situations in which “speaking out” was beneficial. This essay demonstrates developing mastery and earns a 3.

People should keep things more quiet, because thats how rumors get out, when people talk about something they don’t really know about well. If people kept quiet then rumors wouldn’t get started, and as long as they kept quiet, it gives them more time to learn the truth. If things were kept in private, maybe there would not be wars and terrorism. People would get along and not have to argue over dumb stuff. Most bad things happen because someone says something wrong. In that case if people kept their opinions private, there wouldn’t be anything spoken wrong. I also think somethings should be expressed, like if there was something bad going to happen to the country, people would speak about it, instead of keeping it quiet.

Some others that shouldn’t be kept quiet would be deaths, so people could hear if they knew the person or not. Basically any thing important to the country and families should not be kept private. The only way it should is if they wanted it too. Overall, I feel that you can say what you want, but make sure you are speaking the truth and if not keep it private.

The essay is poorly focused, displaying serious problems with progression of ideas and the use of language (“Some others that shouldn’t be kept quiet would be deaths, so people could hear if they knew the person or not. Basically any thing important to the country and families should not be kept private. The only way it should is if they wanted it too”). To earn a higher score, the writer should offer adequate, developed reasons and examples that clarify the distinction between what should be expressed and what should be kept private. This essay is seriously limited and receives a score of 2.

It depends on how serious their secret is. If it is very serious they will do anything to keep it private if not they will tell in time. Our culture has been viewed by all and in the opinions of the world i guess, some think it needs to be like it is, too where we know what’s going on in the world. Others don’t want to know but when they do find out it freaks them out, to were their paranoid. Our cultures privacy is our opinion. It should in some ways be kept a serious secret and they should take more effort to keep it private. If not that serious it will be told in time, just like when Bush went to Iraq for Thanksgiving.

This essay develops no viable point of view on the issue, offering only disjointed, unfocused statements about privacy (“Our cultures privacy is our opinion. It should in some ways be kept a serious secret and they should take more effort to keep it private”). The essay displays severe flaws in sentence structure (“If it is very serious they will do anything to keep it private if not they will tell in time”) and contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that interfere with meaning (“when they do find out it freaks them out, to were their paranoid”). To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to present a clear point of view and support it with relevant reasons and examples. This essay demonstrates no mastery and receives a score of 1.

*Comparative/Contrast Assessment*: Fast Food Nation **and The Jungle Similar to the many real-life stories told by Schlosser in his written depiction of the fast food industry, The Jungleby Upton Sinclair is a notable relation of the same type of horrors. Unlike Schlosser, though, Sinclair writes his book in a fictional story line, in which he included great models of figurative language and imagery that strategically capture the reader in a world full of sympathy and belief. In this manner, he uses the journey of Jurgis Rudkis to depict the conditions in the meat packing industry in the United States.

Jurgis, being the main character, was not used only to reveal the harsh and hidden lives of those working and living in Packingtown, however. Sinclair also used Jurgis to portray his personal belief of capitalism being corrosive. The following quote has been taken from a review found at AssociatedContent. com. “The Jungle shows the effects of economic hardship on an immigrant family in the early 1900’s. That is all it is reliably accountable for. This story is a downright attack on capitalism that the author tries to conceal behind a fictional story of a sympathy deriving family of Lithuanian Immigrants” (A Review of The Jungle, 2007).

Sinclair’s attacks on the United States’ economic and governmental system immediately point out the radical side of his personality, and from there the doubt that his ideas and story are not radical in and of themselves as well begins to grow. It is with this part of his writing that Sinclair loses his rhetoric flair and ability to produce quality muckraking journalism. In order for me to be able to effectively explain how both Fast Food Nation and The Jungleare poor examples of muckraking journalism, I must first enlighten you with the definition of the actual term “muckraking”.

According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary 2009, muckraking is searching for and publicizing, as in newspapers, any real or alleged corruption by public officials, business executives, or other important persons (Muckraking Definition, YourDictionary. com). Muckraking journalism is then defined as the literature that displays these corruptions of society, whether effectively or not. The role of journalism in a democratic society is to report the truth, with minimal harm, and no outside interest. It should also be held accountable to its readers. Journalists are not filling this role by reporting half-truths that send people into a anic, like Fast Food Nation and even The Jungle. Starting with Fast Food Nation, I found by researching that many published book reviews had at least one major commonality: the book covers too many different aspects of the fast food industry that it came to a point where there were too many things to comprehend and analyze all at once while reading. That’s not even everything he talked about either! Throw in a plethora of statistics and facts, and you have some highly confused readers! In his work, Schlosser writes, “This is a book about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made. However, it is much more than that. It is everything that anybody could ever imagine that somehow, in some unbelievably slight way, has to do with fast food. Eric Schlosser tries to associate everything from armed robbery to political bombings to the spread of a particular strain of Escherichia Coli, all with fast food companies. Schlosser discusses how and why the industry developed, current labor practices in fast food establishments, how the taste of food can now be manipulated, federal regulations (and lack thereof), television and school advertising, health issues, and the spread of fast food abroad. This book is cleverly disguised as being about fast food. It is not about fast food. It is about how evil conservatives are and how capitalism is the cause of all that is bad in America. It is about how armed robbery has drastically increased. Fast food just happens to be mentioned quite a bit. The author constantly inserts little comments here and there that try to make even very debatable topics out to be unequivocally bad things. In my opinion, this book should come with a warning label and include a free copy of The Communist Manifesto” (Jayson D.

White, Socialist Propaganda in Fast Food). Jayson D. White’s perspective here describes what many others were saying as well, telling of how Schlosser strays far and wide, devoting chapters to various aspects of the industry and then referencing other random aspects in unrelated chapters. They do not all fit neatly together, and even the jumbled picture is a frightening one. Schlosser closes Fast Food Nationby saying that “you can still have it your way” and that consumers have the choice to just say no to fast food.

His hope is apparently that, armed with the information he provides, consumers will make the obvious choice and run as fast as they can from any and every fast food joint. Unfortunately, he never really addresses the question of why consumers would (and so often do) choose to purchase the products of these establishments in the first place. He never mentions the opposing argument to his own personal viewpoint, and his credibility drops with that lack of information. Instead, Schlosser inputs more and more seemingly random statistics to show his own views have “support” behind them, when in all reality, they don’t at all.

Schlosser was determined to make a point, and he does so with the uncontrollable urge to exaggerate details, add in supposed “facts” and numbers, and altogether disregard the opposing viewpoint, something which is of high importance in a persuasive and informative piece of muckraking literature. This shows how Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation is a poor example to use when describing muckraking journalism. Now we can move on to The Jungle and the different viewpoints that have been written regarding the book’s contents and set-up.

From the muckraking standpoint, the way Sinclair writes his fictional story is actually quite interesting and as a result a lot more persuasive and believable than Schlosser’s book which is only jam packed with statistics. The following quote is one that I feel really stands out strong from the book in regards to how imaginative and mind-painted creation Sinclair’s writing is as a whole. . The Jungle, on the other hand, is written directly form Sinclair’s personal experience of being in Packingtown for even just a week, and he already was able to smell the horrible scent, even taste the horrible scent!

Sinclair’s use of figurative language really appeals to the reader, and that strengthens the reader’s opinion to side with the author. “Elzbieta sees how the sausage is doctored when she works filling casings in the sausage room. She sees how any random mix of animal parts is ground into “sausage. ” Anything that is spoiled is simply dyed with chemicals like borax and packaged for sale. In addition, she watches as leftovers that have fallen on the floor of the room are scooped up, along with dead rats and other filth, and put into the grinding machine for sausage” (_The Jungle_– Upton Sinclair, Chapter 7).

Not only does this quote give the reader a very nice detailed image to let them think over in the back of their minds, it also gets its point across, which is that the meatpacking plants use absolutely anything in their batches of sausages that end up being sold at the super market. As a result, this is a great muckraking example included in the book. Upon reading The Jungle and various critical analyses, I would say that the novel is actually quite nice in its overall appeal to me as a reader.

With this novel, being of journalistic muckraking character, I was surprisingly persuaded for the most part with what Upton Sinclair was telling me. . In addition, unlike Fast Food Nation, I felt like the pieces of information and statistics in The Junglewere relevant to the current topic at hand in the novel, rather than just being thrown at the reader in hopes of persuading them that this statistic pertains to the aspect being discussed. Like many of these reviews, I too feel that The Jungle is not perfect; however, I do agree with many critics that the manner in which the story was written was quite appealing.

I was particularly attracted to and persuaded with the story line and its continuous rising and falling actions that were filled with suspense, to the point where I actually wanted to read each and every next page so that I could find out what would happenAs a reader, I felt highly pressured to believe what was being told to me while I read Eric Schlosser’s piece of literature, and that if I don’t believe his words then I would be assisting in and attributing towards the awful-sounding statistics that were abundant in Fast Food Nation.

While reading Sinclair’s novel, on the other hand, I felt relatively at ease in making my own decision, knowing that there were facts and stories laying out there for me to grasp and believe if I so chose. As a result, I was more directed to believe Sinclair’s words than the numerous statistics and “facts” trying to be shoved down my throat by Schlosser. Another aspect of The Jungle that helped capture my overall opinion, and presumably many other readers’ as well, was that of the emotional attachment with the portrayed characters and the events they were going through.

Sinclair did an excellent job at creating a real life experience for the reader, as if they were the “Jurgis” in the book, creating distinct emotional reactions to the horrible reality of the meatpacking industry, which in turn establishes his pathos. However, like Schlosser, Sinclair’s downfall was his inclusion of personal political and economic system goals.

Upton Sinclair’s “sudden stray from the story and straightforward praise of socialism at the end of the novel reveals his narrow-minded opinion of the economy of the United States and labels him as a radical believer in socialism, just like that of Schlosser in Fast Food Nation. Sinclair’s book also hinders the reader’s knowledge of socialism because it does not reveal its negative effects. Socialism puts complete control of the economy in the hands of the government.

It places a barrier on production and decreases the influence to create new products. Socialism is a less severe definition for an economy that supports communism. While Upton Sinclair wrote this novel to ‘find righteousness’ and benefit the American people he fails to foresee the negative effects of his ideas. Sinclair’s novel makes it evident that many immigrants and workingmen unjustifiably suffered under capitalism, but an economy influenced by his views would not necessarily be better. ” (Associated Content, 2007).

By hiding the other side’s opposition, just like what Schlosser did in Fast Food Nation, author Upton Sinclair hushes his audiences’ questions by not answering them whatsoever. As you can see, although each author wrote with a different style, the authors were still not nearly as effective muckraking journalism examples as they would have been. Bibliography Fast Food Nation – by Eric Schlosser The Jungle – by Upton Sinclair http://www. yourdictionary. com/muckraking http://www. amazon. com/Fast-Food-Nation-Eric-Schlosser/product-reviews/0395977894/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_1? e=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar http://www. complete-review. com/reviews/food/schlosse. htm http://www. amazon. com/Fast-Food-Nation-Eric-Schlosser/product-reviews/0395977894/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_next_5? ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar&pageNumber=5 http://www. bookrags. com/notes/jun/TOP1. htm http://www. enotes. com/history/q-and-a/how-did-muckraking-journalism-change-u-s-44633 http://mandatorychaos. blogspot. com/2007/11/role-of-journalism-in-democracy. html

Sarah Whitaker Mrs. Kurtz A. P. Language and Composition 6 February 2013 The Meatpacking Industry: One of the Most Dangerous Jobs in the U. S. A report from the American Meat Institute shows that the U. S. is home to about 6,000 meatpacking plants. Millions of jobs all over the country are made through meatpacking plants. These low paying, risky jobs are swept up by men and women, these people unknowing of what exactly they have gotten themselves into. The meatpacking, today, has become one of the most dangerous jobs in America.

As found by Steven Greenhouse of the New York times, “…the nation’s meat packing industry has such bad working conditions that it violates basic human and worker rights. ” Ever since the publication of the famous book by Upton Sainclair–The Jungle— people all over the world have found it necessary for inspections to be considered and for changes to be done with little success. Workers in today’s plants seem to have the same problems that were faced almost 100 years ago.

The Appleseed Center For Law found an estimated “total of 62 percent of those interviewed said they had been injured on the job in the past year, a rate seven times higher than the government’s official statistic for slaughterhouse workers…. ”, as found in Reprt:Line Speed, Injuries Increase for Slaughterhouse Workers. So what happened to the much needed safety laws? It’s simple really, they just aren’t being followed. Many workers today, who live in horrible working conditions day by day to make their living for them and their families, are not being treated as they are meant to be and this has only made the industry bigger.

One person quits or gets hurt and another is there, easily filling the new open position. Complaints don’t help either, as found by Gail Eisnitz, also cited in Reprt:Line Speed, Injuries Increase for Slaughterhouse Workers, “Slaughterhouse workers talk of a production system that moves to fast…despite numerous complaints to management—as well as countless injuries—the companies refuse to make changes because slowing the process would mean not making as much money. ” As found in Eric Schlosser’s ook Fast Food Nation the underlying fact is that with power and money there comes damaged morals. The big business owners just don’t care! Now that the secrets are out and the industry is “naked” to the public now, the people are not calling the industry “The Jungle of the 2000s”, an article put out by the Associated Press States. Martin Cotez as interviewed by the Associated Press says, “You know what I like to say to the newcomers? They don’t kill cows. They kill people. ” This, a response to his own story description, just puts a whole new label on the industry; murderers!

Sinclair’s book published so long ago still seems to have barely effected the industry of today. As discussed in Fast Food Nation, Schlosser also speaks of the injury of workers throughout chapter 8, effectively titled “The Most Dangerous Job. ” One example of the horrible working conditions also comes from Fast Food Nation, Jesus “A soft spoken employee of DCS Sanitation Managerment, Inc” Talks of an experience he had on one of his cleaning duties, “One night while Jesus was cleaning, a coworker forgot to turn off a machine, lost two fingers, and went into shock.

An ambulance came and took him away, as everyone else continued to clean. He was back at work the following week. ‘if one hand is no good,’ the supervisor told him,’use the other. ’” Not only did the supervisor not care, a person was injured and still returned to the job he obviously needed. So what needs to be done? Obviously whatever it is, its not happening. So even though the demand for food is high in this nation, what’s more important, our food or our citizens? increased demand at slaughterhouses has caused a rise in work related injuries” according to a report by a Nebraska-based non-profit. People in these plants are getting hurt not only because it’s what the job demands but because the more we as consumers want, the more the big industry owners will demand more work. So what will we as American citizens do? Work Cited “American Meat Institute. ” American Meat Institute. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. “Report: Line Speeds, Injuries Increase for Slaughterhouse Workers. ” Digging Through the Dirt, 8 Oct. 2009. Web. 7 Feb. 2013. Greenhouse, Steven. ” Meat Packing Industry Criticized on Human Rights Grounds. ” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 25 Jan. 2005. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. “Dangers, tensions lurk in meatpacking industry”. Associated Press. Breaking News & Top Stories World News, US & Local: NBC News, 24 Apr. 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. “Safety and Health Guide for the Meatpacking Industry. ” Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. Schlosser,Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Harper And Perennial,2005. Print.

One thing that most people don’t seem to understand about fast nutrient eating houses is the harmful and unethical pattern that comes with an order of a dual cheeseburger with a side order of medium french friess and a drink. Eric Schlosser the writer of “Fast Food State: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” had made several negative reading about the functionality of fast nutrient corporation. Such reading can be in dealingss of what a typical Marxist would kick approximately, such as the fact that fast nutrient corporation tends to make whatever means possible to make the terminal of doing a significant sum of net income.

In “Fast Food Nations: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal ”, Schlosser targeted on the unethical patterns of bring forthing net income which includes the fiction of sediment phrases the systematic of mass production, and the direction of hapless quality with accent of big measure. Some of the claims that Schlosser made can be viewed likewise to the facets of Karl Marx and his trusters the Marxists. Many Marxists can strongly back up Schlosser’s claim with a Marxist reading of an accusal of Capitalism.

Marxist is known as a group of socialist and they believes that the government’s economic system should be every bit shared amongst all on the job categories. Without a uncertainty. Schlosser had exposed the fact that corporations like McDonalds. Carl’s Jr. Burger King, and so forth had made great net incomes from working the nation’s vulnerable workers who are willing to work at any cost. These vulnerable workers can be merely about anyone from adolescents to first coevals immigrants.

All in all, Schlosser had made a strong statement to carry the state from back uping profit-hungry Corporation by uncovering of its unethical patterns that may be a convincing factor for the state to believe twice earlier come ining another fast nutrient eating house. One of the many grounds why fast nutrient eating houses are successful is because they know how to market themselves decently with little sentimental message that entreaties to the community.

Sentimental message might non intend much, but when households of the community are convinced that the eating house cares about them, they will be inclined to back up their concern. It’s a shame that the community does non see the sarcasm in their sentimental messages. Example of the sarcasm would be Mcdonalds making the Ronald McDonald House of Charity to inquire clients for extra contributions in which all returns of that contribution will assist other counties infirmary. The sarcasm of this all is that fast nutrient is besides the ground why childs are unhealthy.

It is besides common cognition that fast nutrient is the taking cause of fleshiness and fleshiness can take to assorted sum of health-related job. Another ground why fast nutrient eating houses are successful is because fast nutrient industries target a younger audience such as kids. Their techniques on kids are simple, because kids love roll uping playthings and points that relates to cartoon figures that they are familiar with. Therefore, these corporations would buy patents and the rights to utilize their sketch figure or icon on their merchandise, which typically sells expeditiously with childs.

These points are non merely popular amongst the children’s age group, but “many grownup aggregators have besides bought Teenie Beanie Baby Happy Meals. kept the dolls and threw away the food” ( Schlosser 48 ) . These cross publicities between trade names has done two things ; strengthens ties between fast nutrient industries and companies and besides create an resistless dependence between aggregators and the industries. Another selling scheme that these fast nutrient industries utilize is to somewhat modify the collectible’s colourss or parts to pull clients to pass a fortunate roll uping a whole set of the same sort of plaything.

The surface of the fast nutrient industries may be lead oning to the general populace, but it surely is non easy fallacious to the workers who dealt with occupations within a fast nutrient industry. While the economic system continues to look like steep slide. workers are going more willing to work at any occupations in order to financially back up their household and themselves. These really same workers that work for fast nutrient industries are typically adolescents or first coevals immigrants because fast nutrient industries knows that these two campaigners are perfect for development.

Besides, because they are less likely to organize brotherhoods, complain about conditions and kick about long hours. Fast nutrient industries, like most Marxist-invaded counties, cognize how to work their workers at their fullest potency. They hire the uneducated young person with the least possible to get down a brotherhood. They view workers as inexpensive objects that they can be hired and fired at the will of their employers. Unlike a concern house, these fast nutrient industries seldom give rises to their employees, but alternatively they ould actuate their workers with encouragements or regards. Since these workers are uneducated and don’t know their rights plenty to reason, they would merely react to their employer’s encouragement or compliment with better public presentations. Aside from the rewards, these occupations are more than frequently unsafe. It is non certain whether these companies have spent adequate money to decently develop workers to diligently utilize the eating houses equipment which would forestall wellness incidents and work hurts. Reasons being that these companies are profit-focused.

They will seek to minimise their disbursement every bit much as possible to do certain that they maximize the net income. Some of these occupations are even done by illegal immigrants or anyone despairing plenty for a occupation at a ulterior dark displacement, because it’s highly unsafe and companies do non desire to put on the line traveling into jurisprudence suits or paying for higher life insurances for their workers with all agencies to maximise their net income. Schlosser had mentioned a narrative about Kenny Dobbin as an illustration of a worker who was a victim of such unethical discourtesy.

Kenny was an uneducated adult male with no literacy accomplishments, but was tall and strong. He was hired by Monfort a meat-packing works company, whom took advantage of Kenny’s kindness and abused him by puting him in unsafe working status. After 16 old ages of pure dedication, Kenny was fired because of his terrible hurts from work, because the company does non desire to pay for a higher insurance coverage for him. Kenny was “once strong and strongly built, he now walks with trouble, tyres easy, and feels useless as though his life were over.

He is 46 old ages old” ( Schlosser 190 ) . Kenny, nevertheless, is still considered to be one of the fortunate 1 because he is able to acquire his narrative out unlike many other victims who weren’t able to acquire their narratives out because they are still working with the hurts that they have attained from work. Some of the grounds that explain why they don’t complain about their hurts are because they don’t want to be fired and emphasize the troubles of happening another occupation. These are merely some of the illustrations of the inhumanely acts that fast nutrient industries had commit to their workers.

Workers might understand the inhuman treatment that lies within their occupation, but they might non cognize what sort of quality the direction has selected for the merchandise that they are working with. Aside from pull offing workers and their rewards, fast nutrient industries besides manages their nutrient supplies to guarantee the greatest sum of net income. By making so directions of fast nutrient industries would take the cheapest quality of meat that’s hardly comestible, refrozen french friess that have been made with preservatives and besides wheat from a wheat field that have been sprayed with pesticides on a regular footing.

Many fast nutrient critics, including Schlosser, argued that fast nutrient industries are more concern about the superficial image and the odor of the merchandise instead than the natural healthy content of the merchandise. Schlosser had mentioned that the “Food and Drug Administration does non necessitate spirit companies to unwrap the ingredients of their habit-forming. so long as all the chemicals are considered by the bureau to be by and large regarded as safe” which means that the authorities had betrayed the consumers and had gave fast nutrient industries the extra power to do significant sum of net income.

Most fast nutrient eating house took advantage of the governments’ deficiency of duty and would pass every bit small as possible on meat. This class of action might be good for concern, but it is perfectly awful for the consumers who invest their wellness in these fast nutrient merchandises. In the early old ages of fast nutrient industries, many fast nutrient eating houses have been criticized for their contaminated Burgers because of the hospitalized and illness tendency that consumers are acknowledging prior to eating their Burgers.

The fast nutrient industries did non cognize how to respond to such huge force per unit area, so they attempt to switch the incrimination to the husbandmans. Finally the authorities realized the diminution of fast nutrient industries and initiated the United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) to run a federal review trial for all the meat packaging industries of the fast nutrient industries. This might hold been a good mark of betterment for the authorities, until the authorities decided to be close about their findings and had agreed with fast nutrient industries to non uncover the inside informations about the company’s distributed meat.

Today Fast nutrient industries is still one of the largest selling industries across state, but let’s non bury about the labour policies, selling schemes, and agricultural techniques that comes within their merchandises. Schlosser had made plenty strong statement about the concern tactics that are responsible for the success of fast nutrient industries. Such tactics that targets kids and households with collectables and sentimental values, engaging workers that are more willing to work with minimal rewards, and besides pull offing a atrocious quality of nutrient supplies.

These factors might be great for the industries because they thriving a significant sum of net income, but it are unhealthy for the consumers across the state. Hopefully in the close hereafter, United State’s Department of Agriculture would interfere with ordinances that would forestall fast nutrient industries from working the community of its self-motivated persons. Schlosser besides believed that the authorities should make a federal bureau that promotes “more safety Torahs that could besides cut down the figure of slaughterhouse workers who get hurt” ( Schlosser 264 ) .

With the worker’s safety conditions controlled, it would besides be the nation’s best involvement to stop fleshiness, by commanding the constitution of fast nutrient eating houses allowed per community and to open up healthier eating houses. Now on a more practical footing, pupils and the community should raise consciousness of the unethical patterns of fast nutrient industries, and advance healthier eating wonts within their community. With this practical pattern, fast nutrient industries will be prone to being eliminated, and the community will populate a longer and healthier life.

The fast food industry has been growing in America rapidly in the past decades. In “Fast Food Nation”, Eric Schlosser talks about the dangers of the industry. Schlosser also explains the “distinctively American way” Americans view the world because of the fast food industry. I think the “distinctively American way” people view the world that Schlosser is trying to explain is that Americans care about money and power.

Due to the growth and success of the fast food industry, the owners of these big fast food companies are starting to care more about power and they’re willing to use their power to control over Congress and their employees. Schlosser also feels that fast food companies are willing to have harsh working conditions, use cheap labor, and misuse government subsidies just for capitalism. He feels that fast food companies’ main goal is to gain profit and they’re willing to harm their employees and consumers just for the profit.

Another “distinctively American way” people view the world due to fast food is that they’re starting to value convenience, speed, and cheapness. The fast food industry uses these attributes to help gain more profit because they know this will attract customers. Americans are starting to learn a new philosophy: bigger is better. Inhumane Working Conditions: Schlosser’s Argument- Schlosser argues that the fast food industry has many inhumane working conditions. In “Fast Food Nation”, Schlosser explains all the inhumane working conditions in the slaughterhouses and the effects of these working conditions.

He explains the inhumane working conditions by showing his experience as he visits a slaughterhouse. As he visits the slaughterhouse, he sees the meat cutters working and how horrendous their job is. Schlosser explains the process of cutting the meat, “They stand at a table that’s chest high, grab meat off a conveyer belt, trim away fat, throw meat back on the belt, toss the scraps onto a conveyer belt above them, and then grab more meat, all in a matter of seconds,”(170) The workers in the slaughterhouse do the same task repetitively throughout the day.

Not only are the workers doing the same task repetitively, they’re working in extreme temperatures and with disgusting smells of blood and manure. The workers are also working with sharp knives that give them injuries such as lacerations. Repeating the same motion continuously also gives the workers back problems, shoulder problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, and “trigger finger”(a syndrome in which a finger becomes frozen in a curler position). The worst slaughterhouse job is cleaning the slaughterhouse at night. These workers deal with heat, fog, and fumes.

The fumes make the workers throw up and they feel the fumes inside their bodies. Industry Defense- The fast food industry might defend themselves from these attacks about their inhumane working conditions by saying that they have these working conditions so production can be fast. Workers must perform the same task repetitively so that the meat could be cut as fast as possible. If production were to be slow, this will lead to less beef for the fast food industry and this will eventually harm the fast food industry.

If the fast food industry is harmed this may lead to the rise of unemployment because the fast food industry will slow down and might not need as much employees working at branches. The fast food industry is one of the biggest industries and it provides the most jobs for young adults and people in the lower economic class. We need the fast food industry so there could be enough jobs for people and this will overall benefit our economy. My Argument- I agree with Schlosser about how the fast food industry does have inhumane working conditions.

People are getting injuries and dying because of these horrible working conditions and that shouldn’t be acceptable. Even though production will be slower if they didn’t have these working conditions, we could make it possible for the fast food industry to work without the inhumane working conditions. Slaughterhouses can hire more employees so people could get more breaks and they don’t have to continuously cut meat for hours. They could also provide air conditioning and get some ventilation for these workers so they don’t have to work in the heat and smell.

There are many alternatives so these workers don’t have to suffer through these inhumane working conditions. Manipulation of Children Through TV: Schlosser’s argument- In “Fast Food Nation”, Schlosser argues that advertising companies are specifically attacking and manipulating children. After seeing the success of Walt Disney and Ray Kroc through their interest in selling to kids, advertisers started to attack children even more. The growth in advertising aimed at children has been driven by efforts to increase not just current, but also future, consumption.

Advertisers have an immediate goal; it’s to get children to ask for a specific product. Advertisers know children are easily influenced and they can easily persuade their parents to buy them products so companies’ advertisements are revolved around children. Children also have different types of nags to ask for these advertised products. Schlosser also explains how advertisers manipulate children by influencing them through advertisements, “Before trying to affect children’s behavior, advertisers have to learn about their tastes.

Today’s market researchers have not only conduct surveys of children in shopping malls, they also organize focus groups for kids as young as two or three” (44). Advertisers study the lives of children so they could apply their interests into advertisements. For example, Dan S. Acuff did a study and found out that roughly 80 percent of children’s dreams are about animals. Since children seem to be interested in animals, companies such as Disney use characters based off animals such as Mickey Mouse in their advertisements.

The manipulation of children through these television ads was controversial and in 1978 the Federal Trade Commission tried to ban television advertisements directed to children. The government defended the advertisement industry because different broadcasting groups lobbied the Congress to prevent restrictions on children advertisements. Industry Defense- The fast food industry might defend themselves from these attacks about their manipulation of children through TV by saying the advertisements do not make these children nag their parents for a certain product.

Schlosser just assumes it does because children tend to ask for the product after seeing these advertisements; it could merely just be a coincidence. They might also say it’s the parent’s choice to let the children watch these advertisements. The fast food industry is solely just advertising their product and it’s not the industry’s fault that children are watching these advertisements and asking for these products after watching the advertisements. If parents are so concern about they’re children wanting fast food because of these advertisements, they don’t have to let their children watch these advertisements.

My Argument- I agree with the fast food industry about the manipulation of children through TV. I feel that Schlosser can’t really prove that advertising companies are really manipulating children. Even though it’s true that they’re aiming their advertisements toward children, I feel like they’re solely just doing their job of advertising. Their job is supposed to sell the product and advertisement companies are just doing what they’re supposed to do. It’s also under the parent’s control if they want their children to see these advertisements. Food Poisoning: Schlosser’s argument

Schlosser argues in “Fast Food Nation” that the fast food industry poison consumers everyday. The pathogen E. coli 0157:H7 has been one of the main pathogens that have gotten people sick. He explains how the fast food industry is poisoning consumers with E. coli 0157:H7 and other food pathogens, “But the rise of huge feedlots, slaughterhouses, and hamburger grinders seem to have provided the means for this pathogen to become widely dispersed in the nation’s food supply. American meat production has never been so centralized: thirteen large packinghouses now slaughter most of the beef consumed in the United States.

The meat-packing system that arose to supply the nation’s fast food chains—an industry molded to serve their needs, to provided massive amounts of uniform ground beef so that all of McDonald’s hamburgers would taste the same—has proved to be an extremely efficient system for spreading disease”(196) The foodborne pathogens are carried into the meat because of the way the meat is processed. These pathogens tend to be carried and shed by “healthy” animals. The food that is tainted has most likely come in contact with an infected animal’s stomach or manure during slaughter and food processing.

The fast food industry is basically serving consumers food that has been in contact with shit. In “Fast Food Nation” Upton Sinclair describes a long list of practices in the meatpacking industry that threated the health of consumers, “the routine slaughter of diseased animals, the use of chemicals such as borax and glycerine to disguise the smell of spoiled beef, the deliberate mislabeling of canned meat, the tendency of workers to urinate and defecate on the kill floor”(204) The fast food industry is harming their consumers and they’re trying to hide the fact that they are.

In January of 1993, children were getting food poisoning and it all traced back to the undercooked hamburgers served at Jack in the Box restaurants. This incident received a lot of attention about the dangers of these food pathogens such as E. coli 0157:H7. The meatpacking industry refused to implement an inspection system and they paid their way to cover the dangers of these meat. Industry’s Defense: The fast food industry might defend themselves from these attacks about food poisoning by arguing that these meats are inspected before serving to their customers.

They might say that people could’ve gotten sick from the meat they have cooked at home. People also have a choice to eat these fast foods. If consumers feel like they’re going to get sick from the fast food they don’t have to eat it. Eating fast food is the consumer’s choice and they’re not forced to eat it. My argument: I agree with Schlosser about the fast food industry poisoning consumers. I feel that slaughterhouses and feedlots should watch how they slaughter and process the beef to make sure they’re not mixing the meat with any type of manure.

The fast food industry is also trying to hide the fact that they’re beef could be spoiled. The fast food industry should get an inspection system so that they’re meat could be fresh for consumers. This could prevent food poisoning and attract more customers because the consumers will trust what they’re eating more. Overall, I feel that the fast food industry is an industry that we need but it should be fixed.

I feel that the government should take over and control how the fast food industry works. The fast food industry needs to stop caring about capitalism and start caring more about their consumers and employees. They need to change their working conditions and how they process the meat. They also need to stop using their subsidies for themselves and stop cheating the political system. We need to revolutionize the fast food industry so that everyone could have a safer and healthier living.