Food for Thought: Review of "SuperSize Me"
Nothing spells America like litigation and BigMacs. "Supersize Me" was just released on
DVD, and for those who missed its release
in the theatres--as I did-now's the time to bite.
No doubt you will be entertained. On a
deeper level, however, this film is flawed for
a couple reasons. First, many of its claims
are unfounded and based on straw man
reasoning. You get the feeling that half of it is
done simply as shock effect. Second, its
creator is amorously involved with a vegan,
shattering his objectivity before the film is
even put on paper.
Nevertheless, this film is well-made and
well-executed. It also spawned a minor
revamping within the McD's menu, and it is
always consoling to see that art can
precipitate social change.
Thematically, there is plenty going on in the
film, touching on topics like personal vs.
corporate responsibility, advertising
monopolies, and America's fascination with
excess and lawsuits. Indeed, the film's
major strength lies in the way it bombards its
viewer with facts concerning obesity (Did you
know McDonalds feeds 46 million people
daily and that 1 in 4 Americans attends a fast
food restuarant everyday), a national
epidemic that warrants more attention from
both government and citizens alike.
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