1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: My name is Matt, my name is all they call 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: me Ben. We are joined as always with our super 7 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: producer Paul. Mission Control deconds. Most importantly, you are you, 8 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: You are here, and that makes this the stuff they 9 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: don't want you to know. I am still coming to 10 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: you from an undisclosed location over the Pacific. Hope to 11 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: be returning soon. But it's good to see some familiar 12 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: faces here, some familiar voices. This is part two, an 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: hour two parts maybe ongoing series on fast food conspiracies, 14 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: and we talk about some of these before. But in 15 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: our first first episode on this series, we needed to 16 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: establish some things about the history of fast food, we 17 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,919 Speaker 1: needed to establish some things about the present of fast food, 18 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: and it was pretty much all a here or the 19 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:21,839 Speaker 1: facts episode. But these facts we're crazy. So when we're 20 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: we're going to give you a brief recap here or 21 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:30,199 Speaker 1: give you some time to hear episode one, and there 22 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: we go. So you're caught up through the magic of 23 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: through the magic of podcasting. This is one of those 24 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: episodes that we talked about extensively off air. Uh, and 25 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: you know, hopefully you talked about it with your friends, 26 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: maybe with your pals on Here's where it gets crazy 27 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: extensively as well, primarily because food is one of the 28 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: basic needs of human beings, whether prince or pauper, and 29 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: it's one of the great commonalities therefore that people discuss. 30 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: And here are the facts. When get to the world 31 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: of standardization of food, the industrialization, the mass production of food. 32 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: We see things that have great potential for for positive 33 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: outcomes for human beings, and then great potential for terrible, 34 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: terrible things. Guys, what were some of the things that 35 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: really stuck with you from part one of this series? 36 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: For me, it's all about that supply chain and the 37 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: effects that that ends up having on all kinds of things, 38 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: from how the chickens are actually produced to make their 39 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: way to a KFC, because the chicken that you sell 40 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: at KFC has to be uniform, it's got to be 41 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: the same chicken. You can't do that from a bunch 42 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: of local farms. Uh. That kind of thing is really 43 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: going to show up in this episode. It also makes 44 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: me think of, like there are exceptions to this, right, 45 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: So you have like places like in an out Burger 46 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: for example, that UH really own and operating their supply chain, 47 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: and it's very they only will build restaurants within driving 48 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: distance of their warehouses where they keep their meat because 49 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: it's in the insist that it's never frozen, um, which 50 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: is you know, a thing. And that's why I like 51 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: in and out Burger has kind of also got this 52 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: like exclusivity around it because you can't find one everywhere. 53 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 1: There isn't one in every airport, which I think is 54 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: kind of an interesting juxtaposition with some of these much 55 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: larger scaled kind of chains. Yeah, and then we also 56 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: we didn't talk about it too much, but we alluded 57 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: to the outsize cultural influence that these financial giants can 58 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: have on people. Whether or not you have ever set 59 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: foot in uh, you know, in a particular fast food chain, 60 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: it can have an effect on you. McDonald's will be 61 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: one of those that has an effect on your life 62 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: in multiple countries, whether or not you've ever been to 63 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: with McDonald's. And if you are for and since a 64 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: person identifying its lgbt Q, then you will be affected 65 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: by Chick fil A, whether or not you go there, 66 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: whether or not you care, because they spend a great 67 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: deal of money lobbying to discriminate against people who identify 68 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: in that way. This it's bigger than burgers, you know 69 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: what I mean. It's it's it's a supersized set of conspiracies. 70 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: There we go, and when we look at the future 71 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: of fast food, we see a lot of spin. We 72 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: see a lot of controversy because at the same time 73 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: modern fast food grew into a national and then an 74 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: international phenomenon, concerns about this the consequences of this system 75 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: began to spread as well. You know, one thing we 76 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: didn't do in episode one is we didn't talk about um. 77 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: We mentioned very briefly post World War two economic boom, 78 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: but we didn't mention how fast food came into play there. 79 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: And just to show that up pretty quickly. Part of 80 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: it is the emergence of going out to eat as 81 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: a normal thing. People used to always eat at home, 82 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: and people do still frequently eat a hole as in 83 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: like a big meal. You might go out and get 84 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: a taco or some you know, some street corn or 85 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: rowtie or a stack of some sort in many parts 86 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: of the world. But the idea of going out to 87 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: a restaurant spending money, you know, outside of a grocery 88 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: store or market sold for food, it was pretty extraordinary 89 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: to a lot of people. But the post World War 90 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: two economic boom in the US, all of a sudden, 91 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: you could afford a car, right, you could buy a house. 92 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: You could also go out to eat, you know, once 93 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: a month, which is pretty predict stefan, if you're one 94 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: certain segment of the population. Yes, yeah, that's a good point. Yes, uh. 95 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: And we we have to be care not to airbrush 96 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: that or look through rose colored glasses when talking about 97 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: that time. So critics also in the fast food world 98 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: would argue, this is bad for local businesses. You know 99 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: what I mean, this is taking money for its resource extraction, right, 100 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: it's taking money from a local community which is going 101 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 1: somewhere else. That's not always true necessarily in a franchise model, 102 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: which is a franchise model is where someone becomes an 103 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: owner operator of just like what's the name of a 104 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: fast food place? Made up a reel? I've got a 105 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: made up one? When he use that, is it bluba dubble? Yes, 106 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: it's blump a Dubba Burger. So so, so Noel, can 107 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: I can I get one blub double double please? Yes? Yeah. 108 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: So Noel Brown is a in this scenario. He is 109 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: an enterprising young man. Uh. He has saved up money, 110 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: he's invested stein in a business, and he says, you 111 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 1: know what did really well during the pandemic, blahbla dubba Burgers. 112 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: So I am going to start my own blah blah 113 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: bubba franchise. And what he does is he pays the company, 114 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: you know, Young Brands, China Holdings or whatever that owns 115 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: blahbadubba Burgers. Oh sorry, Illumination Global Unlimited ultimately owns blah 116 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: blah Bubba, and so he pays them for the right 117 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: to have a blah bah dubba Burger bodega located in 118 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: in his place. And now he makes he gives them 119 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: a cut of the burger, a piece of the burger. 120 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: For every dollar he makes, they get a specific amountain 121 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: and he takes stuff home. But that also gives him 122 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: the ability and gives the company the ability to say, hey, 123 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: we know that Global Illumination Unlimited has been implicated in 124 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: some other things, but Blahba dubba Burgers is not, They're 125 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: just owned by them. And you know, guys, it's me. 126 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: I'm no, I'm I'm a small town guy just like you. 127 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: You know, I go to the same car wash, I 128 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: go to the same cock fights. I put on my pants. 129 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: You like back of legs. You know, we're in the 130 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: same Ultimate Frisbee League. Yes, so so which is just 131 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,439 Speaker 1: a metaphor for being part of the human race, right, yes, yes, 132 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: everything at some point becomes a metaphor. Uh. And this 133 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: this is interesting now because we see that happening with 134 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: the franchise ees in um in controversial things like we 135 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, Chick fil A has there like they invest 136 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: in um in pushing for legislation that discriminates against a 137 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: certain portion of the US population. But then if you're 138 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: a franchise owner in say a place like Decatur, just 139 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: outside of Atlanta, then you'll you'll say, look, I'm not 140 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 1: part of this. We're actually all about investing in our 141 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: local community here where your Chick fil A, despite the 142 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,439 Speaker 1: fact that we are Chick fil A. And this is crazy. 143 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: It's it's an example of how critics will say these 144 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: things have too much power. To also say that these 145 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: companies these fast food companies target the poor on multiple levels, 146 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: as consumers, as employees, as suppliers of produce or live stuck. 147 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: And they'll say they also pose serious health risks to consumers. 148 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: But it goes deeper than that, and that's what we're 149 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 1: talking about in part two. I mean, Matt, you've been 150 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:49,719 Speaker 1: I've been studying your your facial expressions as as we're 151 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: talking through this as I'm kind of like monologueing using 152 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: using nol as an example. Uh, and No, I think 153 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: you would be an awesome franchise his owner than I 154 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: try to be really personal. I try to really be 155 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: out there amongst the people, you know, not letting this 156 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: soule like fast food and presario deal go to my head. 157 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: By the way, I appreciate the study, but really what 158 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: I was thinking about the whole time was bloodbacue sauce. 159 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: And I really just thought like, there's a way to 160 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: work that in, and I was trying to find a 161 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: place of working in. But then I was like, you 162 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: know what, I'll let it be. No, we needed bloody 163 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: que sauce. Uh right, because was that mushoe sauce did 164 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: a lot for Rick and Morty and uh, that's it. 165 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: So we need we need blumpy que sauce, he flump 166 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: it up a burgers. We need to fill this entire 167 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,559 Speaker 1: episode with with references too. We're going to talk about 168 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: some very disturbing things today, folks. Uh, and equally disturbing 169 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: perhaps will be the Bloba Dubba menu that we're building 170 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: out here, plump and of a compos Anyway, this what 171 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: we're saying is it goes much deeper than the surface concerns. 172 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: Today we're asking what's the dark side of fast food? 173 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: Here's where it gets crazy very quickly. Twelve minutes in, 174 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: twelve minutes in, and we're crazy. Uh. Well, we held 175 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: off the whole first episode. I mean, I think the 176 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: whole episode is crazy, but we didn't have that turn 177 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 1: of the screw, so we saved that for for right now. Yeah. Well, 178 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:32,679 Speaker 1: and that that turn really is how much is a 179 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: fast food chain bringing to your local community in the 180 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: form of jobs, in the form you know, of tax 181 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: dollars paid to your local community, and how much is 182 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: it taking away? So what we've been talking about this 183 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: kind of this whole conversation to the top here, but really, 184 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: how much is it taking taking away from your local 185 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: economy and where does it go. And that's really one 186 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: of the major issues with a large national or international 187 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,719 Speaker 1: fast food chain. Yeah, let's start there. Let's start with 188 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: the true stuff. We'll do the true stuff, we'll do 189 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: the fun stuff, will do the that you should be 190 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: scared of. Uh, and we'll do them in that order. 191 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: So the true stuff exactly to your point, Matt. Spoiler alert, 192 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: fellow conspiracy realists, it is everything we just mentioned. Uh, 193 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: fast food, like any other big supply chain giant like 194 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: a Walmart, can have a damaging effect on local businesses. 195 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: And this did accelerate during the pandemic the way we 196 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: mentioned during part one of this series. Numerous restaurants, numerous 197 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: local restaurants didn't have those corporate level deep pockets. They 198 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: weren't able to weather this economic plague. And that made 199 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: your taco bells, your subways and so on the only 200 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: game and the block on the block that doesn't make 201 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: them insidious, you know. And this really isn't this really 202 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: isn't necessarily a day get fast food. This is an 203 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: examination of things that certain people would rather you not 204 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: know about, whether they're at Blahba Dubba or they're at 205 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: a boardroom somewhere. Yeah, and I agree, And I think 206 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:17,079 Speaker 1: one of the main reasons why these larger chains with 207 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,079 Speaker 1: these depockets made it through is because they aren't relying 208 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: specifically on the sales of burgers and chicken and frugs 209 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: and drinks. Right. You could argue that secondary to their 210 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: to their actual business model, which is sort of like 211 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: almost hidden. It is. It's very much hidden from the 212 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: consumer level. But if you know you're trading in McDonald's 213 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,079 Speaker 1: stock or with some other large fast food chain stock, 214 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: you know exactly what's going on, because when revenue reports 215 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: come out, it's all about the buildings that they own, 216 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: the land that they own, and making money as a 217 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: giant corporation that way. So if a an economic downturn occurs, 218 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: they're not going to have to do, you know, sell 219 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of locations because that's where their money is. 220 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: Their money is in the location. But for a mom 221 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,959 Speaker 1: and pop store, they've got that one brick and mortar, right, 222 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: And if you're not making enough money from the product 223 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: the hamburgers out of your small fast food chain, even 224 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: if it's fast food or a diner or something, if 225 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: you're not making enough money week to week month over month, 226 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: then you're not going to be able to support your 227 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: business and simply pay rent. Yeah, let's drive straight to that. 228 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: So you're McDonald's, you're the big clown or the Golden Arches. 229 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 1: I guess big clown is not what you would refer 230 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: to yourself, as would you. It would be like move 231 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: move aside, Burger King, the big clowns coming. Well, we 232 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: call Disney the mouse. I think we could call Mncdonald's 233 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: the clown clown. Yeah, that's true. And although you notice 234 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: they've moved away from him, and yeah, it's just I 235 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: was gonna say they've moved away from the whole pantheon 236 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: of characters. But one thing that people should know about 237 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: McDonald's is that, just like Matt's example, they have real 238 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: estate assets. It's a huge part of the business. Right now, 239 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: McDonald's has more than thirty billion dollars in real estate assets. 240 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: And this like if you look at numbers. Business Week 241 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: did something really interesting. They looked at sales per location 242 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: of a McDonald's and they said, all right, that's two 243 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: point seven million dollars per store per year one point 244 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: seven million in gross profits. So that's where you take 245 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: out food paper costs, but then you add other expenses rent, payroll, advertising, etcetera, etcetera, 246 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 1: and so the take home for like the take home 247 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: amount of money for a single franchise e was around 248 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty four thousand a year, but that's 249 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 1: wrapped up in these real estate deals. It's sort of 250 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: like how a lot of people don't know that Target 251 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: made a ton of money back in the day selling 252 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: their security systems to other businesses. I don't know if 253 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: you've ever looked at the ceiling of a Target. If 254 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: you're in there, but there are cameras everywhere. They're not 255 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: they're not playing. They really yeah, they really want to 256 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: keep those I don't when they sell it targets, widgets, 257 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: widgets and targets they only they used Yeah, they used 258 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: to only sell targets. A lot of Legos in there. 259 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: There are a lot of Legos. They're very expensive legos. Man. Yeah, 260 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: I'm always faking, like I think you mentioned this on 261 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: the show recently. I'm always faking like I'm quote unquote 262 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: on the phone asking about what I should get some 263 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: hypothetical kid that doesn't exist. I always make up a 264 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: name that I think is interesting too, you know, I'm 265 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: always like, what does Jeremiah want? Like does Archer like 266 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: Star Wars Lego? Sometimes I want to turn to the 267 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: other adult in the aisle and be like, we both 268 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: know I'm Archer. You know, we both know I'm the 269 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: Jeremiah here anyway. So what we're saying is that a 270 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: lot of these companies are making money in ways that 271 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: they do not necessarily. They don't necessarily want to be 272 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,880 Speaker 1: publicized to the average person, you know what I mean. 273 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: They don't want you. They don't want you to drive 274 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: by the billboard and instead of seeing a sign for 275 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: you know, the newest Combo or the mic Ribbs back 276 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: or something like that, they don't want you to see 277 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: a sign that says we make billions off real estate. Also, 278 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: we serifries. So I propose we pause for a word 279 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, and then we returned to look at 280 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: some more of these true and distressing things and maybe 281 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: even talk about the real estate a little bit more, 282 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:50,720 Speaker 1: and we're back. Let's yeah, let's stay on real estate 283 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: for just a moment here. I think it's just something 284 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: that I never understood. A lot of people didn't understand 285 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: until it was for me. I was made aware of 286 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: it when I watched that docu mentory about Ray Kroc. 287 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: I think it's called the Founder. We've mentioned it before 288 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: on this show, but just as a way of illustrating that, 289 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: when you've got that large umbrella corporation and you've got 290 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: all these franchise ease that want to make some money, 291 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: and you can become like Ben said, I think it 292 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 1: is one hundred fifty thousand roughly yearly or something like 293 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: that that you'd expect to make as a franchise e 294 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,479 Speaker 1: um take home. But you know, people want to have 295 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 1: access to that. That's a great way to you know, 296 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: it's a lot of money in a way to build 297 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 1: something for your family, for yourself, whoever you're you're fighting 298 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: for there. But when you imagine that that big umbrella 299 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: corporation is has a tendril of rent attached to each 300 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: one of these franchise ease that they're building out, and 301 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: then you realize that McDonald's Corporation is actually deciding what 302 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: land is going to be purchased using their algorithms to 303 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: figure out the distance between the closest McDonald's, and then 304 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:58,719 Speaker 1: you realize that they're the ones that actually buy that 305 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: land and control it. You're just running shop there and 306 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: selling some burgers and making some money, and they still 307 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: get a nice big on top of whatever you make 308 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: on your burgers. Um the situation for the person that 309 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: actually runs, they say owns and operates, and we say 310 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: total misnomber right, But like they own the concept of 311 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 1: McDonald's in that space, but they do own they're leasing it, 312 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: I know, but it's like, it's just it's very strange 313 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: to think. I've got a great quote for you guys. 314 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: So this is from former McDonald's CFO Chief financial Officer 315 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 1: Harry J. Solnburn Uh. He told investors this quote, we 316 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: are not basically in the food business. We're in the 317 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: real estate business. The only reason we sell fifteen cent 318 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: hamburgers is because they are the greatest producer of revenue 319 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: from which our tenants can pay us rent. That is 320 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: the CFO saying. It's also also full disclosure we've done 321 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 1: donalds AT's personally. I think it's important to point that out. Also, 322 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: I think it's important to note that it is not 323 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,679 Speaker 1: illegal for a fast food company to also be a 324 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: real estate company. They're not breaking the law. They're just there. 325 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 1: It's not something you're gonna learn at the counter of 326 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: that establishment. Well, and it's also a corporation that isn't 327 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: just throwing you know, all of those profits away. They're 328 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: doing some pretty great stuff with it in the form 329 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: of charities. So it's like every every fast food chain, 330 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: every big company like that, has a lot of aspects 331 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: to it. Doesn't mean we always agree with everything they do. 332 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: Doesn't mean we were against everything they do, right, I 333 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: thought you said aspects like the jelly stuff that used 334 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: to be really popular. Yeah, yeah, so maybe that's something 335 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:48,439 Speaker 1: like maybe that's something for our company. Blah up up 336 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: burger aspect? Oh god, who would order that? Did I say? 337 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: And you said you clearly said aspects. It's just like 338 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: very early in the morning where I am so Matt. 339 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. I think I I derailed the point you 340 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,880 Speaker 1: were making there. I'm sorry. No, I just can't get 341 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: those jellies out of my head. I know we talked 342 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 1: about you and I talked about eels not long ago. First, 343 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: I think, and I think you're ready for this jelly. No, No, 344 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: I'm not. Oh man, Yeah, I don't know if we 345 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 1: want to be ready for that jelly. You know what 346 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 1: I mean? This is a pretty pretty heavy, weird stuff. 347 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: But what we're what we're saying is that you might 348 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: be surprised by how many of these establishments that you 349 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: think simply, you know, simply sell an affordable meal. Uh, 350 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: you might be surprised by where their fingers are in 351 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: different in different corporate interests. And you know it's not 352 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 1: because the whole reason we're talking about this was with 353 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,639 Speaker 1: regards to the pandemic, right, and how all these local 354 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 1: businesses just failed, just so many dropped like flies because 355 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: they couldn't they couldn't survive to make enough money to 356 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: continue paying rent. And like, how else does that affect 357 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: a community when it's a big multinational corporation inside your 358 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 1: your town and all of your local businesses are gone. 359 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: What does that do? I don't know. I think there's something, 360 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: there's something on a level and operating level above just 361 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: economics that that does to people when you look around 362 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: and there's nothing but all of these logos for chains 363 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 1: and stuff, and there's no like, I don't know, individual character, right, 364 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: because we had the whole conversation last episode about when 365 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: you go into a diner, there's Oliver, and Oliver knows 366 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: exactly what you want to order every time you walk 367 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: into that diner. It's an individual experience. Um. Now it's 368 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:55,879 Speaker 1: it is as individual even though it's an individual human 369 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 1: being with a life and a story. At that counter 370 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,920 Speaker 1: at the Wendy's, that person is a Wendy's employee, right, 371 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: and that that is you're getting the Wendy's menu, the 372 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: Wendy's employee, the Wendy's experience. Well, there's a I think 373 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: also there's a larger issue of homogeneity at play in 374 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: can go to various talents from one inner state, exit 375 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: one state to the next, see much the same thing, right, 376 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: and UH, as those propagate, Uh, you could argue that 377 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: the towns themselves or the communities lose some of what 378 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: makes them unique. It's a little bit of a philosophical 379 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: rather than a quantitative point. But I don't think that 380 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: makes it any less valid. Let's also not forget to 381 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: your point, Matt, about the experience or like you're you're 382 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: you're buying the experience of the commonality of all of 383 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 1: these different franchises rather than individual personalities. Uh. There is 384 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: a statum that oftentimes fast food restaurants UH lose about 385 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 1: a hundred percent of their workers from year to year. 386 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:58,360 Speaker 1: So the turnover is so enormous, largely because they're considered 387 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 1: kind of stop gap jobs for a lot of people, uh, 388 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: whether younger people just getting out of high school or 389 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: you know, people that are like in kind of a 390 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: transitional period. Certainly not something that you would consider a career. 391 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: But then of course there are folks that are less 392 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: fortunate that do rely on those jobs. But even then 393 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,679 Speaker 1: anything that came along would probably be preferable to that. 394 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: So you are not going to go in there expecting 395 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: to see anybody because from you know, week to week 396 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: that those faces could change. And that's in the US, 397 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: right correct, where labor laws are different, So there may be, uh, 398 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: there may be less of a um brutal rate of 399 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: turnover in places with your in countries with different labor 400 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: laws that make it more of a long term sustainable position. 401 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: That's true. And not to mention that in the US 402 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: McDonald's is spending nearly a billion dollars a year they 403 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: did in twenty nineteen to order automated kiosks like you 404 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,199 Speaker 1: see a grocery stores, So they're trying to do the 405 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: best they can to take the human element out of there. 406 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,440 Speaker 1: As much as possible. Now that we're in one though, 407 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 1: and we're obviously in a bit of a jobs crisis, 408 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: they've sort of pivoted away from that because it wasn't 409 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,679 Speaker 1: really could pr look. So now a lot of the 410 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,160 Speaker 1: branding and the signage you see from McDonald's is about 411 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 1: how they have uh jobs up to ten dollars an hour, 412 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: you know, which is not a whole hell of a lot, 413 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: and that's probably more for like manager positions or fifteen 414 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: dollars an hour. Yeah, it turned out that, uh, it's 415 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 1: it's not that people don't want to work, it's that 416 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: they want to work for something that is worthwhile in 417 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: terms of what they see as as compensation. There's a 418 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,439 Speaker 1: whole other episode we could do about market influences and 419 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:49,400 Speaker 1: propaganda and so on, um, which is a pretty controversial 420 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: hot topic even today. But let's get back to the 421 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: true things, the true crazy things here. So, yes, sources 422 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 1: of revenue are being kind of occluded, know, Jedi handwave, Uh, 423 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: these are not the profits you're looking for kind of stuff. 424 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: But fast food restaurants can also pose health risk. We 425 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: discussed something like this earlier in the case of plastics 426 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: and recycling, which is when the fossil fuel plastic manufacturers 427 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: did something very very clever and they put the blame 428 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: for plastic pollution on the consumer uh and said genius, Yeah, yeah, 429 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: it's not the nine it's not that of uses statistic 430 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: all the time. But it's not that the plastic uh 431 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: fluting around the ocean comes from commercial fisheries. It's that 432 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 1: you didn't put the straw in the right bin, you monster, 433 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: right uh. And And of course that's understanding like recycle 434 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:58,400 Speaker 1: on a personal level, yes, fine, but um, but there 435 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: was a there was definitely a shell game there, and 436 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 1: there was a bait and switch. To be fair, this 437 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: example is a little different because if you are a 438 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: person in charge of yourself, or you're a person in 439 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 1: charge of another person like a kid or an elderly 440 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: person that you're taking care of, then you should be 441 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 1: able to make responsible choices about what you are your 442 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: loved ones, the people in your care at least consume. 443 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: But the problem there is that fast food outlets, especially 444 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: in the US, can sometimes be the only accessible source 445 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:36,159 Speaker 1: of sustenance and impoverished food deserts, meaning people don't have 446 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: access to a ton of healthy options. Not everybody lives 447 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: near a grocery store that has a decent produce section. Right. Uh, 448 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: some people you know you have to you may have 449 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: like a h you may have a gas station that 450 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 1: that sometimes sells some healthy stuff. This leads to the 451 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 1: idea I would say these are interrelated the health risk, uh, 452 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: and the exploitation of the poor, which is our explanation 453 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 1: for us some of that lack of um lack of accessibility, right, 454 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: like why why do some parts of the US only 455 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 1: have gas stations and fast food spots? Why? There's there's 456 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:30,120 Speaker 1: a pretty disturbing partial answer that I found coming from 457 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: the New Republic and a book called Supersizing Urban America. 458 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: There's a guy writing for New Republic called Max Holleran 459 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: who makes a solid case that there is a not 460 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: necessarily insidious conspiracy, but there is sort of a hidden 461 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: hand that played a role in food deserts. He says 462 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 1: that fast food did not just find its way to 463 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: low income neighborhoods, but was brought there by wait for it, 464 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: the federal government on purpose, maybe with good intentions. Well yeah. 465 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: He points out that obesity seems to be and I 466 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: think this is pretty clear in a lot of ways. Uh, 467 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: a partially class based issue. UM. He notes in his 468 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: Peace quote the rise in obesity in the US is 469 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: an epidemic and much of the root causes lie in 470 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: poverty UM and he ties the problem of living in 471 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: disadvantaged neighborhoods to race as well. The article also gives 472 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: a shout out to Supersizing Urban America, which is a 473 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: book that was published by a health historian named Chin Jew, 474 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,960 Speaker 1: which points out that the problem actually goes all the 475 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: way back to the sixties and then after riots in 476 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight, in the wake of the Martin Luther 477 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: King Jr. Assassination, President Nixon began programs that gave subsidies 478 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: UM federal funds to fast food franchises. Yeah, and here's 479 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: another quote from that book just mentioned. The administration asserted 480 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: that black owned businesses survey fast food would help to 481 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: cure urban unrest by promoting an entrepreneurial spirit in poor communities. 482 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: Let's just keep going with quotes from that book. It 483 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 1: did make a select group of black entrepreneurs wealthy, but 484 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: it was mostly a boon to fast food giants searching 485 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: for new market demographics because there's nothing that differentiates the 486 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: mom and pops from the big boys in terms of 487 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: who gets the money right, well, their ability to lobby 488 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: Congress I think would be one of the big differentiations. 489 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: So so think about the multiple, multiple birds, single stone 490 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: of funding that you're able to pull off there if 491 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: you're the president or if you're the people who are 492 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: you know, the President's handlers and masters. At this point, 493 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: I guess, I guess what I'm saying is just optically 494 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: this was designed to be like, oh, this is a 495 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: boon for small black owned businesses, but it's the big 496 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 1: guys that can really swoop in and absolutely exploit that, 497 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 1: almost in loophole fashion, all the real estate, like all 498 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:10,239 Speaker 1: the grabbing, grabbing power, right grabbing, lasting multigenerational power, and 499 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 1: then yes, enriching the financial lives of some people, but 500 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 1: not all people. Why didn't that money go to support 501 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: the businesses that may have already existed and help and 502 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: help those businesses grow. Why did these large corporations need 503 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: to be attached to the deal. It's an interesting question, um, 504 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: And there's you know, I think the more cynical amongst 505 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: us would say that it goes down to lobbying and 506 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 1: backdoor politics. But I don't know what do you think, 507 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: what do you guys think? Well, I mean, we do. 508 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: We discussed all of this in our lobbying episode UM 509 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 1: that you can listen to as well, that I think 510 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: is a really good primer for these kinds of conversations 511 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: where you know, I mean, the mom and pops don't 512 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: have access to that kind of power to petition lawmakers 513 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: directly in that way. And while they certainly may again 514 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: back to like my neighborhood where I live, there is 515 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: maybe there's one or two um black owned businesses around 516 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: here that are that are wonderful and that are really good, 517 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: and they do have lots of options and serve healthier food, 518 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 1: but it's absolutely dwarfed by the number of fast food 519 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: chain restaurants that you see. It's true same here, well 520 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: in these you're you're Buford Highway, though you've got a 521 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 1: lot of yeah, in these parts, it's about though, seriously, 522 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: it's about fifty fifty where it's either a big chain 523 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: or you know, a family owned or a smaller chain. 524 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 1: And that's that's pretty awesome to have, Like the family 525 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 1: owned restaurants are where I trend toward it, But we 526 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 1: also have to remember that it's the ability to choose 527 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 1: what you would like to eat on a given day 528 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: is a tremendous privilege, and it's one that many people 529 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: do not possess. But that's that's another thing that doesn't 530 00:32:56,400 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: get mentioned too often. You can clearly trade ace back 531 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: how some of these food deserts began, and it be 532 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 1: and it becomes a matter of that public policy. So 533 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: the next time, UH, you hear or see somebody cracking 534 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: on someone for obesity or their diet, you have to 535 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: ask how much of that is, Like, sure, partially there's 536 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 1: personal responsibility, but there's so many factors involved in that 537 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: metabolism and so on, you have to acknowledge that part 538 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: of that is due to public policy that dates back 539 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: decades and decades and decades. Did people know the long 540 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: term consequences of this. Maybe probably not. They probably didn't 541 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: really think about it, to be honest with you. They 542 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: probably thought, Hey, we're helping people, we're looking good, and 543 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,479 Speaker 1: we're helping ourselves. Three great things that taste great together. 544 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: We're gonna pause for a word from our sponsor, UH 545 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 1: and take a break to dive into some some of 546 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: the funds stuff, some of the urban legends. Start your campfire. 547 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:14,239 Speaker 1: We're back. That was heavy, Thanks Nixon. Let's let's take 548 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 1: a second unwind. We got some of our favorite fast 549 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: food urban legends. Most of these can be conclusively disproven 550 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: and full disclosures. Some of these are like greatest hits 551 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 1: for us because we've mentioned them in past episodes. Uh, 552 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: and we've talked, we talked about them when we hang out. Um, 553 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:35,240 Speaker 1: mutant chickens, chickens, more, more legs and normal. This is untrue. 554 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: Only bringing this one up, you guys, because the poultry 555 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: industry is massively messed up, and it is as full 556 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: of genuine conspiracies as those poor chickens are full of antibiotics. 557 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: Sick burned. That's very kind of you. Yeah, a bit 558 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: of a bit of a rotissary, bit of a roast full. 559 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 1: But I can't do that. I was going to do 560 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:05,239 Speaker 1: the striations in the because of that nasty excuse me, 561 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:07,879 Speaker 1: real thing. It's a real thing. And they're all these 562 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,760 Speaker 1: there are all these urban legends about fast food because 563 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,480 Speaker 1: it is modern. Fast food is such a strange phenomena, right, 564 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:18,839 Speaker 1: Like I think we talked in the past about our 565 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: lovely neighbors to the north, saying, hey, Tim Horton's that 566 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:27,880 Speaker 1: coffee is laced with nicotine. We thought this was a 567 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,320 Speaker 1: fun story because no one believed it. And then I 568 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,399 Speaker 1: don't know if you guys remember on our Facebook page, 569 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,480 Speaker 1: here's where it gets crazy, and a couple of emails 570 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 1: and so on, we got people telling us that Tim 571 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 1: Horton's turned into trash. They were like, Tim Hortons used 572 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: to be good, but now it's just yeah. But I 573 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:48,399 Speaker 1: literally can't say anything about it because I've never been 574 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 1: to a Tim Hortons. But one day what they're in, like, uh, 575 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:57,400 Speaker 1: the northeast kind of right, They're in Canada. Only in Canada. 576 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 1: There's there's none like up in Pennsylvania. Oh no, that's 577 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:02,840 Speaker 1: a good question. For some reason, I think there are. 578 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: But definitely, um, that's pretty easily disprovable. Um, you know. 579 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: And then we we've talked a lot about this in 580 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:12,879 Speaker 1: the past as well. I think we did a whole 581 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:17,760 Speaker 1: episode that contained a good bit about sugar, refined sugar 582 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 1: as we know it today, and a lot it's true. 583 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: It's it's conclusively true. But I don't think a lot 584 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: of people realize how much sugar goes into fast food, 585 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 1: like into the buns you know, for example, or and 586 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:32,359 Speaker 1: even like, I don't know exactly if this is this 587 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:34,360 Speaker 1: is the case, but you know, certain things that you 588 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: would not typically think sugar goes into. And the fact 589 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: that this refined sugar is largely the bigger culprit in 590 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:46,840 Speaker 1: the obesity epidemic than even high fat content in foods. Yeah, 591 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: I wouldn't even say that's an urban legend. That's just 592 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: messed up in true. You know, that's not near as 593 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: fun as uh as noting your as fun as saying like, uh, 594 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 1: you know they're really I balls and the burgers. That 595 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: is also not true. Um yeah, oh man, but one 596 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:14,520 Speaker 1: hamburger patty, single hamburger patty contains five grams of sugar. No, yeah, 597 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: the hamburger patty, single patty? Yeah, what a so? I 598 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 1: mean the fries containing a ton of sugar too. That's 599 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 1: why people like it. It's it's got there. They're feeding 600 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,919 Speaker 1: the primal urge you wants sugar, fat, and salt. Alright, man, 601 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 1: I really thought, honestly, I'm out of the loop here. 602 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:35,799 Speaker 1: I thought it was mostly the sauce, the sauces that 603 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: had the sugar content. You know, we're talking drink sauces, 604 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 1: buns like anything with bread. Salads are heavy on it too, 605 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:46,560 Speaker 1: salad dressing. Uh. That's why folks full of conspiracy realists. 606 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:50,960 Speaker 1: That's why Bluba Dubba Burger is the fast food is 607 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: the fast food location for you. Uh. We're known for 608 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:59,359 Speaker 1: our famous Bluba Dubba sugar burgers. You can get them 609 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 1: with extra extra MSG sugar. That's our that's our special blend, 610 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 1: and we we take really great care. We don't know 611 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:10,759 Speaker 1: if you've ever enjoyed a certain dessert, but with every 612 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 1: blood a double sugar burger, we like to write on 613 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: the top. We just hit it with a little flame, 614 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 1: little torch action, and it just crisps up just nice. 615 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:28,880 Speaker 1: Yea the Blooba Dubble Bruleys item a Dubble double Bacon 616 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 1: Bruley burger. Yes, yeah um. And for just an extra 617 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,879 Speaker 1: three dollars, we will take some of the sugar off 618 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:41,680 Speaker 1: to everybody. Anybody else ever encounter this. I don't know 619 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,319 Speaker 1: if this ever happened to you, guys. I went two 620 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:48,719 Speaker 1: years and years ago. I was at a Chick fil a. 621 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,759 Speaker 1: I was I was much younger, and I wanted to 622 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:57,600 Speaker 1: just order a chicken sandwich and fries and a drink, 623 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:02,840 Speaker 1: and the think the issue was that that was cheaper 624 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 1: if you ordered it as a combo. And the only 625 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:09,239 Speaker 1: difference was the only difference between what I wanted and 626 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,759 Speaker 1: a combo is the combo came a cole slaw and 627 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:16,439 Speaker 1: I said, I'm not gonna eat it. Just don't give 628 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:18,120 Speaker 1: me the cold slaw. And they said, well, you have 629 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,359 Speaker 1: to get the number one or number whatever, because if 630 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:23,640 Speaker 1: you order this stuff on its own, then it's more 631 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:26,720 Speaker 1: and and I said, so, wait, so I'm paying extra 632 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:30,520 Speaker 1: to not have to deal with this cole slaw. And 633 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, that's a weird way to put it. 634 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:33,919 Speaker 1: And it's like, that's not how to put it. That's 635 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: what's happening at this at this drive through. And this 636 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,320 Speaker 1: gets us to like economy of scale, and that's how 637 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:46,120 Speaker 1: that's how a lot of these like urban legends start. 638 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: Another urban legend is the idea that the McRib is 639 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:53,359 Speaker 1: uh can't like literally cannot be on menus all the time. 640 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 1: You guys ever heard that one? Yeah, I've heard that 641 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:59,080 Speaker 1: because of the um because the number of pigs. Right, 642 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:02,279 Speaker 1: I don't know what, I don't know what it is. 643 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:03,759 Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know why but I have 644 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:07,439 Speaker 1: heard that. Uh. The idea that I heard was that 645 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,280 Speaker 1: McDonald's is such a gigantic company that when the McRib 646 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:22,080 Speaker 1: comes out, it will affect pork prices. WHOA is it true? Uh? Unlikely? Right, 647 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 1: it's not super likely. There are a lot of other 648 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,280 Speaker 1: things that would affect that. But we have to remember 649 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 1: that McDonald's exists in a lot of places where people 650 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: generally do not consume pork, So so like the I 651 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: think probably what happens, or from what I understand, is 652 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:46,640 Speaker 1: that McDonald's perhaps releases it when pork prices reach a bottom, 653 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:49,360 Speaker 1: but they go low because it makes sense. But that 654 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:51,640 Speaker 1: doesn't mean there are a bunch of people and I 655 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,000 Speaker 1: guess big pork, big pig or something we're like, oh no, 656 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 1: the mcrib's back out, get ready? UM wouldn't be more 657 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 1: likely to be something like um manufactured scarcy? Right? Anything 658 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,880 Speaker 1: for a limited time? Right? Yes, yes, for a limited time. 659 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:14,880 Speaker 1: We should start adding that to stuff, just wanting I 660 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 1: don't know if I could pull it off in conversation, 661 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:19,759 Speaker 1: could you guys pull it off? Yeah? I think we 662 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 1: should start doing it with the titles of our episodes 663 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:29,239 Speaker 1: only available from seven today until whatever. I was thinking of, 664 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:32,440 Speaker 1: you know, maybe when we're hanging out with with our 665 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:37,160 Speaker 1: friends and stuff of work and someone's like, hey, man, 666 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:40,440 Speaker 1: you know I'm gonna go out grab grab something to 667 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:44,200 Speaker 1: eat later, where are you at? If you respond in 668 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:48,200 Speaker 1: the text with like, well, I'm you know, I'm at 669 00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:52,560 Speaker 1: the local chicken wing spot for a limited time, So 670 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 1: act now. I think that could work. I think you 671 00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 1: can pull it off. You have to be smoother than me, 672 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:01,680 Speaker 1: but someone could. Man, you're a smooth this liquefied chicken paste, 673 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 1: my friend. Thank you, Thank you. I appreciate the image. 674 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:11,839 Speaker 1: I hope everyone associates that. Thank you, Thank you very much. 675 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 1: I appreciate the visceral image. Uh, you know, that's where 676 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:17,719 Speaker 1: the nugs come from. That's where the nugs truly come from, 677 00:42:17,719 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 1: not mutant chickens with multiple body parts. And it is 678 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:23,799 Speaker 1: just like a pure ah a sort of what do 679 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 1: you call that? A slurry of chicken paste that is 680 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:31,000 Speaker 1: then molded into I think they are like five or 681 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:36,600 Speaker 1: six different specific nug shapes at Mickey D's. And yet 682 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 1: sometimes there are anomalies like not too long ago. I 683 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:41,880 Speaker 1: don't know if you guys are familiar with the online 684 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:44,759 Speaker 1: game among us there was a chicken nugget that was 685 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 1: shaped like one of the little robot guys and among 686 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 1: us that's sold for like fifty dollars on eBay a 687 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:55,960 Speaker 1: chicken nugget. Oh well, you know, uh, kudos to that. 688 00:42:56,120 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 1: I hope that everybody finds some kind of Wonka asked 689 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: golden ticket chicken nugget, and may your fortunes increase accordingly. 690 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 1: So the last thing we mentioned is quite candidly that 691 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:16,759 Speaker 1: should scare you. And one of the things that we 692 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:20,760 Speaker 1: believe should frighten you as you listen to this episode today, 693 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:23,520 Speaker 1: regardless of where you live or where you plan to 694 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:25,839 Speaker 1: live in the future, is that fast food is only 695 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:30,399 Speaker 1: one aspect of a massive ongoing trend towards the standardization 696 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:34,280 Speaker 1: of life as you know it. Fast food companies often 697 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:37,399 Speaker 1: seem to be competing brands, as we mentioned in Part one, 698 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:40,879 Speaker 1: but they're often owned by the same big corporation at 699 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:44,920 Speaker 1: the top. It's that corporation, not not your friends local 700 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:49,560 Speaker 1: blah blah dubba Burgers or whatever, that controls the supply chain, 701 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: that squeezes farmers, that exploits often the poor, that puts 702 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:58,920 Speaker 1: a greasy thumb on the scale of a given market. 703 00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:04,280 Speaker 1: But like that, that trend toward homogeneity and towards standardization 704 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:09,640 Speaker 1: doesn't doesn't seem set to slow down, and in many 705 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 1: many places, especially in the US, I mean, what do 706 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:14,319 Speaker 1: you think about that? Guys? How close do you think 707 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:18,640 Speaker 1: we are to a future where you can just drive 708 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:22,080 Speaker 1: up seventy five and see the same town hundreds of times? 709 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:26,000 Speaker 1: What do you think we're there? I think I just 710 00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:29,200 Speaker 1: did that, and yes, we're there. No, I'm just joking. Now, 711 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:32,840 Speaker 1: we're really really close. We're really really close. And it 712 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 1: is every aspect of life. It will be the bank, 713 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 1: it will be the fast food restaurant, it will be 714 00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 1: the large store where you can get all the things 715 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:43,800 Speaker 1: you need, the grocery store. It'll be your house slash apartment. Yeah, 716 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 1: oh god, the singularity is here everyone. We keep talking 717 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:50,400 Speaker 1: about episodes where the singularity grows closer and closer. I 718 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,560 Speaker 1: think you're you're right. Then. This is one tiny little 719 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: step in this giant sprint that we're currently in. And 720 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:02,239 Speaker 1: you know, as Er said, you gotta eat. This is 721 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:05,799 Speaker 1: a this is this is a human nature thing. It's 722 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:09,839 Speaker 1: it's not going away. And the people who work in 723 00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:14,520 Speaker 1: the fast food industry are people just like you probably 724 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:18,319 Speaker 1: are listening to this unless you are a machine consciousness. Uh. 725 00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 1: There people who need a job want a job, right, 726 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:24,919 Speaker 1: and then people going to fast food places, Uh, they 727 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:27,600 Speaker 1: just want to eat and they want to do it, 728 00:45:27,640 --> 00:45:31,120 Speaker 1: like we said episode one, in a way that saves time, 729 00:45:31,560 --> 00:45:35,719 Speaker 1: right and and full disclosure, the three of us eat 730 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:39,040 Speaker 1: it fast food places. We do. We just know that 731 00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:42,160 Speaker 1: there's there's a lot of stuff those companies would rather 732 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:44,640 Speaker 1: you not be aware of. My son wants us to 733 00:45:44,640 --> 00:45:48,400 Speaker 1: go to McDonald's tonight for dinner. By the way, do 734 00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:53,839 Speaker 1: they still do happy meals? Oh? Yeah? Are the toys, well, 735 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:57,799 Speaker 1: they're they're they're they're they're trafficking in nostalgia. You know 736 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:00,799 Speaker 1: for us as parents, even when you were kids, it 737 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:03,240 Speaker 1: was already they had their hooks in that whole market, 738 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:06,319 Speaker 1: the playgrounds, you know. I mean, we don't even have 739 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: to give everybody knows all this, but it's very interesting. 740 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:13,320 Speaker 1: I have very distinct memories of movies and the fast 741 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:16,480 Speaker 1: food toys that were associated with them in my mind, 742 00:46:16,719 --> 00:46:21,640 Speaker 1: Like I remember Land Before Time, uh, rubber hand puppets 743 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:25,279 Speaker 1: that that I believe were McDonald's, and also like all 744 00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:27,239 Speaker 1: the big Disney tie In's they used to do like 745 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:30,560 Speaker 1: the Little Mermaid like there was like what's the little flounder? 746 00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:32,760 Speaker 1: He was a little squirty toy. I remember this stuff 747 00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:37,000 Speaker 1: very distinctly. My favorites were the uh were the transformers 748 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:43,280 Speaker 1: that would be food items. But then Canada robots were great, 749 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:48,360 Speaker 1: very clever, and so at this point we want to 750 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:52,680 Speaker 1: hear from you. What's your take on fast food from 751 00:46:52,719 --> 00:46:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, however you encounter it as someone who works 752 00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:58,800 Speaker 1: in the industry, as someone who goes to fast food places, 753 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:02,239 Speaker 1: as someone who hate or loves them. Um, what are 754 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:04,759 Speaker 1: some of your favorite fast food urban legends? To what 755 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:08,400 Speaker 1: degree do you believe they are true or false? Uh? 756 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,720 Speaker 1: And what do you think the future of this strange, 757 00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:14,520 Speaker 1: massive industry is. We'd love to hear from you. We 758 00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:17,279 Speaker 1: try to be easy to find online. You can find 759 00:47:17,360 --> 00:47:20,040 Speaker 1: us on Facebook. You can find us on Twitter. You 760 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:23,280 Speaker 1: can find us on YouTube under the handle Conspiracy Stuff. 761 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:26,000 Speaker 1: If you also are on the internet, do us a 762 00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:28,160 Speaker 1: solid and hand on over to Apple Podcasts and leave 763 00:47:28,239 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 1: us a review so people like yourselves can discover the show. Uh. 764 00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:34,359 Speaker 1: You can also find us on Instagram where we are 765 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:38,239 Speaker 1: at Conspiracy Stuff Show. Yes, and you can use your 766 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:41,720 Speaker 1: phone to use your voice to call us. Our number 767 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:44,840 Speaker 1: is one eight three three st d w y t K. 768 00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:52,239 Speaker 1: You've got three minutes. Say anything you want to commercial? Maybe, sure, yes, 769 00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:56,800 Speaker 1: please any fake commercials accepted. Give yourself a cool nickname, 770 00:47:56,920 --> 00:47:59,080 Speaker 1: and anything you want to say directly to us or 771 00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:02,520 Speaker 1: a superproducer. Please try and leave right at the end. Hey, 772 00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:05,520 Speaker 1: if three minutes isn't enough to put your awesome idea 773 00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:08,520 Speaker 1: into our brains, why not do it a different way. 774 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,080 Speaker 1: We've got a good old fashioned email address. We are 775 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:33,560 Speaker 1: conspiracy at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff they don't want 776 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:35,920 Speaker 1: you to know is a production of I heart Radio. 777 00:48:36,239 --> 00:48:38,520 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i 778 00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:41,480 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 779 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:42,320 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.