Variety: McDonald's readies battle plan for "Fast Food Nation" film

[villager]

The 'Fast' and the furious
Chain bites back on 'Food'

By GABRIEL SNYDER



Turns out the burger bizbiz is not battle-shy.

Fast-food megalith McDonald's is hatching a "crisis management" plan to deal with Fox Searchlight's release of "Fast Food Nation" and the publication of author Eric Schlosser's follow-up, "Chew on This: Everything You Didn't Want to Know about Fast Food."

Pic is the latest to draw the ire of a multinational corporation by painting its biz in an unfavorable light. McDonald's previously became the object of scrutiny following the release of documentary "Super Size Me"; the HMO industry is reportedly bracing to counter "Sicko," Michael Moore's investigation of the health care biz. Last fall, Wal-Mart established an election campaign-style "war room" in advance of the release of Robert Greenwald's doc "Wal-Mart: The High Price of Low Cost."

"Fast Food" is expected to see release later this year, though Fox Searchlight has not set a date. Helmed by Richard Linklater with an ensemble cast including Patricia Arquette, Luis Guzman, Ethan Hawke, Greg Kinnear, Avril Lavigne, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Wilmer Valderrama, pic is described as an interlocking series of stories showing the full scale of a fictional fast-food operation dubbed Mickey's.

An internal McDonald's memo to its franchisees, first reported by Dow Jones, said the movie "is a big concern to us" and promised a "full-scale media campaign. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes... from a crisis management standpoint," the memo said.

<snip>

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117941377?categoryid=13&cs=1

[noahmijo]

1. ah let the heart attack prone repukes eat that poison

Best advice I can give to people at the bare minimum if you cannot stand a vegetarian lifestyle or a vegan one for that matter, than just try TRY cooking for yourself instead of going to ANY restaruant much less one that takes more years off your life than smoking or drinking.

[physioex]

3. True....

Don't they just take all the left overmeat after the good cuts are sold and turn it to one of their burgers which can contain the carcass of several hundred cows.....

[Jamison]

25. I think more repukes do eat that stuff than we do.

I was walking past a Mc Donalds drive thru one day to take a shortcut to the auto parts store. Their drive thru was very busy and it seemed like every minivan and SUV in the line had a damn Wastika on it.

[msgadget]

2. Maybe they'll use the libertarian's film,

the one where a woman ate at fast food restaurants for a month and lost 8 lbs by choosing wisely and exercising. The point of FFN was that most people DON'T do that. I couldn't access the article without a subscription, is Chew on This... a book or another film?

[KittyWampus]

19. The point to make rebutting the woman who lost weight- she was eating

items from the menuu and in a manner inconsistent with the advertisements that McDonalds etc spend millions and millions of dollars on.

Edit- I think you are right on the money... about their tactics. They'll start touting the lettuce on their menu and find people who lose weight etc. :thumbsup:

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Highly recommended: DON'T EAT THIS BOOK!

A follow-up book to Morgan Spurlock's documentary, "Super Size Me." It gives the background to why he decided to make the movie, insight to what was going on during the one month he ate nothing but McDonalds' food, and lots of information about how the fast food industry has fought tooth and nail against research and investigations in to the unhealthy effects of their products.

[JPZenger]

5. Favorite Part of SuperSize Me

My favorite part of Super Size Me was when he kept calling McDonalds for comment, and they kept blowing him off. They had their chance to "provide their side of the story."

[JPZenger]

17. News: US Fast Food Much Higher in Trans Fat than Overseas

There was a news item this morning about a study that found that dangerous trans fatty acids are much higher in US outlets of fast food chains than in most of their European franchises. Trans fatty acids greatly increase risks of heart disease.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002927494_fatty13.html

Why? Because in the US, to save money, the fast food companies hydrogenize their oils. This allows the oils to be reused over long periods, but has a small side effect of killing people.

[villager]

21. just heard that this morning...

I guess "Old Europe" is eating a little better than we are -- even when they're chowing down courtesy of American conglomerates...

[theophilus]

6. Fast Food Nation is a great and informative book. It is a timely read in

regards to the illegal immigration debate, as well. You can see what conditions the immigrants are working under. You can see how their availability has helped take the meat industry from one of the highest paying and safest industries to a nightmare for any nationality. I hope they do the book justice.

[MountainLaurel]

7. I *heart* that book.

Although my husband can no longer eat ground beef after I gave it to him to read. But we'll hopefully be grinding our own soon with the help of one of our wedding gifts.

[kestrel91316]

12. I haven't bought ground beef or turkey in years. I buy my own

meat and grind it by hand myself. Found an old meat grinder used in an antique shop, works great!

[Kailassa]

28. You can still get sausage attachments for them too,

and buy yoour own sausage casings.

Home made sausages are utterly different to store-bought ones, and can have pride-of-place in the finest meal. It's a lot of fun working out your own conbinations for them.

I got onto that when I had very little money, and used to by a variety of offal to cook instead of regular meats. People would be amazed at the beautiful flavours, but I could never tell them exactly what meat I was using. ;-)

[NYC]

8. The meat industry was not safe.

About 20 years ago, I read an article in the magazine section of the Sunday New York Times. I think OSHA said they had the highest work related injuries of any industry.

I distinctly remember a discussion of stiffened hands. But, yes, they were unionized back then.

[Mel]

13. check out this Mother Jones article

The Chain Never Stops
By Eric Schlosser
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2001/07/meatpacking.html

[NYC]

14. The public picks up the tab.

...Like Kenny Dobbins, many now rely on public assistance for their food, shelter, and medical care. Each new year throws more injured workers on the dole, forcing taxpayers to subsidize the meatpacking industry's poor safety record...

[villager]

22. the meatpacking, the destructive, earth-killing ranching practices...

...it's all another house of cards, waiting to tumble...

[NYC]

9. Their idea of providing housing was dropping off the

immigrants at a homeless shelter. That was astounding.

[Coventina]

10. Gee, if they make a good product and do business honorably, why are they

worried?

:shrug:

[noonwitch]

11. Everybody's worried in the Bush economy

Even big companies like McDonald's fear a drop off in customers.

I don't like their burgers-too greasy for me. I prefer whoppers, but I do love to have McDonald's breakfast once in a while.

And that's the point-nobody is supposed to eat that crap every meal, every day. I eat a Whopper and fries around once a month, because I occasionally get a craving for it. I only eat McDonald's breakfast if I'm travelling somewhere. I do eat at Taco Bell and Blimpies more often than that, but that's not the same. I eat chicken tacos at the first, and a regular sub at the other. Neither are deep fried items.

[ekelly]

18. I don't like McDonalds

at all.
Never have. I've eaten a McD's burger a few times over the years and they always felt wet and soggy with no taste......like they had been sitting in a bin full of hot water. And the fries always had so much salt on them that I couldn't distinguish the taste of potatoes at all.
YUCK!

While I occasionally eat at Steak n' Shake and Blimpie (I actually prefer to make my own toasted subs at home) I haven't eaten at McD's in over 5 years.

[AnneD]

15. Great book (Fast Food Nation)

even better movie (Supersize Me). There is nothing they can do to put that genie back into the bottle. Just the medical data alone in (Supersize Me)was enough to help me kick the habit. I just don't like it anymore.

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. I haven't eaten one crumb of fast food since I read Schlosser's book

I suspect I'm not the only one. This was years ago. I don't think I will ever eat fast food again, and I'm only 32. Nor will my children, since I'm not big on poisoning my own kids. In 50 years, fast food will have the status of cigarettes in our society.

They should be worried.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

20. "Fast Food Nation" - YES! Richard Linklater - Woohoo! Avril Lavigne - WTF?

According to Wikipedia it's her favorite book, but that still seems a rather random casting choice. Minor quibble aside though I'm very much looking forward to this. Hopefully it'll work & I've got full confidence in Linklater (whose adaptation of A Scanner Darkly is out in a couple of months).

[Roland99]

23. Far be it for McDonald's to, oh, I dunno....ADJUST their menu??

[villager]

24. but, you know, that might cost the company more to do that...

n/t

[joeunderdog]

26. I have them SuperSize my #5 Kangaroo Meal.

People LIKE the taste of the junk food and that's all that matters. The time between the behavior (eating/smoking) and consequence (getting cancer/dying) is what allows them to be successful. Simple behavioral science.

[Roland99]

27. And the taste is created via chemical flavorings.