AIU Online: The Marketing Scene

Topics

What you're thinking!

From: Is thin really in?

I think it is a little scary how the myth of thin is beautiful is constantly perpetuated. Billboards, print ad, tv and movies, all of those women…

- gypsycat

From: Ads, Lies & Lawsuits

Okay, so there's a lot of discussion on this matter. I and my family have used Airborne. It's not a cure-all, though at one point it may have been,…

- Tangor

From: King O’ Summer

Whether you like the taste of fast food, or not, it is proven fact that it's NOT good for you. Though some brands may be better than others, it's…

- Tangor

Controversy in Ads

Gluttony 101

Dr. Sabrina Segal

Welcome to “uber-Burger”- a place inhabited by mountains of fatty beef piled on lard-laced buns and topped with not-so-usual condiments such as potato chips and hot dogs…yes, you read me right – topped with hot dogs. Carl’s Jr. tested this shameful splurge over the summer, calling it “the ultimate picnic burger.”

It didn’t quite fly. Not for the fact that it was loaded with fats galore, sodium, and enough cholesterol to scare a cardiologist, but rather it was just a bit too weird, even for the Carl’s crowd.

“Americans are obese. And you can blame it on the fast food and lack of exercise all you want. Either way, Carl’s and Hardee’s are proud to help you maintain your burger belly and won’t be helping you ‘trim the fat’ anytime soon.”

Why did the documentary “Super Size Me” bore Americans?

Because we already knew what we were eating and enjoyed it. We weren’t about to let some careless journalist who ate too many French fries one month spoil the fun. In fact, “Super Size Me” didn’t heighten the weight loss consciousness of Americans at all. Instead, it fueled the fast food industry.

•   Carl’s Jr. Double $6 Burger: 1520 calories and 111 grams of fat
•   Hardee’s Monster Thickburger: 1410 calories and 107 grams of fat
•   BK’s Triple Whopper with Cheese: 1230 calories and 82 grams of fat
•   Wendy’s Baconator: 830 calories and 51 grams of fat
•   McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 740 calories and 42 grams of fat

Salads were a nice touch, and didn’t amount to much more than a good publicity stunt for McDonalds. After all, do you know anyone who frequents McDonalds for their fresh produce?

Late night talk show host Jay Leno attacked Carl’s & Hardee’s for using “meat as a condiment” citing menu examples like the Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger, a burger topped with sliced steak and cheese. The fast food giants unabashedly used Leno’s quote “This disgusting thing is 5000 calories,” to promote their full-flavored high fat agenda.

Darn skippy! We American’s love our fat, know where to get it, and don’t need talking heads to tell us otherwise. No one will interfere with our love for Carl’s Jr.’s answer to the smoothie- a 700 calorie frozen delight featuring whole fat ice cream with toppings like Cap’n Crunch.

Whatever Carl’s & Hardee’s “unleashes on the world, it’s safe to say it will be fattening, delicious, and made famous, however unwittingly, by food critiques, diet pundits and warriors fighting for the gastronomically correct.” Or is “incorrect?” Exactly!!!!

How do you feel about these unhealthy foods being offered at your favorite fast food restaurant? Are you afraid to say you enjoy a good high fat burger? And if so why? What are feelings on the marketing of fast food to children and adolescents?

Photograph Credit: Sabrina Segal

118 Comments

1. Artful |Feb. 19, 2008 @ 4:34 PM

How can anyone be shocked and amazed when they look over a nutrition chart? Sometimes it amazes me when people have ALL the information before them and they are still shocked by the results, cigarettes have warning labels on them for a reason.

2. bigboy |Feb. 21, 2008 @ 10:39 AM

I live in South Beach- land of the skinny people who eat lettuce and stuff. I think the timing of this story is pretty funny considering what is happening at the Wine & Food Festival here on SoBe.

A local news story: "Burgermania On South Beach At Wine & Food Festival" talks about Rachael Ray, that TV chef, who is hosting a Burger Bash. "Eighteen talented chefs will compete in the burger showdown in a battle to be crowned "Best Burger" in the country."

Speaking from one red-blooded American Male....Burgers Rule!

3. suzco |Feb. 21, 2008 @ 10:46 AM

I think this is totally crazy. We have fat kids-no OBESE kids all over America. We need a really strong Food Police to stop our country from hardening its arteries and taxing our health care system with stroke victims. How are the kids of America going to learn if the adults are eating like slovenly pigs?

4. Gimple |Feb. 22, 2008 @ 10:15 AM

Until the parents step up and monitor what goes into their children's mouths, things aren't going to change and children will continue to get fatter and fatter. Twinkies and McDonalds were around when i was young, and I ALWAYS wanted them, but my parents restricted how much I had both. Parents need to parent.

5. jhodges |May. 25, 2008 @ 1:31 PM

Although, many fast food restaurants offer many unhealthy choices on their menu, people are not going to stop eating them. Americans love their fast food and will continue to eat it for a long time to come. People need to realize that eating these foods in moderation is not that bad for you and to take these monster burgers and delicious dessert treats off the market would be absurd and irresponsible. Fast food chains do not come to people’s homes and drag them to their restaurants and make them eat their food. People do it because they enjoy it. It is up to people to hold themselves accountable for their own actions. Fast food is as American as mom and apple pie, to take away our choice to eat unhealthy would go against our principle values as Americans. As an American, you should always have a choice.

6. darkrose91 |May. 26, 2008 @ 11:03 AM

Before it did not really bother me, it wasnt until I got my Graves disease and all the grease and stuff started making me sick all the time. My graves disease has caused me many problems one of those including high cholesterol so now I am more aware of what I put into my system. Even before my graves disease though I usually stuck with chicken nuggets or something like that and I have never super sized a combo. Whenever my fiancee wants to go eat fast food I will get my little one a chicken nugget kids meal its not healthy but it is alot better than a greasy cheeseburger.

7. mw0831 |May. 26, 2008 @ 8:22 PM

I remember when fast food restaurants weren't on every corner. We were healthier as a nation. People still grew gardens and processed their own meat. It used to be a treat to go to McDonalds, now it's an every day way of life. Children are the losers, as their parents allow this because of their hectic lifestyles. It is easier to grab something fast instead of taking the time to prepare a meal based on the basic food groups. Children are growing up thinking that the food groups consist of candy, cola, chips, and grease.

8. noelnov11 |May. 27, 2008 @ 10:45 AM

Personally i love McDonalds! the reason why i can eat fast food so much is because i have a fast metabolism. if i did not, i would definatly not eat there. if some people care that they are obese then they should watch their food intake. instead consumers want to sue these fast food restaurants for gaining weight. As some being parents they need to take time out for their kids and show them there is a healthy way to eat.

9. rosiasclar |May. 27, 2008 @ 2:16 PM

Gluttony 101, is a controversy presented by Dr Sabrina Segal.
She presents "burger" as one of the wide part of fast food
consumption, or as a feel free to eat it,because At the end, she questioned the public(consumers, readers, and supporters):how do you (we)feel about these unhealthy foods being offered at at your
(our)favorite fast food restaurant, or are you (we) afraid to say you (we) enjoy a good high fat burger sarcastically. Concerning those questions, she put a nutrition charts, for who
feel concerned about what they eat in fast food restaurant, for instance: Carl's Jr double $ 6 burger for 1520 calories and gram
of fat. McDonalds, double quarter powder with cheese: 740 calories and 40 gram of fats. Those are good example to escape people getting fat, if the trust what they read. As personal
conclusion those warning messages are there for many reasons. It's a type of police warning to stop people against obese situation, from hardening arteries and taxing our health care systems with stroke victims, like Suzco post on his comments on
Feb 21st,2008. Please everybody read and watch.

10. HollyD |May. 27, 2008 @ 4:53 PM

I'm really worried about the children of our future and it's our fault. There are so many obese children because there are so many parents that are in a hurry. I'll be the first to admit, that even though I'm always lecturing my children to eat healthy and I cook healthy low calorie meals at home, there is at least once a week, usually more when we're rushing around and don't have time to eat at home, so we stop for fast food. Of course this food tastes better! So, which do you think the kids are going to prefer? Obviously the fattening good tasting burgers! I consider my kids lucky that I only expose them to this type of eating once or twice a week, some people at work say that this is what their kids eat almost 5 or more times a week because of ball games, work schedules, practices after school, etc. What has our world turned into? As long as we as a society continue to stop there 2 or more times a week, the fast food chains will be successful forever!

1 2 3 > Last »

Sign-in & Let your voice be heard!