Burger King is serving up a new item this summer—soft serve ice cream with chocolate sauce and caramel, garnished with bacon bits and a strip of bacon on top. Frequent New Yorker contributor Rachel Arons tasted the new delicacy, but she is more interested in what others are saying about it in the many reviews and commentaries that have appeared in national magazines and local papers. This essay appeared in New Yorker in June 2012.
Read it here: Arons, “Why Does Fancy Fast Food Make Us Mad?”
- Who is Arons criticizing in her article? Burger King? Food journalists? The eating public? Everybody? How do you know? Identify the target(s) of her criticism and summarize her argument. Do you agree with her? Why or why not?
- Arons quotes Daniel Coudreaut, a McDonald’s executive who defends the high caloric content of his employer’s food by saying that he could easily eat a two-thousand calorie meal at the French Laundry, a pricey, high end restaurant in California. What is Coudreaut implying in his statement? Why is it relevant to Arons’ main argument?
- Three of the authors in Chapter 16 of your text—David Zinczenco, Radley Balko, and Judith Warner—address various aspects of fast food. Choose any two of them and speculate on their likely responses to the new BK bacon sundae. Would they agree with each other? Why or why not? With which of them do you agree more? Why? Explain your reasoning.
- Do you think that Burger King has rolled out a splendid new menu item, or has it simply used its menu to generate publicity and interest, and perhaps to stimulate sales of its more traditional offerings? Is the bacon sundae a stroke of marketing genius or has the company lost its corporate marbles? Write an essay in which you reflect on the bacon sundae and the public discourse that it has inspired. Use your own responses and the comments of those around you to support your ideas.
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In all seriousness I believe all the fire that fast food branches are under is truly ridiculous. If a person doesn’t enjoy a fast greasy burger, then they should obtain food elsewhere. I consider the Bacon sundae possibly unpleasant purely because of flavor combinations. If Burger King wishes to be fancy and have people view their food as fancy then great; As long as the food stays fast and cheap, they will, maintain the same clientele. In a recent article on the subject Rachel Arons calls the sunday “a charming upscale menu flourish” gracefully allowing fast food companies their leeway to expand and “class up”. Which I believe is the savvy consumer’s job.
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Burger Kings motives are definitely trying to attract a new type of crowd to their restaurant, but personally I believe that a fast-food restaurant will always be nothing more than a fast-food restaurant. A bacon sundae Doesn’t just sound utterly disgusting, but why in the world would they even think that they’ve played a genius marketing tactic? When Zinczenko claims that fast food is an evil scam to make us fat, this article would strongly support it. Although the motives of fast food restaurants are merely, to just to sell us cheap food, so they can make money, this is also a good example to support how our culture can cause obesity.
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In Aron’s article, “Why does fancy fast food make us mad?,” I believe that Aron is not just criticizing one person but, the general public and all those involved with producing the product. Throughout her article, Aron is identifying what she believes is the sole reason as to why Burger King decided to advertise this sundae. The Burger King company is trying to come up with new meal choices because, they are trying to appeal to a larger audience. Many fast food industries are trying to adapt and advertise healthier food choices in order to lure people back. In recent years, there has been a lot of questioning to childhood obesity, and when people started to realize that the fast food industries were at the source of the problem, they began to lose business. They’ve altered their advertisements too, in order to make it seem like their food isn’t really as unhealthy. According to Aron, “This belatedly hip new offerings is just one effort by Burger King’s struggling company, which was acquired by private equity firm 3G Capital in 2010 and will soon return to public markets, to re brand itself in a more upscale light.” The essence of Aron’s argument is that the fast food industries are trying to appeal to a new group of consumers by claiming that their food is “healthy,” when in reality, it is anything but.
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Burger King has come up with another product that they would hope to one day make a lot of money from. Although this product might even taste delicious, I don’t think a lot of consumers will fall for it. Many people are already being cautious about what type of meat they eat in fast-food restaurants, and having bacon on top of an ice cream sundae just sounds strange. Many people will say that Burger King is just trying to make up for what the public has said about them. According to Arons, Burger King has even “in its biggest menu expansion to date, added new, lighter items like wraps and salads to its menu.” Such new menu items were added in hopes of stopping these rumors and making Burger King not necessarily a place where “someone could get fat” but a place where someone could come in an enjoy a healthy meal. Although these changes should have been good, they caused a lot of controversy to come up among people.
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I think it is interesting how such a trivial thing as a new item on a fast-food menu can create such different reactions. Arons agrees with the fact that there is a difference between the reactions by saying this bacon sundae has “been met with a range of skeptical reactions, from disappointment to mocking bemusement to scathing satire.”. This quote clearly shows that the backlash of this decadent item was mostly (if not all) negative. I see this being possible because of the bad timing of this item’s release, since there was (and is) a huge debate over the problems of obesity, with one problem being society having unhealthy items like a bacon sundae. While this is a good explanation for the poor reception of this announcement, the title (Why Does Fancy Fast Food Make Us Mad?) makes me question the importance of this argument in the first place. Obesity is a serious issue in today’s world but it is mostly caused by people’s own choices and their lifestyles. There is no way that all unhealthy food will go away, so why are people so worked up over one more item that is bad for the health of a person? In conclusion, I think I would react negatively to this kind of item being created, but I see that there is no way of getting rid of all the bad and unhealthy things in the world and know there will always be something new tempting humanity.
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Arons herself writes that fast food restaurants such as Burger King and McDonald’s are trying to rebrand themselves and create a newer, better, and more healthier image in the eyes of the audience. They are doing these things because they get criticized due to their unhealthy and calorie rich food that they put on their menus, and in fact, Taco Bell is ” retooling its image, changing its motto from the hamburger-oriented “Think Outside the Bun” to the vaguely ethnic “Live Más.” By doing so, they will save themselves from the criticism that they get and attract more customers, making them think that their menu items are healthier. In other words, Arons believes that fast food restaurants are making such fancy foods, despite the thousands of calories it contains, to attract customers, which would benefit them by increasing their sales. Also, they are changing their image and adding “healthy” menu items to generate publicity and interest. As long as the food looks fancy and mouth-watering, people do not even stop to think about what they are really putting in their mouths.
Aron has embedded quotations in her text by using the method that was discussed in They Say/I Say book. She first gives a little background, or introduction, about the thing she is going to say,then she puts in the quotation. Afterwards, she does a follow up where she explains what it means and how it relates to what she is saying.
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I believe that Arons is criticizing only Burger King, not food journalists or the public. She discusses how the company is trying to become a healthier place for people to eat, but then they come out with a bacon sundae and how they are contradicting themselves. Arons writes the bacon sundae is, “just one effort by Burger King’s struggling company” She thinks it is just a public stunt they are implementing to get attention from the public and to help bring their name back into people’s minds. Arons criticizes Burger King repeatedly throughout the article commenting on how its weird timing for them to put the unhealthy product into the market at the same time people all across the world are fighting for healthier options and how they are selling this product to reach out to a new branch of customers. I agree with her that they came out with this product to try and keep up with the surrounding competition even though they are ignoring their “re-branding”. At the end of the article, Arons quoted Daniel Coudreaut, a McDonald’s senior director. She uses the sandwich quotation technique because she explains the setting , who was speaking and the context, then the quote, and then she provides her thoughts on the quote.
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I agree with the views in this article. Granted I know everybody or at least most people who will be reading this article might be very interested in trying something such as a sundae with bacon, but of course it is not the most healthy choice. Healthy choices are very important, and I myself should do better myself at trying to eat healthy, but when there are monster franchises such as Burger King that are promoting such an unhealthy yet tempting treat, the consumer becomes vulnerable to the advertisement and they are going to eat it. I’m not sure if Burger King is really all to blame, or if it is of the people that buy it’s fault, but we can all agree that of all these “healthy eating” campaigns, Burger King trying to sell the bacon sundae is far from helping the cause.
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Arons talks about the controversy between fast food restaurants and the American people/society. Us as a whole do anything we can to criticize fast food chains blaming them for the high rates of obesity present in our society but, their job is to create a food, advertise it, and then sell it. They don’t force people to eat their food so why are they fully blamed for obesity? I think these restaurants are keeping up with public demand, whether healthy or not. So many people love bacon and love putting bacon on foods so Burger King came up with a creative idea to put bacon into their menu. At the end of the day they’re a business and their goal is to make money, I don’t think they care whether or not the food they sell is healthy or unhealthy. People can make that decision themselves. On the other hand many fast food restaurants have changed their menus to meet public demands and make their customers happy, they also have added healthy foods to many menus.
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I am not sure what to think of this food. Arons seems to be targeting quite the range of people in her article, from the food journalists to Burger King itself. I think Arons quoted Coudreaut because he is saying that he could easily eat a two thousand calorie meal at a fancy restaurant; suppoting her claim that who decides what food is good and bad but also countering the standpoint saying what calories count as empty or healthy ones. Arons agress when she starts her article,”It feels like awkward timing for Burger King to have unleashed an ostentatious new calorie bomb into the American dining marketplace”. I think she says this because of the rising rate of obesity in America and how other Americans are turning more to fast food.
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Arons writes that fast food chains today are trying to change their image to the general public, but yet they still come out with their large calorie, fat, sodium, etc. food products. Burger King has been changing its image and general so-called purpose by, “its biggest menu expansion to date, added new, lighter items like wraps and salads to its menu.” In the way I see it, fast food restaurants have their purpose to us and society. They are here to be convenient and a cheap source for easy food for when you are in a rush, on the go, or just a late night option for when you are out and about and just need something to hold you off. Is it good to make it regular thing? Of course not. You can hate on them all you want and refuse to eat there, but I can probably say on behalf of everyone that at one time or another they have stopped at fast food restaurant while they were on the go. Their business hasn’t failed yet and probably won’t ever due to the fact that it is convenient and everything today seems to be based on convenience.
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In the article Arons writes about food chains today and our eating habits. Food chains usually always get blamed for Americans health problems because of how unhealthy and easy to get it is. A lot of people also like to still eat their food but complain. In the end no one wins in the situation. Food journalist like to critique food chains on the things they make big money from. We as a society have found that getting our food quicker is better than healthier. But in return we are only hurting our selves more because as they take our money that produce ad campaigns or try to re brand themselves to make themselves look better than what they truly are. I believe that Arons was right to target the fast food chains as well as the American society because like the old saying “you can’t bite the hand that feeds you”. If you keep eating that food you get what is expected and you can’t blame them for your lifestyle choices.
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In the article Arons refers to Burger Kings new menu item, the bacon sundae, as fancy. First of all I do not know how she considers this fancy because it is simply just a weird combination of foods. Clearly Burger King was looking for attention when they promoted this, maybe to attract new customers or simply to get people talking about the controversial food item. Aside from the bacon sundae many other fast food chains are starting to reconstruct their menus as Arons states in her article. I feel as though the fast food chains primarily care more about the publicity they get from the food items, rather than the healthiness of them or the quality of them. The fast food industry is huge and everyday several fast food chains are in competition with each other. I believe their goals are to get people talking and make the food as convenient (but still appealing) as possible for the consumer. All in all, although new menu items from fast food chains are great I believe they are only promoted to strum up new business.
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Courdreaut is implying that the head executive is referring to the food on the menu of McDonald’s is just as high end as French Laundry. The head executive also is saying that the high end restaurant food is just as unhealthy as the fast food served by McDonald’s. This is relevant to her argument because if McDonald’s believes their food is just as good as a high end restaurant then other fast food restaurants will think the same even though by popular belief they are very wrong. In Arons views this is “insulting” and “manipulative” because this is giving the people of the world the wrong impression on fast food. Arons embeds her quotes after explaining her points and uses them as a way to make sure her point is gotten by the reader.
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Let’s get with it, bacon does not make everything better, especially not on ice cream. Thinking about a fast food restaurant putting bacon on a sundae does not sound appetizing at all. Rachael Aron’s theory of “Fancy Fast Food”, is extremely useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem of all this calorie build up. Adding a huge mess of vanilla ice cream, pools of chocolate and caramel, then topping that off with a fatty piece of bacon is not helping with Americas obesity problem, if anything it could make it much much worse. What does that mean for the future of fast food? Will this mean more fatty foods and unhealthy food options? because looking at the way fast food is going, we could be looking at some terrible food options. This bacon sundae at Burger King did not seem to take off, (thank God), but that does not mean even worse food options are coming. This bacon sundae is not okay and is a terrible road to go down in the fast food industry.
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Having just argued that people want to start eating healthier, I want to complicate my point by saying that no matter what kind of food comes along or between, you can only reply on yourself and it depends on you. Since you’re the one who gets to choose either to start eating healthier and start loosing weight or you’ll be trapped in that certain position where you can’t stop eating junk food and especially if you’re that person that wants to lose weight, at some point such people lose their hopes and they give up on diets and as soon as new products come along they can’t control themselves which is one of the weaknesses that people could have. It is really sad watching people giving up on certain goals that they want to reach and not just losing weight but since it’s all about the food we’re discussing how important it is to stay fit and eat as healthy as possible you can. Although it’s hard and very challenging it is never too late to start realizing your dreams.
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Coudreaut defends McDonald’s high calorie menu when he says that he,”could eat a two-thousand-calorie meal at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry.” In other words, Coudreaut believes that it’s not only inexpensive, fast food places that have a high calorie count. This is relevant to Aron’s main argument in the way that people say fast food (Burger King’s new bacon sundae, specifically) is “insulting” when high end restaurants can serve something similar and not get shamed.
Also, Arons used quotations to use the exact words that critics have used to make her points more clear.
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Aron an author who tried Burger King’s new bacon sundae proposes that Burger King is trying to change its image and prove itself better than Taco Bell, McDonald and its other competitors. Rephrasing Adams opinion on Burger King’s move of adding a dessert with bacon as “insulting and manipulative as if the burger chain were a trendy Brooklyn restaurant..” Aron suggests that by adding a fancy element Burger King was trying to make there restaurant more “fancy”. Ultimately Aron view is that although the timing seems to be wrong, adding the sundae into the menu was really intended to have the opposite effect; portray them in a upscale light and bring more people to their restaurant.
Aron thoughts reflect my own. Changing their menu and adding light foods like salads and wraps, and changing their motto was to bring more customers and good response from people that critics their unhealthy foods. And the addition of the sundae was added to make Burger King look more stylish.
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When Coudreaut is asked about the high caloric content in McDonald’s food, he responds by commenting on the fact that he could eat a two thousand calorie meal at French Laundry. Here, Coudreaut points out “…the biases that color some people’s perceptions of which kind of foods are reasonable and which aren’t.” This is implying that depending on where the food comes from, people will have different feelings about it. A restaurant that is known for its gourmet food could have a lot of calories, but because many people go to that restaurant for its good food, many people will ignore the calorie count. Burger King is known for its fast food burgers and their high caloric content. Because of this, if they make a sundae that is pleasing and actually a delicious meal, many people will not focus on the success of such a dessert, but the calorie content and how bad it is for you. They would never do this at French Laundry because of their reputation. This relates to Aron’s argument because, as she stated, “…the sundae is being received less as a charming upscale menu flourish and more as a vulgar symbol of fast-food decadence…” We get annoyed when a fast food restaurant tries to upgrade its menu because we know it as unhealthy fast food and see it as pretending to be something it’s not.
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Arons, the author, named the article “Why does fancy fat food make us mad?” I first do not understand how she refers to Burger King as, “fancy.” It is fast food and it came out with another fattening attention grabber; the bacon sundae. It is just a limited time money maker. If someone wishes to complain about the quality and healthiness of fast food, then he or she does not need to purchase and eat it. Arons brings up the issue of calories with the bacon sundae. Well of course it will have a lot, just look at its name. It is not food chains and restaurants that are to blame for obesity, it is the men, women, and children doing it to themselves. People should be able to think for themselves and deal with its consequences, if there is any that proceed.
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Common sense seems to dictate that fast food chains, although they are unhealthy, should be trying to make their image healthy. Restaurants like McDonald’s are trying to make their image healthier even though their meals are loaded with calories. Burger kings new ice cream sundae seems to be like they are trying to be a higher end restaurant, “the idea of accessorizing desserts with bacon isn’t so much a novelty as a tapped-out culinary trend that was made popular several years ago by high-end chefs” (Arons). This new menu item is making Burger King have an image it doesn’t usually have. The restaurant that has a menu packed with calories is trying to put something out there that a higher end restaurant once did. But Burger King isn’t a healthy place. Fast food restaurants are partly responsible for obesity in America because of their poor portrayal of their business. Even though everyone knows how unhealthy the place is, everyone still continues to eat there. I think fast food restaurants should just advertise how they are because no matter what anyone will eat there. When I was a child, I used to think that fast food was the greatest thing ever, but now I don’t necessarily like to eat fast food like I used to. I would much rather a regular meal because it tastes so much better. People need to find the time to make a meal instead of getting fast food because it is convenient. The problem with fast food is it is around every corner so it is always there for you to see and sometimes the temptation is too much. Fast food chains are masters at manipulation and are very capable at keeping their business flowing. The business at fast food restaurants will always be there because people are so busy and everyone loves a fast food burger every once and a while.
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Aron’s article, “Why Does Fancy Fast Food Make Us Mad?” states the anger of the public. Fast food, if presented in a fancy manner, causes distaste to all its customers. According to Aron, “At first glance, the bacon sundae seems like a proudly low-brow fast-food novelty item in the tradition of K.F.C.’s Double Down “sandwich” or Taco Bell’s recent hit, the Doritos Locos taco”. Aron compares the the new item in the menu, bacon sundae to the high calorie items from KFC and Taco Bell. BurgerKing is always known for fast-food high calorie items, with low quality. So if a high calorie food item is announced, it is instantly regarded as something good that can cause obesity.
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Burger King’s newest menu addition is not likely to change the fast food market any time soon. It instead is an attempt to change BK place in today’s society from a failing fast food company to a unique type of eatery with higher scale items. The unfortunate truth is that BK’s place is already so engraved into the fast food world that it likely cannot be so easily changed. It would seem that the article’s author would agree with me in my assertion that Burger King is struggling with an identity crisis when she says, “This belatedly hip new offering is just one effort by Burger King’s struggling company … to rebrand itself in a more upscale light.”. Aarons is suggesting that BK is trying to find a new identity that will prove more popular than the original low-quality full-meal vendor mentioned above. While the sundae may seem to be an innocent addition to a rapidly evolving menu, I will continue to believe that it is an attempt to reassign BK’s place in todays society.
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In her article, “Why Does Fancy Fast Food Make Us Mad”, Arons criticizes Burger King for putting out this seemingly enticing new menu item: an ice cream sundae with bacon. I believe that Burger King has came out with is very unique item, at a ubiquitous restaurant, to boosts its sales: “This belatedly hip new offering is just one effort by Burger King’s struggling company… to rebrand itself in a more upscale light” (Arons). It was a good attempt by Burger King to attract the crowd of upscale eaters, but it will be a bust. Burger King is viewed by the majority of the public as being a dirty fast food restaurant, where low quality, but good tasting items are put out.
Arons uses the sandwich quotation technique at the end of her article by informing the reader who the person being quoted is, giving the reader an intro on what he said, then reflecting on the quote, and what her opinion on it is.
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In this article, it seems as if Arons makes great efforts to criticize Burger King. She questions if the timing on the release of this new Bacon Sundae is beneficial to the fast food restaurant because of their recent efforts in cleaning up, and becoming healthier. Arons writes that the bacon sundae is: “just one effort in Burger King’s struggling company” She believes that the company itself, is only releasing this new sundae to get back into the pubic eye by hopping on the bacon bandwagon. Although Arons is slightly harsh with her comments/ arguments over Burger King and the company’s new bacon sundae, I do believe that this is only a publicity stunt and effort to save this struggling company.
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To begin with i want to give credit to Aron’s with doing a fantastic job with embedding quotes into her article. It is shocking to what effect our fast food restaurants have made their menu into. I would have never thought of seeing a bacon Sundae, sounds gross to me and packed with calories. It is interesting to think that all these fast food restaurants such as burger king , McDonald’s, subway Chipotle and taco bell are all fighting and stealing each other ideas. According to Arons, “other major fast-food companies are attempting similar rebranding”. What Arons is trying to say is that Burger King is having rivalries with other fast food companies and all of them are trying to produce new ideas and creations that will attract more people. Aron’s herself writes that “Burger King’s bacon sundae represents, somewhat paradoxically, part of the company’s attempt to break free from the fast-food stigma and reach out to a larger audience of more savvy, health-conscious eaters”. In other words Arons believes that with the release of something bizarre from Burger King this will attract a bigger crowd and increase the production
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In Rachel Arons’ article titled, “Does Fancy Fast Food Make Us Mad?”, she discusses the controversy surrounding Burger King’s bacon topped sundae. Contrary to the typical atmosphere of Burger King, the dessert is featured in a fancy glass cup, topped with elegantly sliced bacon. In her article, Arons quotes Adam Martin’s post from The Atlantic’s Wire blog, as he feels the newly introduced dessert is “insulting” and “manipulative”. It is also stated in the first paragraph that the dessert has been, “…met with a range of skeptical reactions, from disappointment to mocking bemusement to scathing satire” (Arons). Although Arons’ position on the situation is more neutral, it is evident that she recognizes the criticism Burger King as received, and supports that with critics’ examples. She uses this strategy to indirectly support her opposition for fast food chains and their “offensive” effects on society. In contrast to the disgust towards Burger King’s sundae, I don’t see it as a “mockery” or “insulting”. Although it is a clearly unhealthy and obscure dessert, I feel that Burger King’s intentions were only to follow the bacon trend which has already passed. Has Burger King released their sundae when the bacon fad was at its peak, I feel that critics would not be so aggressively attacking it. However, since Burger King was late to the trend, which most companies and forms of media are, it is seen as an insult by many.
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In this article, Arons criticizes Burger King for putting out a new dessert on their menu, and Arons questions if it was good timing to release it or not for the company. This will most likely not change the fast food market any time soon because Burger King has been a fast food place for such a long period of time, it can’t be changed so easily. According to Arons, Burger King is now “in its biggest menu expansion to date, added new, lighter items like wraps and salads to its menu.” Even though this dessert looks delicious, a lot of people are cautious of what kind of foods that they are putting into their bodies. Arons used embeds her quotes after she explains her points and she uses them as a way to make sure that her point has come across to the reader.
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When, just recently, Burger King came out with it’s novelty item, The Bacon Sundae, it was met with less than satisfactory reviews. Rachel Arons quotes Adam Martin in her article, Bringing Home the Bacon, saying he “finds Burger King’s latecomer stab at foodie credibility “insulting” and “manipulative”. Martin’s point is that we are finally beginning to move away from the age of obesity onset by fast food restaurants and Burger King’s efforts to hold us back are “insulting” as he says. All fast food restaurants in general are starting to offer healthier choices on their menus which is a big step in improving the overall health of our country.
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In my opinion, Burger King created the bacon sundae for publicity. Yes, I’m sure there are loads of people out there who actually love this item, but on the other hand there are tons who do not. In her article, Aron wrote about the irony on Burger King attempting to become more healthy, but in doing so they released the bacon sundae which, frankly, isn’t healthy at all. Arons states “In the context of such changes, Burger King’s bacon sundae represents, somewhat paradoxically, part of the company’s attempt to break free from the fast-food stigma and reach out to a larger audience of more savvy, health-conscious eaters.” Arons’s point is that Burger King’s bacon sundae is the company’s way of separating from fast food stereotypes. Yet, the people ordering the new bacon sundae wouldn’t be the “health-conscious eaters”, it will be the people who are unhealthy and carefree. I agree with Arons on her point about this new item existing solely for Burger King’s financial benefit, but in the end, it’s up to the consumers on whether or not to purchase the bacon sundae.
Arons embedded a quotation in her text several times, one being when she quoted Adam Martin on his opinions on accessorizing with bacon. Another was when she quoted McDonald’s worker, Daniel Coudreaut about his views on the matter.
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According to Arons “Burger King;s new bacon sundae… clocks in at five hundred and ten calories, eighteen grams of fat and sixty-one grams of sugar, has thus far been met with a range of skeptical reactions, from disappointment to mocking bemusement to scathing satire.” Arons is telling us that Burger King has created a new item to introduce to the public, but still has a very high calorie count. She is saying that the bacon sundae was made to boost the companies income; seeing as it is already struggling. I agree with Arons because instead of releasing something healthy and good for the public Burger King has created an item that promotes obesity and most likely was made to just help the company. Using the popularity of bacon, Burger King is trying to save itself; which wasn’t a really good move because the public didn’t really seem to like the new item on the menu. In the quotation the public’s reactions ranged from, “disappointment, mocking bemusement, to scathing satire”
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To make her quote Arons has first introduced her article. Then she introduced the person she was quoting followed by a general summery of what the person said. After all that she wrote the quote itself.
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I agree with McDonalds senior director when he says that,“I’m sure I could eat a two-thousand-calorie meal at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry.” Calories are calories, but when it comes to the actual nutrients in the food being served is where it matters. You could eat 1000 calories in a cheeseburger or 1000 calories in vegetables. The fact that matters is that a cheeseburger contains a completely different nutrition list than vegetables do. The calories in vegetables will be put to much better use and be burned much faster than the calories contained in a cheeseburger which will take a much longer time to digest and will be mostly stored as fat.
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In the article “Why Does Fancy Fast-Food Make Us Mad?”, Rachel Arons talks about how fast-food places like McDonald’s and Burger King have recently altered their restaurant aesthetics and feels and also their menus to make them feel more upscale. She makes the point that it seems as though places like Chipotle and 5-Guys are the model for the stereotypical fast-food places, like McDonald’s. In Aron’s view, Chipotle “is successfully walking the line between fast-food convenience and middle-class respectability”. Aron’s point is that these “upper scale” fast-food places make us forget that they’re still fast-food. There’s a big difference in a privately owned burger shack and 5-Guys, in not only the food in the restaurant, but the atmosphere and feel. Although, it’s clear fast-food places are newly trying to imitate that “middle-class” feel, people have to think about whether or not they are going to fall for it. In the near future, you’ll be stuck with the decision of going to that new Burger joint or McDonald’s. What will you choose?
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hi
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According to Arons,”Burger king’s bacon sundae represents, somewhat paradoxically, part of company’s attempt to break free from the fast-food stigma and reach out to a more savvy, health conscious eaters.” How will this reach out to health conscious eaters when it’s so unhealthy for us? The bacon sundae is not doing anything but adding to the percent of obese people in the world. Having ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel, and whipped cream is enough, and now adding bacon makes it even worse. The only thing that’s benefiting from this new sundae are the people getting the money for selling it.
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In the article “Why does Fancy Fast Food Make us Mad” , Aron criticizes the fast food industry. Aron herself writes,”Accordingly, Burger King’s new bacon sundae, which launched last week and clocks in at five hundred and ten calories, eighteen grams of fat and sixty-one grams of sugar, has thus far been met with a range of skeptical reactions, from disappointment to mocking bemusement to scathing satire.” In other words Aron is mocking Burger King’s attempt to incorporate this unique and strange , not to mention extremely unhealthy item in their menu and consider it highfalutin.
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In Aron’s article I believe she is criticizing the fast food industry for trying to hide their bad food under a veil of “fancy food.” Arons herself writes, “This belatedly hip new offering is just one effort by Burger King’s struggling company, which was acquired by private equity firm 3G Capital in 2010 and will soon return to public markets, to rebrand itself in a more upscale light.” Her point is that when Burger King started to struggle they, like many other fast food restaurants, began to show themselves in a different way. Just like how Mcdonalds began to show the farmers in their commercials, rather than the kids playing with Ronald McDonald. This shows that their food is “wholesome” or from the earth. Aron’s is criticizing more than just Burger king in her article, she is calling out all of the fast food chains.
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As Arons puts it, Burger King’s bacon sundae is “a vulgar symbol of fast food decedance”. She makes the argument that fast food is nothing but bad for you, and makes the company seem evil when they are just doing their job; providing what the public wants. She lists the nutritional value of the bacon sundae which consists of fat, sugar, and many calories, and then Arons adds in a McDonald’s executive, Daniel Coudreaut’s point of view: “I’m sure I could east a two-thousand-calorie meal at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry”. Courdreaut argues that you could eat essentially the same amount in calories at a high end place as McDonald’s, but eat at McDonald’s for much cheaper. A food critic wouldn’t call a high end place like the French Laundry unhealthy but they wouldn’t hesitate to call McDonald’s unhealthy. Arons argues that fast food, such as Burger King and their new items are disgusting and unhealthy but leaves out opinions on other restaurants that could be, arguably just as bad.
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I have never really liked bacon, and I know I am most likely one of the only Americans to say those words. Over the recent years food companies have been trying to shove all of these new bacon crazes down our throats, both figuratively and literally. When the bacon sundae from Burger King was announced, I must say that I as well as everyone around me took it as a joke. It seemed as though Burger King was using this as a crazy trick to gain publicity. According to Rachel Arons in her article, Why Does Fancy Fast Food Make us Mad?, critics also had this same view of the bacon sundae. She believes that critics give fast food chains an unfair chance with their ideas as opposed to conventional restaurants. When speaking about how most people have a negative perception of fast food restaurants, Arons pointed out a topic brought up by the McDonald’s senior director of culinary innovation, Daniel Coudreaut, on the idea of how one views these eateries depends on their lifestyle. Arons agrees with him when she writes “…Coudreaut is right to point out the biases that color some people’s perceptions of which kinds of foods are reasonable and which aren’t. What you think about Burger King’s bacon sundae probably depends a lot on where you come from, and where you usually eat.” Again, Arons’ point is that if you grow up in an environment where fast food is looked down upon, odds are you’re going to look down on the bacon sundae. I am partially able to connect this to my life and what I think. I personally do not find myself eating much fast food. Media has made me well aware of all the negatives that come with fast food. This has led me not to want anything to do with it. So, I am a proven point of Aron’s article. Media has created a negative view of fast food, so fast food is not taken as seriously by me. The reason I said I was partially able to connect with the idea that my preference of food depends on my life around me, is because I am surrounded by a bacon family. My family loves bacon, but I do not. So, though I do agree that your preference or views of food, even more specifically fast food, do depend on your lifestyle, it can also just be personal preference that affects your perception of fast food. These reasons could be why much of the population, including food critics, found the bacon sundae from Burger King to be a joke.
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The first and most important thing about fast food is that it is unhealthy.Of course some might object that at least it is has the nutrition availability. although i concede that I has the nutrition that we need for a daily basis.I still maintain that even though it has the nutrition it has the possibility of being a source of bad health.
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In recent discussions of the growing popularity of fancy fast food, Rachel Arons argues that whether you view the transition to fancier fast food chains as a good thing or not all depends on what foods you are used to eating and your perspective on classes of food. Aron herself writes, “What you think about Burger King’s bacon sundae probably depends a lot on where you come from, and where you usually eat.” She points out that many people who are used to eating higher class food will say that this isn’t real fancy food. It doesn’t matter about the calories in the food item, because you can consume the same amount of calories from a five star restaurant as you can at Burger King. Aron’s point is that food critics who commonly eat gourmet, do not find eating a bacon topped sundae from Burger King too inviting, and would not see any point in fast food joints “advancing” their menus.
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In the article, Arons discusses Burger King’s new bacon sundae. She talks about the way people are judging it based off the fact that it comes from a fast food restaurant. Obviously people are disgusted by it due to its ingredients and unhealthiness as well, but the main thing people focus on is the fast food part. I’m certain that if it was from a “fancier” higher-class restaurant there wouldn’t be as much opposition to it. IT would still have the same ingredients, calories, amount of fat, and taste, but the restaurant it comes from will be the biggest thing people focus on. Arons even says,”The fact that the sundae is being received less as a charming upscale menu flourish and more as a vulgar symbol of fast-food decadence is a testament to how deep that stigma runs”, showing that to people, it’s all about the status. A dessert is a dessert no matter where it’s from, and there’s going to be unhealthy food options no matter what restaurant you go to. Another point people make is that it’s just another way that fast-food chains are making us obese. I feel as though we’re the ones making ourselves obese, not anybody else. Fast food chains are just doing their jobs and making money, no one is forcing you to go get a meal from there. That’s all on you. Overall, I feel as though people are being ti over the top with their reactions to the types of food items that fast food restaurants put on their menu.
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According to Arons, “Other major fast-food companies are attempting similar rebranding.” She is talking about how other fast food places are trying give off a more healthy feel to there restaurant to appeal to more consumers, like Burger king is doing. These fast food places know that their food is harmful to people health and now after all this time we are staring to catch on and become aware of what we’re eating. By adding or even changing there menus to acquire more health conscience option they think it will overall improve their business and put them ahead of other food chains. But then after trying to make all these changes Burger Kings adds a bacon sundae to their menu. The author of the article, Arons, uses quotes in her writing to incorporate other peoples words and thought about this topic to prove she isn’t the only one who is noticing these changes in fast food.
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In discussions of the fast-food industries and their audiences themselves, Arons makes her statement believing that society’s cultural mood towards fast-food is drifting from cheap and widely available fast-food stigma, to an audience of more savvy, health-conscious eaters. Although, according to McDonald’s senior director of culinary innovation, Daniel Coudreaut disagrees as he defends his employer’s approach to fast food when he says, “I’m sure I could eat a two-thousand-calorie meal at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry…” and then shortly after stating that he, “doesn’t see anything on the [McDonald’s] menu that’s unhealthy”. Arons makes the point that the perceptions of what people consider healthy and unhealthy really depend on where you come from and how you eat regularly. However, she strongly believes fast-food companies are attempting re-branding such as new additions on menus, different slogans, and even the remodeling of their setting. Arons expresses that these particular changes fast-food companies are making are a result of them responding to their audiences and changing their company to adapt to us.
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In Rachel Aron’s article “why does fancy fast food make us angry”, Rachel Aron takes a firm stand regarding her interpretation of the fast food industry. She claims that fast food companies are constantly adding new menu options, and changing business models, but the bottom line is that their food may have appealing advertisements, the food is far from appealing, never mind the horrid, sometimes hidden, nutrition facts. But more fascinating than that, she also compares a person’s view on fast food to their social class. She herself writes, “the ways that our judgments about food—and efforts to reform it—are intertwined with judgments about class. Bloomberg’s soda ban has rightfully been criticized for reflecting the mayor’s particular upper class food sensibilities.” The essence of Aron’s argument is that if you are an upper class citizen you will view fast food as a rudimentary form of food which needs to be improved, but if you are a lower class citizen, your views will be opposite. I believe that Rachel Aron is very mislead in her observations. And in reality, social class and opinions about fast food are far from intertwined.
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Aron is criticizing Burger King’s food choices. Yes, it is a fast food restaurant, and yes, I agree with her. The new “Bacon Sundae” or whatever it’s called, is just a new thing for people to try. And have we heard a lot about it since it’s release? No. It wasn’t a big hit, due to the calorie count I presume. There were 510 calories in that sundae! 510! The ice cream itself could be a lot, but with the unneeded bacon sprinkled on top adds a whole lot more. In other words, Aron is basically mocking Burger King and the whole idea of the “Bacon Sundae” and how unhealthy it is to the consumers. Think before you buy.
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Upon reading this article, i have noticed how Aron has criticized Burger Kings decision in their new food item. I see it the other way. Yes, what they are now serving doesn’t look like it will have any health benefits whatsoever, and just generally looks unappetizing. The problem is that Aron is talking about it as if they are surprised Burger King would serve such a thing. We’re talking about the same Burger King, right? i cant say i’m surprised that they jumped on board the current “Bacon craze” and added it to a food item that really didn’t need it. Burger King has never been known for being a place to go when you wish to eat something healthy. No, you go to Burger King when you want to get something to eat and you don’t want to wait, at that point you don’t really care how healthy it is if Burger King was the choice you came to. So in conclusion, Yes, Burger Kings new food product doesn’t seem healthy, but coming from Burger King, i cant say i’m surprised in the slightest.
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The standard way of thinking about the new bacon sundae has it that Arons readily criticizes not only the fact Burger King came out with this new product for their menu but also the amount of calories that the sundae withholds. Arons states, “Accordingly, Burger King’s new bacon sundae, which launched last week and clocks in at five hundred and ten calories, eighteen grams of fat and sixty-one grams of sugar, has thus far been met with a range of skeptical reactions, from disappointment to mocking bemusement to scathing satire”(1,3). The essence of Aron’s argument is that there are so many calories on this brand new product that is being overly negatively criticized by everyone in the public. The way I view it is if the new bacon sundae was a product that came out by a “fancier” restaurant, it wouldn’t be as much of a “disappointment” about how many calories it contains or the fact that it’s a product that a fast-food restaurant such as Burger King came out with.
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I understand that people are putting so much attention to this because it increases or might increase childhood obesity, but based on Rachel Arons, “(the new hip) is just one efforts by Burger King’s struggling company. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to save your own company and coming up with new ideas, if they are worried about childhood obesity, then teach the parents and/or the kids about self control and give more educational lessons concerning our health; and proper balanced diets that kids should be exercised to.
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