Eric Schlosser - Live Blog Live Blogging

Eric Schlosser

(04/03/2008)

9:11

Hello everyone!

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:11

9:12

ES has been introduced and is on stage

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:12

9:13

He says that every other industry is dependent on the food industry

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:13

9:13

Food industry is the foundation of every society

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:13

9:14

Fast food company still don'twant you to know what's in the food - they just want you to buy them

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:14

9:14

Food industry is spending lots of money on advertising.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:14

9:14	Have you read Fast Food Nation? yes ( 60% ) no ( 40% ) Thursday April 3, 2008 9:14

9:15

in this country - he says - we have a preverse relationship with food.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:15

9:15

Some people in school literarlly do not know where hamburgers come from.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:15

9:16

Poor in the US is rapidly growing obese

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:16

9:16

(so far everything he's saying - is setting up the culture in which we live in)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:16

9:16

(ASU Gammage is packed)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:16

9:17

He says "Knowledge is Power"

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:17

9:17

"and that's why these companies (fast food) do not want you to have it"

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:17

9:18

Fast food system - treats people, the land, the animals as if the are entirely disposable.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:18

9:19

As individuals we need to develop personal habits and lifestyles that can increase sustainability

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:19

9:19

Tonight ES will talk about the problems that we are facing thatnks to fast food

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:19

9:20

and how we can shift from a diposable society to one that's sustainable.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:20

9:20

First - let's look at how and where this fast food system began

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:20

9:22

we have a need to control nature... and southern california was the first area after WWII to really respond to this idea of having an optimistic future... enter Walt Disney.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:22

9:22

Fast food industry rose in a place and time where these post war attitude would apply to our eating habits.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:22

9:23

Drive-thrus began in Southern California and it became phenomenally successful in Los Angeles.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:23

9:25

McDonalds brought the factory production system to their restaurants - and as a result you weren't dependent on worker.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:25

9:25

McD's was able to symplify the menu and produce more --- equaled speed, control, efficiency and success.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:25

9:26

It was one of the first times working class people could afford 'restaurant' food.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:26

9:27

Ray Croc ended up buying McDs out entirely - very tough businessmen.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:27

9:27

He had a vision to expand

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:27

9:27

"if i saw that one of my competitors was drowning, I would walk over andput a hose in his mouth" a quote from Ray Croc.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:27

9:28

this is the quote that expresses the fast food mentality

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:28

9:29

The organization cannot trust the individual, the individual needs to trust the organization" this is the heart of the fast food mentality.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:29

9:29

1968 - 20 years after the first McDs - there were only 1000 restaurants. (this was insignificant)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:29

9:30

Today - McD's is having a huge impact in US - it is the biggest purchaser of meat, of potatoes, of tomatoes, etc.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:30

9:31

McDs is also the worlds biggest distributer of toys

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:31

9:31

Now, one town looks like another - thanks to McD's cultural impact

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:31

9:31

This industry has changed how food is produced, distributed, and sold

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:31

9:32

and in order to do this - you need a centralized way to mass produce - so EVERYTHING tastes the same.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:32

9:32

In the 1970s - there were thousands of beef slaughter houses

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:32

9:33

Today there are 13 slaughter houses that supply meat to 300,000,000 people in the US... (that is CRAZY!!!)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:33

9:33

These slaughter houses are MASSIVE!

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:33

9:34

Fast food has changed how people work _ low pay, high turnover, and no benefits

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:34

9:34

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Interested in Eric's take on farm subsidies, especially corn and soy and how they fuel our massive intake of high fructose corn syrup. How do you break this chain?

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:34 TheFitnessNerd

9:34

(good questions TheFitnessNerd - hopefully Eric will provide some insight)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:34

9:35

if you look up the word McJob in some dictionaries, you will see a definition that means a job with no wages, high turnover, and no benefits.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:35

9:35

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

And they are mostly un-unionized .... and underpaid (the workers in the slaughter houses)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:35 TheFitnessNerd

9:36

1980s as the meat packing companies got bigger - they began t break unions and bring in illegal immigrant

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:36

9:37

ES has visited meat packing industries and the working conditions defy words, he says!

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:37

9:38

One example: at the smithfield factory in North Carolina - until recently, the company security officers were also sherrifs - so when workers complain, they would also be arrested and put in jail

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:38

9:38

(wow - what an impact on workers)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:38

9:38

Now he will talk about the impact on animals

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:38

9:38

ES just saidthat he is NOT a vegetarian or vegan

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:38

9:39

(I did not know this!)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:39

9:40

Animals (chickens) are routinely given antibiotics - so animals don't get sick, but it also makes them grow faster

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:40

9:40

"flip over disease"- a bird suddenly having its eyes widen, flips over and dies - they are having heart attacks and dying.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:40

9:40

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Big money buys influence ... never heard that story about Smithfield.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:40 TheFitnessNerd

9:41

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Would also be interested in his take on organic meat. Is this just marketing? How much can we trust organic and "all natural" labels. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan either, but I switched to organic after reading his book. But maybe even I am being fooled.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:41 TheFitnessNerd

9:42

He says - if the livestock and animal factories so wonderful, why aren't people able to visit them?

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:42

9:42

If you ever check it out - he says - it's like watching a bad science fiction movie

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:42

9:43

(just looking around - I'm the only one with the laptop, however, there are a lot of people texting)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:43

9:43

Back to what he's saying: cattle sit/sleep in their own manure

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:43

9:44

Almost all of the cattle are being given growth hormones

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:44

9:44

anabolic steroids - the same ones that the US as banned or made illegal for our athletes

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:44

9:45

yet, it'sokay for us to feed that to our animals

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:45

9:45

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Oh god ... glad I had the falafel tonight.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:45 TheFitnessNerd

9:45

(FitnessNerd: you're safe tonight... lol)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:45

9:46

He's talking about how feed-lots fester and smell of manure

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:46

9:47

It's getting pretty disgusting - this maure is getting into our water systems - measuring high levels of steroids and antibiotics in our drinking water

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:47

9:47

(so, drink bottled water)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:47

9:48

FDA says it's perfectly save to drink milk and eat the meat from cloned animals

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:48

9:48

(are we cloning animals now???)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:48

9:48

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

We are?

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:48 TheFitnessNerd

9:49

He says - every year 76 million americans are sickened by something they ate

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:49

9:49

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

I thought that was illegal?

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:49 TheFitnessNerd

9:49

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

In fact, I didn't even think were had successfully clones animals for large-scale livestock production.

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:49 TheFitnessNerd

9:50

(That's what he suggested)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:50

9:51

The hamburger itself is a fundamentally different thing that it was 45-50 years ago

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:51

9:51

One hamburger used to be one cow - parts of one cow

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:51

9:51

he says - the typical fast food hamburger has thousands of ground up cattle

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:51

9:52

often times... from 5-6 different continents

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:52

9:52

(Yikes!!)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:52

9:52

This is an ideal vector for spreading disease

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:52

9:53

We are seeing an increased spread of salmonela

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:53

9:53

Who in america is most vulnerable to these pathogens and diseases: children and elder

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:53

9:54

Gives an example: cattle that was too sick to walk were stilll processed and served to children's schools

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:54

9:55

This fast food may not make you sick immediately (although that is possible) but over time, it can cause a lot of problems

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:55

9:55

hence the obesity problem, heart disease, etc

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:55

9:56

Ray Croc decided at a very early in the business to market fast food to kids

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:56

9:56

Ray DOESN'T EVEN HAVE KIDS!

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:56

9:57

He knew that when there were kids in the restaurant, check size increased

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:57

9:57

Fast food marketng to children is not innocent

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:57

9:57

they run focus groups for toddlers!!!! That brand loyalty starts at the age of TWO!!!

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:57

9:58

(Wow - i did not know this)

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:58

9:58

McD's arches symbolizes Mother - McDonalds - Breasts

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:58

9:59

A person's eating habits are formed at a very early age

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:59

9:59

Which is why fast food marketing is geared to kids/children

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:59

9:59

1 out of 3 toys come out of a fast food restaurant

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:59

9:59

typical american child will see 20,000 junk food ads a year

Thursday April 3, 2008 9:59

10:00

about 3 hours of junk food a week

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:00

10:00

junk food ads

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:00

10:00

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Wow ... that's some imprinting. Never heard that one before. They always just liked like "M"s to me.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:00 TheFitnessNerd

10:01

Children age 6 or 7 are being put in MRI machines to find out about brain behavior while watching TV ads and watching how brain responds

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:01

10:02

based on this data, fast food companies are perfecting their ads to increase brand loyalty

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:02

10:03

1950s adult soda was 8 oz, today child size is 12 oz which is equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:03

10:03

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

This is actually becoming a much more common market research technique -- the MRI. Not just limited to Fast food.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:03 TheFitnessNerd

10:04

(yeah, i thought the MRI fact was pretty interesting too - weird)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:04

10:05

As the fast food industry has grown dominant - the obesity rate in TODDLERs has doubled. Teens are having heart bypass surgery!

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:05

10:05

85% of obese children have 1 or more factors of cardiovascular disease

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:05

10:05

We are also seeing a rise in depression because they worship thinness and increasing body image issues

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:05

10:06

Of am children who were born in the year 2000, 1 out of 2 will have Cardiovascular disease

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:06

10:06

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

You might be able to put the MRI to the service of good, though. Think about it in terms of measuring positive reinforcement for certain healthy behaviors, Biray. Just something to file away ...

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:06 TheFitnessNerd

10:07

(TFN - definitely - we can always use medical science to reinforce good behaviors)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:07

10:07

So now the good news... (he says)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:07

10:08

(i'm listening... are you? LOL)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:08

10:08

He's going to finish with talking about sustainability

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:08

10:08

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Yeah, I need some.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:08 TheFitnessNerd

10:08

He seems optimistic that we can make difference

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:08

10:09

(andthen he will open it up for questions... so start thinking of what you want to ask folks!)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:09

10:10

What you put in the soil, winds up in the crops, then winds up in the people who eat the crops - eventually all of it return to the soil. So... here was the birth of the modern organic farming movement

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:10

10:11

This movement rebelled against the drive to control nature

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:11

10:11

This movement was to understand that we should work WITH nature

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:11

10:12

The founders of this organic movement cared about thepeple, the culture of rural life, well-being of children

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:12

10:12

All of these things are inter-connected

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:12

10:12

Today this idea is becoming a part of mainstream american culture

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:12

10:13

I don't want to live in a world where everything is the same - I don't want one taste world-wide he says

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:13

10:13

And since Fast Food nation came out - ES has been called many names and been verbally criticized

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:13

10:14

A question has been asked via Twitter from @halfacat: what does he think about the meat industry and its recent issues IE the gigantic recall in CA? are we better off leaving meat behind

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:14

10:17

(Read more about the recall here)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:17

10:17

ES is finishing his lecture... we are part of the whole that needs to be saved...

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:17

10:17

(everyone is clapping!! Clap, clap, clap)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:17

10:18

(wow - standing ovation)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:18

10:19

Q & A

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:19

10:19

Q: What can the government do to increase awareness

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:19

10:20

A: The gov't can do a lot of things - but won't do anything until we approve the gov't

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:20

10:20

(people clapping)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:20

10:21

Q: Do you see a change for the better in the relastionship btwn fast food market and illegal immigration

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:21

10:22

A: Maybe if the fast food industry raise their wages then maybe they can get better workers

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:22

10:23

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

But then your burgers won't be 99 cents.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:23 TheFitnessNerd

10:23

(true... but what's a few cents more?)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:23

10:23

[Comment From CoopCoop: ]

Sorry to miss all the fun. I'm so behind in my grading, so I've been grading non-stop for several hours.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:23 Coop

10:23

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

They'll be $5.99 like at the bar.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:23 TheFitnessNerd

10:24

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Won't be just a few cents ... that's the problem. Labor is expensive. I think the desire for cheap food is driving this. It's the Walmart syndrome.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:24 TheFitnessNerd

10:25

Q: Is there a correlation between fast food industry and the fact that we're incarcarating 1% of our population?

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:25

10:26

A: I wrote a book about Fast food and now I'm writing a book about prisons. And yes, there is a connection

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:26

10:26

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

That's an odd question.

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:26 TheFitnessNerd

10:26

(well, he seems to think there is a connection)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:26

10:27

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Oh, didn't realize that. Interested in his answer. Maybe fast food encourages crime? Like Twinkie Rage? ;-)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:27 TheFitnessNerd

10:28

The only fast food place that he eats at is In-N-Out (because there's lines of scripture on their cups)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:28

10:28

Q: what was your inspiration to research fast food?

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:28

10:29

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

That must have been a joke, right?

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:29 TheFitnessNerd

10:29

(nope - that was his real answer)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:29

10:30

A: He started off as a scriptwriter... then got into journalism... then RollingStone asked him to write a feature article about fast food... at first he didn't want to do it because he liked mcDs... then when he took the job, he kept digging... and digging... and found all this information

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:30

10:31

(yes, he was being sarcastic, TFN)

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:31

10:32

Okay folks... My battery is dying. So I'm signing off!

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:32

10:32

[Comment From TheFitnessNerdTheFitnessNerd: ]

Great text cast, Biray!

Thursday April 3, 2008 10:32 TheFitnessNerd

10:33