Aspects of United States society in the late 20th century and aspects of life in the contemporary U.S - Essay Example

Fast food is just like cigarettes because they both are horrible for ones self and still millions upon millions of people fall into the manufacturers trap of good advertising. America, as opposed to most of Europe, is always rushed. The average working week is forty hours, with maybe forty-five minutes as a lunch break. This is not enough time for a lavish lunch, leaving fast food as the menu of the day. (Schlosser, 2004) Americans, who live to work, will often bring home fast food as an alternative to the time consuming process of preparing dinner.

Fast food is targeted to cater to the speed of an on-the-go American. The popular quote "In, out, and on your way" describes exactly how convenient fast food truly is. Now one doesnt need to go the lengths of in and out, just wait in the drive thru and go. If a person was hungry at 1:00 AM in 1940, he was out of luck. In todays world, one has their choice from a variety of fast food restaurants on every corner; they even have drive through windows so a person doesnt have to get out in their pajamas.

For example, Wendys, doesnt close shop until 2:00 AM. In spirit with competitive American capitalism, McDonalds doesnt close now until 2:30. (Maze, 2004) Most cities and towns have rows of fast food restaurants so a person can jump from roof to roof, just in case they felt like Mexican food from Taco Bell rather than a McDonalds hamburger. In recent decades, the family structure of many Americans has changed. In most families, both parents need to work to support their families and to own a house, limiting the amount of time to spend with their children - let alone cooking meals.

Fast food restaurants solve this equation easily by giving parents the option of killing two birds with one stone. They can take their kid(s) to a place like McDonalds that allows a parent to feed their children with