RajvinderKaur Supersizemedocumentaryessay Usingsupersizemeasabasis,identifythewaysinwhichAmericansocietyisrepresented,both positivelyandnegatively.Indoingso,analysethewaysinwhichtheproducerutilisesstylisticdevices inordertocreatemeaningfortheaudience. Supersizemeisa2004AmericandocumentaryfilmdirectedbyandstarringMorganSpurlock,an Americanindependentfilmmaker.Spurlockspent30days(fromFebruary1toMarch2,2003)during whichheateonlyMcDonald'sfood.Itexploresthefastfoodindustry'scorporateinfluence,including howitencouragespoornutritionforitsownprofit. SpurlockdinedatMcDonald'srestaurantsthreetimesperday,eatingeveryitemonthemenuat leastonce.Asaresult,hegained24lbs.(11.1kg),a13%bodymassincrease,acholesterollevelof 230,andexperiencedmoodswings,sexualdysfunction,andfataccumulationinhisliver.Ittook Spurlockfourteenmonthstolosetheweightgainedfromhisexperimentusingavegandiet supervisedbyhisfuturewife,achefwhospecializesingourmetvegandishes. ThereasonforSpurlock'sinvestigationwastheincreasingspreadofobesitythroughoutU.S.

S.society, whichtheSurgeonGeneralhasdeclared"epidemic," anotherreasonforSpurlockmakingthisdocumentarywasbecauseofthelawsuitbroughtagainst McDonald'sonbehalfoftwooverweightgirls,whoclaimtheybecameobeseasaresultofeating McDonald'sfood. AlthoughthelawsuitfailedandMcDonaldswherenotfined,Spurlockwantedtopointoutthat similarcriticismsthatarethrownattobaccocompaniescanalsoapplytofastfoodcompaniesas theirproductsarebothphysiologicallyaddictiveandphysicallyharmful. ThedocumentaryshowsmanynegativeaspectsoftheAmericansocietyincludingthehugeamount ofobesity,increasinghealthproblemsandevenschoolsthatfeedchildrenunhealthyfoods.Spurlock usesdifferentdevicesandtechniquestoportraythis. Heusesmiseensceneeffectivelythroughoutthefilmforexample,whenhetalksaboutdifferent citiesbeingthefatestcitiesor,citieswiththehighestobesityrateinAmerica,thereareavarietyof fastfoodrestaurantsinthebackgroundandalsothevoxpopintervieweesaremostly overweight/fatsuggestingthatfastfoodisthecause/problem. Voxpopinterview(McDonaldsinthebackground)

McDonalds worker serving a customer

RajvinderKaur SpurlockalsouseseditingtoemphasizethenegativeaspectsofAmerica.Hedoesthisbyusinglittle techniqueslike,zoominginonthecameraatoverweightpeopleorfastfoodproductstomakethe viewerseetheharms/consequencesthatfastfoodcancause.Thisalsoaddshumortothe documentaryaswellaswheninterviewingpeopleSpurlockusesvoiceovertomakeindirectsarcastic remarksandasksrhetoricalquestionssothatwearenotmadetofeelsorryforthesekindofpeople buttomakeupourownminds. AtonepointinthedocumentarySpurlockusesacartooncliptoshowhowmuchmoneyfastfood restaurantsspendonadvertising.Wealsoweretoldsomefactsandfiguresaboutthis.McDonalds spentover$1.4billion.Thecartoonclipemphasizeshowmuchmoneyisactuallyspentcomparedto othercompaniesbutalsotoshowthedifferencebetweenMcDonaldsandthe5adayfruitcampaign whichonly2milliondollarswasspenton.Atonepointintheclipthecameraisusedtozoominon themoneythatthe5adayfruitandvegcampaignspentputtingemphaisonhowlittlethatactually is.

Theseclipsrepresentbigfastfoodcompanieslaughingatthe5adayfoodcampaignsuggestingthey dontspendenoughonadvertisingorsuggestingthatthesecompaniese.g.McDonaldsspendtoo much. InthedocumentarySpurlockalsovisitsafewdifferentschoolstofindoutwhatthekidseatfor lunch.Hevisitsoneschoolwhere6outof36mealsinamonthareactuallycookedandtherestare packaged/cannedfoodwhichisjustheatedandserved.ThisagainshowsanegativesidetoAmerica suggestingthateventheschoolsandthefederalschoollunchprogramscontributetheamountof unhealthy/obesekidsinAmerica.Sometimestheamountofcaloriesineachmealtops1000this tellsushowunhealthyandbadthesemealsare.

Theamountofcaloriesina

RajvinderKaur Straightafterweareshownanotherschool(AppletonWI)IthinkSpurlockdeliberatelyshowsusthis schoolafterbecausethereisabigcontrastwiththepreviousone.Thisschoolclaimsthatthe behaviorofthechildrenhaspositivelychangedsincetheychangedthefoodthere,theschoolis knowntohavepupilswithtruancyandbehavioralproblemsbuttheyveturnedthingaround,not throughdiscipline,butthroughdiet.Thisshowsusthebigdifferenceeatinghealthyfoodscan make.Wearethenshownalittlemontageofthefoodsthattheschoolserveswhiletheprincipalof theschooltellsuswhattheyhavechanged.Thisistoshowushowtheschoolistryingtomakea differentandsuggestingtheytakethechildrenshealthseriouslyshowingapositivesidetothe Americansociety.

Montageofhealthyfoods