Schlosser begins his exploration with the ironic delivery of a pizza to the secretive military base known as Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado. He highlights the area’s impressive technological capabilities and its robust defensive systems, proposing that if a catastrophe were to entomb the base, future anthropologists might uncover fast-food wrappers alongside military artifacts—both of which would reveal crucial insights into the essence of American culture.
Evolution of Fast Food:
Delving into the evolution of fast food, Schlosser chronicles how it has paralleled the rise of the automobile. He discusses the shift from a vibrant landscape filled with independent eateries to a market dominated by homogenous franchises. This transformation has given birth to a standardized production model, streamlined kitchens, and marketing that has pivoted from targeting teens to appealing to families.
Marketing to Kids:
In the realm of child-targeted marketing, Schlosser reveals how McDonald's adopted strategies inspired by The Walt Disney Company, launching iconic figures like Ronald McDonald to captivate young audiences. The intention was clear: not only to engage children but also to draw in their parents and grandparents, fostering brand loyalty that would carry on into adulthood through nostalgic memories. Schlosser is critical of this approach, highlighting the exploitation of children's trust and noting the adverse effects of corporate sponsorships in schools, where 80% of sponsored textbooks reflect the sponsors’ biases, and 30% of high schools offer fast food options in their cafeterias.
As Schlosser investigates the meatpacking industry, he uncovers a landscape now largely composed of vulnerable, easily exploited immigrant workers enduring some of the highest injury rates in the United States. He details the practices of meatpacking companies like IBP, Inc., uncovering hazardous processes often unknown to general consumers, such as rendering deceased livestock and mixing chicken manure into cattle feed. Such practices have grave implications, including the spread of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and dangerous bacteria like E. Coli O157:H7.
In observing the fast-food industry's role in globalization, Schlosser draws connections between the escalation of obesity in countries like China and Japan with the influx of fast food. He evaluates how the fear of BSE has influenced U.S. government policy regarding cattle farming, suggesting that many documented issues could be resolved if there was sufficient political commitment.
Don Anderson, the marketing director behind Mickey's hamburger chain, is tasked with developing the hit product known as the "Big One." Upon discovering research indicating a significant presence of fecal matter in their meat supply, he ventures to the imaginary town of Cody, Colorado. There, he inspects the local Uni-Globe meatpacking plant, which supplies Mickey's. Despite being shown only sanitized workspaces, he grows increasingly skeptical when rancher Rudy Martin (Kristofferson) warns him of the overlooked safety regulations due to overwhelming production demands.
Meanwhile, Amber (Johnson), a spirited Mickey's employee with aspirations of attending college, confronts the disparity between her current job and her dreams. As she navigates her mundane work life, she encounters a group of young idealists intent on liberating cattle from Uni-Globe—a mission that leads to surprising revelations about the livestock's unwillingness to escape captivity.
Amid this backdrop, Raul (Valderrama), along with his love interest Sylvia and her sister Coco (Talancón), are undocumented immigrants pursuing opportunities in Colorado. While Raul secures a role as a cleaner, Coco becomes trapped in a cycle of substance abuse, leading to an exploitative relationship with her supervisor, Mike (Cannavale). Following a workplace accident, Raul is injured and, feeling helpless, Sylvia resorts to compromising her values to ensure a job at Uni-Globe, ultimately ending up on the perilous "kill floor."
