Why do we keep sending American fast food to other countries?

[AFWife]

First we had the "Whopper Virgins" commercial...

Now Pizza Hut is claiming to have sent their pasta to Rome...

Apparently, getting American fast food "approved" by other countries makes it good? Nevermind all of the preservatives and whatnot in it...another country liked the way it tasted! (sarcasm)


Ugh, I'm really tired of this. Is there anything we can do but complain?

[CariOfOz]

Wow.. I can't believe Italy is importing crappy fast food pasta into the HOME of unbelievable pasta lol. Talk about irony.

[Danelle78]

Well, you could just boycott those establishments. Like Burger King and Pizza Hut. I find Burger King's "whopper virgins" ads highly dismissive/arrogant and exploitative of indigenous people. I can't believe they sank so low as to poison hard-working people. I find it highly irresponsible to take their food products to peoples who are unfamiliar with this type of diet. I bet it made them incredibly sick.

[Callimom]

I've never heard of Whopper Virgins before so I googled. How incredibly disgusting and sad.

[annettemarie]

I think in the case of Pizza Hut it was less "Our food is better than your food" and more "Our new pasta is so authentic and yummy, even Italians couldn't tell it was crappy American food." I don't think the goal is to hook Italians on Pizza Hut, like the Burger King commercial is. (I only mention this because I just saw the commercial)

[barefootpoetry]

I don't believe either of them. I think they dressed up some actor in indigenous mountain folk clothes and had him sit at a table and eat a Whopper. And I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find some Italian-speaking American actors to ooh and ahh over Pizza Hut pasta.

Maybe I"m just cynical? But I see your point. American fast food is already pushing out native dishes in many countries. Because it's American they think it's "better." It's sick.

[Sol_y_Paz]

I have noticed Americans feel the need to spread fast food EVERYWHERE. Foreign countries are now littered with American food as they flood their markets as much as they can. Unfortunately, American food has progressed to mean greased, fried, genetically modified, and other horrors. It isn't just food, it is culture as well. TV and everything else.

No matter that is America the fattest nation in the world as health care costs are out of control and cancer and heart diseases and type 2 diabetes soars out of control at twice that rate it seems! I feel this place is so full of promise, I love living in America, but it is also so very scary and sometimes deadly if you follow mainstream culture without ever giving a thought to real health and sound common sense.

[tayndrewsmama]

Misery loves company I guess.

[hrsmom]

I saw the title when I was heading to another forum, and wanted to comment. That whopper virgin thing was crazy, for sure.

And of course with exporting our crappy food we're helping increase the disease that comes with eating it. I got an e-mail from a Rotary buddy awhile ago who moved to Mexico, they're starting some clinic or something for diabetics, because it is the fastest growing disease in the area where he is. So we're exporting our blindness about nutrition (of course!) as well!

[AFWife]

I can't imagine what will be next....Taco Bell or Taco Bueno in Mexico trying to pass it off as real mexican food? Why does America feel the need to "take over" things? Yeah, we get import a lot of our products...is that why we feel the need to force our stuff on others?

[Minky]

I've always seen it a bit differently.

If people in foreign countries didn't like or want American fast food, the restaurants would stay empty, go out of business, and the "export" would stop. My sister lives in New Zealand. Her DH is a New Zealander and her daughters identify as New Zealanders.

My sister and I weren't raised on fast food and, in general, don't like it. Her DH and her kids LOVE it, consider Burger King, KFC and McDonalds the best food in New Zealand, and my sister (she's the American, remember?) has long since given up the logic of, "But isn't there anything Kiwi-made you'd rather eat? Shouldn't we support someone local?" Her family insists that the fast food tastes better. *shrug*

These restaurants wouldn't find a foothold unless they were wanted. My sister's town, Tokoroa, apparently celebrated when all three fast food places moved in because it created dozens and dozens of jobs for locals, as well, in a community with enormous unemployment.

As for the commercials, I think actors are involved.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by Minky

These restaurants wouldn't find a foothold unless they were wanted. .

Just because something is wanted, doesn't mean it is better or healthier. I know a lot of kids that would live on cheetos and fast food fries if given the chance, doesn't mean that is better or really wanted in the first place fully understanding all the ramifications. In my experience people don't think long term when they are eating stuff like that on a frequent basis, going only by taste and taste alone. I don't want to offend anyone but sounds like a case of type 2 diabetes waiting to happen (my opinion only from watching others go down that path).

[Minky]

Ok, but who sets the standards for what's safe and what's not?

I have had other mamas tell me they wouldn't drink raw milk or unpasteurized juices like our family does. I think it's wrong for one mama to tell another mama what to feed her family. I speak my peace to others about why I choose what I choose, but in the end, to each her own.

And my sister's DCs aren't eating McDonalds every night, they just really like McDonalds food and sing its praises whenever asked.

[1hautemama]

I was quite dismayed to see McDonalds and KFC when travelling through Thailand and S. Korea. These huge corporations are profit whores with no heart. They shamelessly target the younger generations of those countries, who like to think the American way=being cool.
On another note, I also notoced the only over-weight people in SE Asia were the American tourists.

[angelamariebee]

I think promoting fast food in this way is equal to promoting cigarettes or other harmful products. What an incredible waste of money. Hey, here's an idea-- How about instead of feeding people who don't know any better toxic crap, we give real food to people who need it?? Hmmm...