Porter - Annotated Bib and Anecdote

Works Cited
Cross, Gary S. Encyclopedia of Recreation & Leisure in America Edition 1. (Scribner American Civilization). 2nd ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. History Resource Center. 13 Mar. 2009 . Globalization of the fast food industry has largely been driven by America, exporting enormous numbers of McDonald’s, Pizza Hut’s, KFC’s, and Starbucks, but an interesting trend is growing-- in the hypercompetitive fast food market, oversaturation of familiar brands has caused American corporations like McDonald’s to diversify, from adding locally oriented dishes like cold pasta in their Italian restaurants, beer in their German shops, and teriyaki burgers throughout Asia, to more interestingly, the importation of various brands, like Pret a Manger and Aroma Café. So while the continued growth of these large multinational companies continues, we as consumers are unaware that the money spent at a local Au Bon Pain is helping to fuel the continued homogenization of the food industry in all corners of the world.

Ordonez, Franco. "Mexico Now the 2nd Fattest Country, After U.S." McClatchy Newspapers 24 Mar. 2008. SIRS Researcher. SIRS Knowledge Source. 13 Mar. 2009 . More than 71 percent of Mexican women and 66 percent of men are overweight, according to recent surveys. This contrasts with a similar sampling done in 1989, in which fewer than 10 percent of Mexican citizens were overweight. This drastic change, occurring in so short a period of time is nothing short of amazing, and has brought with it sobering changes in the health and life expectancy of Mexico’s people. Trade agreements like NAFTA have had a profound effect on almost every aspect of society in Mexico, from the significant shift to textile and service industries from agriculture, to the average wages of it’s people, to the products and food that are consumed. Clearly, some of the negative effects of globalization, specifically as it relates to the fast food industry, can be seen in the faces of the obese and diabetic children that suffer from poor nutrition and inadequate education vis-á-vis healthy lifestyle choices.

Rosenthal, Elizabeth. "Fast Food Hits Mediterranean; a Diet Succumbs." New York Times 24 Sept. 2008, A1+ sec.: A1+. In Kasteli, Greece, the traditional and widely celebrated Mediterranean diet is disappearing, and with it, the good health of the people who live there. Fast food, once seen as a wholly American fascination has for the last few decades been spreading, now reaching a new and global level of ubiquity and has had unintended side effects. Dr. Stagourakis suggests that the growing popularity of fast foods (also referred to as “convenience foods”) is directly related to the rising statistics of overweight and obese children and adults in Kasteli. Dr. Stagourakis is not alone in his suppositions. Dr. Trichopolou, professor of epidemiology at the University of Athens, and statistics generated and supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization also validate his argument. It is hard to argue against the notion that the sophisticated and heavily monied fast food corporations operating today have an excellent understanding of marketing and franchise growth and management. It is similarly difficult to ignore the fact that these extremely large corporations hold an equally large amount of power, and that the key focus of their business is not on the cultural uniqueness of the countries they operate in, but in the profit they make from their ever-expanding business interests. Our globalized economy, as it becomes increasingly interdependent and entwined, also becomes more hegemonized and reliant on the most powerful players in the world economy. And who could be more powerful than the companies that provide the food we eat, particularly if these same companies own much of the commercial land and have significant interests in the farms where we grow our crops and raise our animals? Fast food is successful because it is fast and cheap. It’s fast and cheap because there is very little variation in even the tiniest detail of how it is produced and disseminated. The extremely precise nature of its business affords a level of predictability, and thusly, stabilization and mitigation of the otherwise natural ebb-and-flow of the world market to such an extent that local competition cannot continue. This has the effect of a cultural vacuum, speeding the homogenization of culture, and, of course in the process, increasing the rate at which these companies grow. Though their expansion has happened to include token nods toward cultural inclusivity (such as chicken-oriented meals in Asia, and vegetable dishes in India), I submit that any attempt to fit in is merely superficial, and a factored-in “cost of doing business” to win as many customers as possible. It is a safe bet to assume that, although the menu may change slightly, behind the counter, it is always the same, whether in main land China or Columbus, Ohio.

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Anecdote:

I found out only recently that Boston Market was owned by the McDonald’s Corporation. It initially struck me as odd— why would a restaurant chain want to purchase a competing entity, and keep them running? I’d always assumed that the first thing McDonald’s would do with any restaurant they purchased would be to dismantle and shutter all of the locations, instead turning them into yet more McDonald’s, their yellow arches stretching out in a long and unending line from one coast of this country to the other. I imagined that if you were to look down from space at North America, it might look like the continent was excitedly saying “MMMMMMMMMMMMM!”, as if expressing delight at the thought of two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, etcetera. I suppose, though, that the more crafty side of my mind recognizes the power in a diversified brand— in this manner, should the public suddenly grow tired of Big Mac’s, and suddenly develop an extreme hunger for steam cooked rotisserie chicken, McDonald’s Corporation would be there to provide the meal, and to collect the check.