# The death-spike industry **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351 "2004-05-27T15:43:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![passengerpigeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58f4c7/32.png) [@passengerpigeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/passengerpigeon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/61 "2004-05-27T22:23:28Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Many things, even if they are nominally safe can be dangerous in excess. Yes, the Super Size guy ate a wide variety of things at McD, however, he never tried to eat well at McD. He set himself up with ‘rules’ and ignored what his body said. I sit in my chair, after a while, my body says “Get your ass up!” and I listen. Eat at McD every day, your body will say “Get the salad.” or “Get the small sandwich” or “Get the grilled chicken.” rather than “Get yet another giant calorie laden sandwich with super size fries and drink.” Right, but as many of you would know if you actually saw the movie/did some research, the salads at McDonalds aren’t healthy for you either. They can contain half your daily allowance of cholesterol and sodium themselves. Nor are the grilled chicken sandwiches. They’re not significantly different in nutrition information from a quarter pounder, except that they have less fat and sat fat. [Cite.](http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.nutrition.categories.nutrition.index.html) The only way you can eat healthy at McDonalds is to ask them to leave off stuff and intentionally eat smaller portions, and even then you’ll be lacking in a lot of vitamins and minerals. Moreover, this is not how anyone actually eats at McDonalds. Saying this proves that McDonalds is not unhealthy is like saying that, because you can jump out of a taxiing plane onto a feather bed and not be hurt, skydiving is not inherently dangerous. Also, **Aeschines** , it’s not surprising that you didn’t know liver damage could be caused by a high fat diet. I didn’t either. Neither did the doctor who diagnosed it in the movie. That’s part of why it was worth making a movie out of. (The movie is totally worth seeing just for the incredibly worried and upset behavior of the doctor when the guy goes back to him after eating McDonalds for ten days, by the way. He’s really friendly the first time, and the second time he’s freaking out beyond all understanding.) –p ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/62 "2004-05-27T23:00:47Z")
Ok, this OP is so unbelievably stupid I’m having a hard time taking it seriously. I can (reluctantly) accept that some people genuinely have no concept of personal responsibility of choice. These people are morons, but they exist, and I’ve learned to tolerate them. But comparing Micky D’s to a freaking Death Spike Sofa? Are you honestly saying that your expectation that fast food will be good for you is equal to your expectation that your furniture will kill you? Yes, our society assumes people know that eating McDonald’s every day is bad for them. I know it. You know it. I don’t know of anybody that doesn’t know it. As such, I’m forced to conclude that this assumption is justified. Your comparison of this situation to that of a furniture company assuming that people will automatically know about murderous couches is ludicrous. It’s so ludicrous that I feel silly even typing a response to it. Making an argument against this OP is like arguing that air is transparent. Everyone already knows it except for the blind guy, and he can think whatever he wants, because it really doesn’t matter in the end. Are you blind to the obvious, **pizzabrat**? Because if you aren’t, you need to open your eyes, see that your point was asinine, and make an apology post-haste…not to me, nor to anyone else here, but to the concept of logic in general, against whom you’ve committed a most grievous offense. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/63 "2004-05-27T23:11:33Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > On topic (for once), anybody here find it interesting that a number of the people defending McDonald’s apparently hardly ever eat there? And they’ve been allowed to live? **Pizzabrat** , apparently your theory that the entire country is being forced to eat themselves to death at McDonald’s needs a little work. Yes, I do find that interesting, which is why that question was in the OP: “Can somebody explain the jealous defensiveness people have about these companies?” It still hasn’t been explained, and it stills baffles me. Nowhere did I ask for any government regulation. I already stated my agenda: > [@pizzabrat](#): > > My solution would be to allow enough negative feelings towards the entire junk-food industry to cultivate until the industry keels over due to lack of business. Unfortunately, people act like you’re damning capitalism and their entire way of life if you badmouth anything sold on the holy free market. It’s not blasphemy to point out that processed-food firms are a worthless blight on the marketplace and society. and yet people are still referring to things I never said: > [@gobear](#): > > Distinguo. I’m not defending McDonald’s, a corporation with detestable business practices. My principal interest in this thread is defending the principle of freedom of choice against the well-meaning government interference Pizzabrat apparently advocates. Unfortunately, that means defending people’s freedom to eat Mickey D’s toadburgers. 😕 > [@Cisco](#): > > pizzabrat - I think what “you” don’t “get” is that “normal” “people” “know” that these “foods” aren’t “good” for you. They don’t want or need “morons” like “yourself” going around “telling” them that this stuff is “bad” for “them.” The “market” is not going to “fold” when people see this “movie” or hear “criticism” of it. Yes, people are now at the “This stuff’s no good, but it’s no big deal” level. I want them to be at the “The disgusting shit should have never existed in the first place! Ugh!” level. I’m all for permissiveness, but is this plummetting country allowed to have _any_ values anymore? Can we set the bar anywhere without being a heretic? Again, that’s not a bid for government intervention, I’m just asking if we can ever expect again a national disgust towards anything that can turn a profit? ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/64 "2004-05-27T23:18:41Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > …? Can we set the bar anywhere without being a heretic? Again, that’s not a bid for government intervention, I’m just asking if we can ever expect again a national disgust towards anything that can turn a profit? So sorry, no. It is vastly more important that we continue to sacrifice ourselves at the alter of the almighty Great Free Market™. Gotta break a few eggs if you want to make an omelet, you know. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/65 "2004-05-27T23:22:29Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > My friend, at worst has a few more calories to burn off. > My friend dies horribly impaled by the chair. > > See where it falls apart? > [@Roland Orzabal](#): > > But comparing Micky D’s to a freaking Death Spike Sofa? Are you honestly saying that your expectation that fast food will be good for you is equal to your expectation that your furniture will kill you? Yes, our society assumes people know that eating McDonald’s every day is bad for them. I know it. You know it. I don’t know of anybody that doesn’t know it. As such, I’m forced to conclude that this assumption is justified. Your comparison of this situation to that of a furniture company assuming that people will automatically know about murderous couches is ludicrous. It’s so ludicrous that I feel silly even typing a response to it. Of course it’s ludicrous. It’s called SATIRE. Hyperbole is a staple of satire. A tame, parallel analogy to something existing would not be as effective and entertaining. But even within my hypothetical, why couldn’t the death spike company assume public knowledge of the spikes after it’s been on the market for a while (like McDonald’s has. Everybody didn’t know it was bad for you in the 50’s)? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/66 "2004-05-27T23:56:15Z")
Oh god, **pizzabrat** , if you had your way, we’d all be living in bare bones sterile chambers with purified air pumped in, wearing padded suits all day between exercising and eating wheat germ. > [@](#): > > Yes, people are now at the “This stuff’s no good, but it’s no big deal” level. I want them to be at the “The disgusting shit should have never existed in the first place! Ugh!” level. I’m sorry, but if you don’t like McDonalds, DON’T FUCKING EAT THERE. I like it. I don’t eat it all the time. I eat it once in a while. Do you know why? BECAUSE IT TASTES GOOD!!! Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with a little indulgence once in a while? “Once in a while” will not kill you. Fuck you, dude. You’ll get my Big Mac when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/67 "2004-05-28T00:31:41Z")
I’ve been reading this thread with some amusement, but I have to ask a question now. Is your ire exclusively reserved for fast foot outlets, **pizzabrat** , or is it just part and parcel of some sort of neo-luddite general hatred of market economies in general, and a desire to move toward some sort of unattainable communist/socialist utopia? I swear, threads like this make me want to go out and punch a hippie, except my hand would probably stink of BO and patchoulli for about a week. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/68 "2004-05-28T00:54:35Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > I’ve been reading this thread with some amusement, but I have to ask a question now. > > Is your ire exclusively reserved for fast foot outlets, **pizzabrat** , or is it just part and parcel of some sort of neo-luddite general hatred of market economies in general, and a desire to move toward some sort of unattainable communist/socialist utopia? > > I swear, threads like this make me want to go out and punch a hippie, except my hand would probably stink of BO and patchoulli for about a week. Why don’t you just read what I wrote already and answer your own question? Or, if you want to keep on inventing agendas for me to make me a more palatable enemy, you can do that. I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/69 "2004-05-28T01:01:13Z")
I eat at McDonalds. Like **Guin** , it’s not all the time. Sometimes, it just hits the spot. For the record, I’m 5’4" and 120 lbs. I suppose I could drop a few, but I’m not anywhere near obese. Now, if I ate at McD’s every day for every meal, I’d have a problem. If I supersized every time I was asked, I’d have a problem. I also have a beer every now and then. Sometimes, it just hits the spot. But I don’t think I need to hit an AA meeting anytime soon. Now, if I drank a case every day 3 times a day, I’d have a problem. If I had another drink every time the bartender or wait staffed asked if I wanted one, I’d probably have some issues. There are many things that are fine in moderation that are down right nasty when taken to excess. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/70 "2004-05-28T01:30:09Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > Why don’t you just read what I wrote already and answer your own question? Or, if you want to keep on inventing agendas for me to make me a more palatable enemy, you can do that. I don’t care. So it is just the fast food chains then? ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/71 "2004-05-28T01:37:53Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > So it is just the fast food chains then? Any industry that makes money off of the misery of others. I just wish we could expect some responsibilty from merchants as well as consumers, and that society were less accepting of absolutely everything sold. Why is it okay to be so angry at the people who buy bad stuff but we can’t say “Who are this sick, horrible people who sell this stuff”? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/72 "2004-05-28T01:44:36Z")
I see I was wrong. This goes into the “don’t understand a damned thing” category. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/73 "2004-05-28T01:48:35Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > I see I was wrong. > > This goes into the “don’t understand a damned thing” category. You’re saying I don’t understand anything? Why? There are plenty of firms that provide goods and services of actual benefit to its consumers. Am I naive for expecting admonishment towards those who do the opposite? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/74 "2004-05-28T02:00:53Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > And by “negative feelings” I mean utter contempt towards anyone who would happily sell that stuff to anybody. Not to mention your obvious contempt for those who buy it. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/75 "2004-05-28T02:10:09Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Not to mention your obvious contempt for those who buy it. Hm, not really. They at least see some value in it. I have more contempt for those who hate McDonald’s products, yet have a fit whenever the company’s criticized. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/76 "2004-05-28T02:13:54Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > There are plenty of firms that provide goods and services of actual benefit to its consumers. Am I naive for expecting admonishment towards those who do the opposite? Yes, you are. Firms that succeed are firms that provide goods and services that **customers want** rather than presuming to tell consumers what is good for them. This is why McDonalds is one of the largest restaurant chains in the world, and PizzaBrat’s House of Broccoli ain’t. Consumers want McDonalds food, period. Not to mention, who the hell is going to decide what is and what is not beneficial to consumers? The government? YOU? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/77 "2004-05-28T02:19:18Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > You’re saying I don’t understand anything? Why? Because prople have been very patiently trying to explain this to you for a long while now and you still don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/78 "2004-05-28T02:31:04Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > First, he didn’t “overeat”, he only ate three “meals” a day. Second, fine restaraunts change their menus everyday, and have dishes with ingredients more varied than you can possibly stock your home within the average two-week grocery shopping interval. They also serve sensible portions. Thus, I doubt that experiment repeated at a real restaraunt would have the same results. Clearly you don’t eat at the restaurants I eat at. The “sensible portions” served at any restaurant I go to makes at least two meals, if not (in some cases) 3 or 4 (Mongolian Grill sometimes makes as many as 5 meals in a single “serving”.) The trick is to eat a sensible portion, regardless of what is _served_. The thing is, some kinds of foods (McDonald’s, for instance) reheat poorly and so tend to be eaten all at once. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/79 "2004-05-28T02:31:39Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > Any industry that makes money off of the misery of others… You need. To get. A grip. Do you honestly believe that if I go to McD’s tomorrow and ask any of the patrons there if they are in misery as a result of their lunch, any will say “Yes, actually I am.” No? Then stop exaggerating to try to validate your point. _(It’s not working)_ The reason people have been dogpiling on you is because you have exaggerated the negative effects of junk food to the point of misrepresentation. If you had posted, “Y’know… that fast food stuff… too much of it will really wreck your body,” everybody would be in agreement with you. But instead you paint these businesses as a Shadowy Junk Food Cabal willfully slaughtering innocents. Just because you see an issue in terms of Black & White doesn’t mean it isn’t actually a shade of gray. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351/80 "2004-05-28T02:43:32Z")
> [@Exgineer](#): > > Because prople have been very patiently trying to explain this to you for a long while now and you still don’t get it. No, people have been incorrectly assuming my intentions and missing my point for a long time, and you still don’t get it. “McDonald’s is trash. It’s a worthless blight on the commericial environment.” I just want to know why such a statement gets so much resistance, even from people who hate McDonald’s. Why are people afraid to criticize something that’s obviously a dentriment, just because it has found a market, for fear that they are criticizing capitalism itself? What’s with the fear of admitting you have standards, as if you’re afraid of implying you know better than someone else? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-spike-industry/247351.md?page=5)