Stefano Gomes Culture Jam Assignment (GRSJ 300)

The Original Advertisement

The advertisement I selected was McDonalds “gourmet creations”, certified angus beef. The reason for this is the fact that to the fast food chain constantly promotes its unhealthy and disease causing products as something of quality. As well, with it being one of the most recognized restaurant names in the world, it’s consumer base is extremely large. In fact, many of us have grown up eating McDonalds as a fun and tasty alternative when we were kids and even into teenage/adult hood. Although a household name, McDonalds has a dark reality many fail to look into. For example, the corporation has experienced backlash in the past from both media outlets and food safety groups due to corners being cut in production and sourcing methods. In fact, McDonalds employees have even documented through video and photo the ingredients used in some of their products, trying to showcase how unhealthy the food actually is. This included the infamous “pink slime” that was used for chicken nuggets, rather than actual chicken itself. Through this all, the company never has changed their ads to reflect or acknowledge any of this. Rather, they continue to promote their items as something of quality, familiarity, and taste. McDonalds capitalizes on the fact that they have been around for decades, and have served the majority of us, but it is important to see past this.

The Jammed Advertisement

What alarms me through this all is the fact that through all the negative publicity surrounding McDonalds, people still choose to willingly eat there. This is exactly the issue I will be addressing through my jamming. If people are unable to see the truth behind the food sold at McDonalds, rather than the company speaking out on this, I will be doing it for them through my recreated advertisement in hopes of sparking change in people’s food eating habits. The reason I chose this exact ad was due to the wording that was selected, this being “thicker, juicer, certified 100% angus beef”. It is clear that the company promotes only the fact that their meat is angus, however they fail to mention what it contains and the effects it has on one’s body. The philosophy behind my cultural jamming derived from the fact that people look past the fact that the McDonalds chain is feeding them harmful food, yet do nothing about it. Looking at the ad now, I kept the original words, but expanded on them stating that the meat is preservative filled, cancer causing, and eventually could lead to death. Although somewhat extreme, McDonalds is known to be highly addictive for many people, and can cause obesity or complications which in turn can result in loss of life. Through my alteration, I hoped to reveal the truth behind companies which take advantage of consumers through not advertising their products to the fullest extent. Although they may be telling the truth about their burger containing angus beef, they aren’t telling the full truth. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves and take control of our lives. I hope that this recreation will inspire people to change their eating habits and look at fast food in a different light, especially with the affects it has on our bodies.

 

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