Advertisement
Weighty Subject Benefits from Humor
Morgan Spurlock on his engaging, enlightening Super Size Me
 |
Morgan Spurlock sizes up a local McDonald's--the Copyright Roadside Attractions / Samuel Goldwyn Films |
McDonald’s is very tired of hearing the name Morgan Spurlock. A recent press release from McDonald’s is essentially a 300-word “no comment” with regard to Spurlock’s Sundance Award-winning documentary, Super Size Me. Three hundred words is awfully wordy for a “no comment.”
On the surface, Spurlock’s self-sacrificial doc seems to be an exercise in futility. But it’s soon apparent that the film succeeds in offering up an abundance of highly-scrutinized information, presented in bite-size, easily digestible morsels with plenty of humor as seasoning. Spurlock, at the emphatic dissuasion of his girlfriend (who happens to be, of all things, a vegan chef) went on a 30-day McDonald’s crash diet. He aligned himself with a cameraman, a soundman and a set of rules:
1. Cannot eat anything not from McDonald’s during the 30 days.
2. Must try everything on the menu once.
3. Must have a salad every tenth meal.
4. Will “super size” whenever asked.
Some critics have contended that Spurlock made the film primarily in order to stimulate controversy in an apathetic public. The genesis of the film was Spurlock’s incredulity when he heard a McDonald’s spokesman actually say in public that their food was not that fattening—and in fact was nutritious. Three squares a day of Mickey D’s for 30 days may be a bit much, but that misses the point of this engaging and enlightening film.
In an interview with MM, Spurlock offers up some dieting tips and talks about how one person can make a difference.
Mel Rodriguez (MM): What did your daily ritual consist of during the 30 days?
Morgan Spurlock (MS): Get up. Go to McDonald’s. Eat. Go to work. Work. Got to McDonald’s. Eat. Go to work. Work. Go home. Watch TV. Go to McDonald’s. Eat. Go home. Watch TV. Go to bed. Sleep. Of course, mixed in there was lots of travel to 15 states around the country and production on the movie—but that was the core of my existence.
MM: Briefly describe your health at the start, middle and end of the production.
MS: At the beginning I was the picture of health: 185.5 pounds, cholesterol of 165, body fat percentage of 11. I was in good shape.
By the middle of the diet, I would get massive headaches that could only be alleviated by eating. I was more depressed than I’d ever been in my life and my sexual prowess in the bedroom waned (I couldn’t salute the general.) By the end of the diet, I had gained 24.5 pounds (weighing over 200 pounds for the first time in my life), my cholesterol jumped up 25 points, my liver had filled with fat and I felt exhausted most of the time.
MM: Has McDonald’s made an official statement in response to the film?
MS: Yeah, something along the lines of the film just being a gimmick to make a movie, that the film is all about my irresponsibility in deciding to eat this way and that it doesn’t represent all the wonderful choices at McDonald’s. Blah, blah, blah—typical corporate spin. Meanwhile, six weeks after the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, they announced they were eliminating Super Size options. A decision, they say, that had nothing to do with this film whatsoever.
MM: What do you make of the response the film has gotten critically?
MS: The film has gotten an overwhelmingly positive response from attendees and critics alike. I think its so encouraging and gratifying to see how something you’ve worked so hard on can actually make a difference. Socioeconomically, even with McDonald’s announcing they’re phasing out the Super Size option, I think we still have a long way to go to really change things, but this is a step in the right direction. A baby step, but a step nonetheless.
MM: What were you doing just before you started working on Super Size Me?
MS: Right before Super Size Me, I had a show on MTV called “I Bet You Will.” It was the first show ever to go from the Internet to TV. We produced 53 episodes of the show and when it was cancelled, we took the money we’d made and poured it into this film.
MM: What surprised you the most after having gone through this?
MS: A few things:
1. Most people have no idea what they’re eating.
2. Schools serve some of the worst food ever to your kids.
3. One person can really make a difference... You just have to want to make a difference.
SHARE THIS STORY |
TAGS |
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Del.icio.us
Reddit
YahooAdvertisement
COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT 
- Comment by adam on 7/20/08 at 3:35 am
Make sure your humor won’t offend – Learn when it’s appropriate to use humor and to avoid derogatory humor. How can you expand your sense of humor – This was my favorite part, because it gives you challenges you can do to expand your sense of humor. I am constantly looking to my pets for amusement. They always amaze me with their antics!
- Comment by Lose Pounds on 9/11/08 at 7:38 pm
Wow, this movie really opened up my eyes about fast food, I stopped going to McDonald’s all together, I never realized the affect fast food has on your health.
- Comment by biggest loser diet on 10/01/08 at 1:26 am
You’re really thankful for this post, I’ve been really enjoying checking up your posts from time to time.
- Comment by Build Lean Muscle Mass on 10/24/08 at 12:34 pm
This movie makes me want to stay away from all fast foods,this guy almost died from eating fast food, if that doesn’t open up your eyes nothing will
- Comment by belissima sim on 12/14/08 at 11:18 pm
http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/chicken-biscuit-olympic-gall/
- Comment by Emelie-New York personal injury lawyers on 2/05/09 at 4:51 am
Thanks for the post. What do you all think of the future of blogging? I have been reading a lot about google’s attempt to gain preferential treatment for its site from internet providers. This will result in their sites being faster than sites owned by in
- Comment by Evgeny S on 4/01/09 at 4:24 pm
I saw this movie…
Yes, I’ve supposed that food in McDonald’s isn’t health food. But I’ve never thought that this food is so dangerous!
I’ll never even walk near McDonald’s…- Comment by Robbie on 5/13/09 at 6:40 pm
hmm 24 pounds in just 15 days after eating in McD
I wonder how many millions people have been killed indirectly due to ‘McDonald poisoning’?
- Comment by Gevril on 7/04/09 at 10:04 am
Thanks for the post. What do you all think of the future of blogging? I have been reading a lot about google’s attempt to gain preferential treatment for its site from internet providers.
- Comment by Clinicas Dentales on 7/15/09 at 4:24 pm
Sounds good in theory, but I have to ask you this: If they’re getting a transplant, what’s the original source of the Sense of Humor” that’s being installed? Where does that leave the person who donated it? Working as an accountant?
- Comment by Wound First Aid on 7/16/09 at 7:42 am
“Nobody says you must laugh, but a sense of humor can help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected, and smile through the day.”
Anne Landersread my new personal blog! http://livingwithemotionalfeelings.blogspot.com !
natural personality, add a great sense of humor
Their Emerging Sense of Humor
A 5 or 6 year-old’s growing sense of humor is a major developmental milestone.Susie Eisner Eley
Lilly, my cousin’s 5-year-old daughter, has a favorite joke: “Why can’t you call the zoo on the phone? Because the li-on’s always busy!” Her mom, Lois, has heard this joke countless times, but Lilly still loves to explain it. “Get it?” she asks. “Li-on is like line!”It’s a lot of fun to be funny & 5 & 6 year-olds soon discover that telling a joke is a surefire way to become the center of attention. Like a preschooler, your child still giggles at visual gags - silly cartoons or putting a pair of socks on the dog - but his newfound ability to make other people laugh reflects his developing language & social skills.
First of all, most kids this age are now able to memorize & repeat a joke that’s a few sentences long. “They’re also beginning to understand that things may not be what they seem at face value & that a word or a phrase can have more than one meaning,” explains Theodore Shapiro, M.D., director of child & adolescent psychiatry at the Payne Whitney Clinic at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, in New York City.A knock-knock joke, for example, is the perfect introduction to double entendre. Consider this one: “Knock, knock.” “Who’s there?” “Arch.” “Arch who?” “Bless you!” To get this joke, a child needs to understand that Arch could be either the first syllable of a name or the start of a sneeze. He finds it funny because he’s surprised that two sounds he’s prompted to say together ("Arch who?") could be interpreted as a sneeze.
By the time they’re 6, kids are familiar with the rhythm of conversation, which makes them better at telling jokes. Knock-knock jokes are ideal for practicing this skill because they contain cues that keep the teller on track.
Five & 6-year-olds love to test the limits & rules they’re learning to live with, so they are particularly intrigued by jokes that experiment with the conventions of language, says Sarah Hahn-Burke, Psy.D., a psychologist at the PerDev Institute, a private clinic for perceptual development, in New York City. The exchange “Why did the cookie start to cry? Because it was feeling crumby!” is funny to a 5-year-old because of the double meaning.Making Sense of Humor
It doesn’t necessarily matter to your child whether she understands a joke; she’ll be proud to have mastered the telling, even if certain nuances escape her. A riddle such as “What has many eyes but can’t see? A potato!” will very likely puzzle a 5- or 6-year-old, but she’ll still crack up. “Kids this age will tell you a joke and then look at you as if to ask, ‘Can you explain this to me?’ “ Dr. Hahn-Burke says.Socially, of course, there’s tremendous currency and power in joke telling. “Being able to memorize a sequence of words and repeat it gives 5- and 6-year-olds an enormous sense of accomplishment,” Dr. Hahn-Burke says. To then share this joy at school or on the playground and be able to provoke laughter among their friends brings even greater affirmation.
This story was sponsored by
posted 12.14.09
posted 11.13.09
posted 10.22.09
SITE DELIVERY OPTIONS
