Fast Food Nation: Ch 1 questions

How is the 'American world view' embodied in the fast food industry?

The fast food industry embodies some of the best and worst aspects of the American world view. Today America has become synonymous with a need for speedy service, cheap food and unhealthy eating habits. The fast food chains that populate what seems like every corner of the country are the embodiment of said generalizations. And while many Americans are in fact not at all like the stereotypes that plague the minds of many foreigners the truth is that the majority of the population does fulfill these characteristics. Today many Americans no longer care about the food that enters their body. The cycle of going to a fast food restaurant and getting an unhealthy meal for a cheap price in only minutes has become so systematic that many forget that what they’re doing is affecting their life. Still, the fast food industry does also embody the things that make this country great. The fact that small businesses that started and expanded through the hard work of people who worked their way up the social ladder became such great successes and are now internationally recognized is what the American dream is all about.

What elements of Southern California "culture" contributed to and encouraged the development of fast food restaurants?

The accessibility and lower prices of automobiles are the single element that contributed the most to the development of fast food restaurants. The new lifestyle that emerged in southern California as cars became affordable is one that made the success of fast food restaurants a possibility. The introduction of the automobile brought with it a large scale migration that for the fast food restaurants meant new customers. This allowed for drive-in restaurants to thrive. With the success of many restaurants came the need to compete with one-another for customers and subsequently the need to distinguish one from the other. This in turn led to the introduction of methods such as the McDonald brothers’ speedee service system which revolutionized the direction into which fast food restaurants were headed and allowed for the big franchises we know today to emerge.