Post: Fast Food Nation: A Missed Opportunity
Fast Food Nation: A Missed Opportunity
Younger kids and tweens who got the ‘Ewwwwwwwww” impact of the documentary Super Size Me may enjoy the teen-targeted MTVU clip for Fast Food Nation, but that’s about as far as they’ll want to venture due to the handling of this R-rated film.
Fast Food Nation could’ve easily turned down the volume on the 20+ F-word mumblings and sex-drugs-n-gore to cop a PG-13 rating without missing an iota of the dark-side of "big food" ethics, immigrant labor and socioeconomic realities.
A few mere tweaks of the film could’ve served up a healthier worldview, inspired direct action, and cut a much wider swath in audience share.
Swap innuendo for graphics, keep the edgy film noir effect, and voila, a poignant, important film served up with an order of angst & action-steps to go. But they blew it.
They could’ve reached kids and teens worldwide with a powerful, much-needed message and a "wicked smart" counter-marketing tool. Somewhere I guarantee there’s a teen texting a pal, "bummer, dude, save your 10 bucks."
Talk about a lost opportunity and a missed "call to action."
Read the rest of this article on Shaping Youth, where it first appeared. For Common Sense Media's review of the book Chew on This, a Fast Food Nation for tweens and teens, click here.