Super size me

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Recommended: Ethical problems in filmmaking

McDonald’s is killing Americans, at least that is what Morgan Spurlock believes. In his documentary Super Size Me he embarks on a quest to not only describe and use himself as an example of the growing obesity trend, but to offer the viewers with base-line nutritional knowledge that will allow them to draw their own informed conclusions. Spurlock's primary intention is to prove through self-experimentation that eating solely McDonald's food is dangerous. His secondary intention is to denounce the rising obesity rate in American by using statistics, his own research, and the opinions of experts. His broader message is for a general audience while he tailors select chapters towards more specific demographics such as parents or McDonald's themselves.

It is the intent this essay to evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me by examining his use of pathos, logos, and ethos. Spurlock unmistakably succeeds with his ability to draw his audience in emotionally as well as making it easy for them to relate to him. Spurlock maintains a powerful emotional hold over his audience through his use of shocking images and compelling information throughout the movie. However, he is unsuccessful in his attempt to enhance his credibility by presenting misleading and skewed information.

Spurlock successfully elicits strong emotional responses from his viewers to help win their support. The imagery, humor, music, and responses of his doctors and family to his diminishing condition all aid in creating a bond between himself and his audience. His use of gruesome images such as vomiting after eating, close-ups of the bellies and butts of fat Americans, greasy and disgusting looking food, and the detailed foota...

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...they are genetically predisposed or because of their lack of education. However the certain intent of their interviews is unclear and there is no commentary explaining it. A third example is when Spurlock is interviewing people on the street and asking their opinion on fast food. The two young African-American boys are the only two who agree with eating fast food and say that people should exercise more. However the two boys are not given as long to speak as the others being interviewed and they come across as young and uneducated and therefore unreliable sources of information. This is a detriment to Spurlock's ethical appeal because for us to be able to support his argument we must trust him. If we feel that he is being deceptive and not showing us all sides of argument so we can make an informed judgement for ourselves we will be less inclined to agree with him.

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