5. Summary Response Essay

     It's funny how time changes and things that weren't relevant to us then are obvious to us now. Fast food has become a large part of our economy as well as our everyday living. Almost every friend I have Is or has worked for the restaurant industry. Shopping malls have closed and re-opened as new fast food chains open up and become the next big craze. It's as If almost everyone Is competing to open up the new fast food with a "twist" and the public eats It up like it was a free buffet giveaway. In the book, "Fast Food Nation," the author Eric Schlosser mentions the birth of fast food from small random hot dog carts to Mcdonald's as an empire today. The founding fathers of what we see as normal Is anything but. What I found interesting is the proof of "Synergy", the marketing tool that Walt Disney and Ray Kroc (Mcdonald's) used to target kids in advertisements in the 1930's is now being used by the phone, oil, automobile, and clothing companies (pg 40). Targeting children works and we are living proof of that.
     A couple of months ago, my girlfriend and I visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was beautiful! As soon as I stepped in the park, I was a kid again! Everyone from around the world gathered together to share a fantasy experience with everyone else that day. After an hour of basking in the moment, I begin to notice the countless strollers parked in a certain area of every park. I then realize that the majority of people that visit Disney World are families with two or more children. That's an average of $100 per person on tickets alone. Food Is about $20 and snacks range from $7-15, so that's at least around $130 per person (drinks not included). I've witnessed the prime example of synergy in that park and how it works for Disney World's benefit. They make so much money off people just to be in the park alone and do so well to entertain children and families,
that their children will probably bring their children in the future to give Disney a good chunk of their savings.
     Fast food has always been a huge part of my life. When I was growing up in the Philippines, there's this fast food restaurant called, "Jollibee", that was similar to America's Mcdonald's. Eating their food was my childhood. At that time, It gave everyone a sense of "status", to be able to afford the food most families can't. I then moved to New York and start my first job in Queens for KFC. It's a big difference working for the fast food industry when you've been raised to love the food. Making It for customers is a complete 360. I've gained weight while working around the abundance of fried chicken. Never have I been so stressed that even though I feel as If I've worked over 40 hours, my paychecks would be barely $200 a week. I had to borrow money from friends before my next paycheck and I'd use about half of it to pay them back. I was always broke in that employment. We were all over worked and underpaid and till this day I'm surprised I stayed in that company for a year. It did teach me a great lesson in life. To never work for the fast food industry ever again.
     No matter what happens in the future, I most likely will eat fast food to satisfy  my cravings. Fast food has been a huge part of my life and even though they intentionally target children, having them around for a part of my childhood wasn't that bad. Fast food has established a sort of familiar feel of everyday life. Most people I know can relate to the food I've eaten. Fast food has also built a sense of community when it comes to convenience and sense of nostalgia. As an adult however, I can make wiser choices for myself, as Eric Schlosser says on pg.10, "As the old saying goes: You are what you eat." Is an old saying I believe in. Even though fast food is convenient for all, It doesn't mean you have to eat it everyday. Our body Is a temple and you're the only one who can take care of yourself.