I detest “fast food” (even having never seen Super Size Me) so Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality is particularly interesting to me. The site shows side-by-side pictures of how food looks in advertisements and how the same food looks in reality. Absolutely nobody will be surprised to learn there’s a difference. In fact, I was rather surprised a couple pairs look so similar. Wendy’s Chicken Club might even look a bit better in reality with its melted cheese than in the advertisement.
I’m delighted to see that the only entries that look acceptable in reality are from the two establishments I might consider actually eating (including Subway, where I now eat regularly).
(via Lifehacker)
The comparison would be more effective if the photography used similar lighting and backgrounds. Also, the photo was apparently taken at home after schlepping the item home in a sack.
Having said all that, I’m reminded of an actress who talked about a gig in a fast food commercial. “I had to eat that burger with a smile on my face. I wasn’t Shakespeare, but it sure was acting.”
I was initially torn about the schlepping and the sack, but realistically that’s what people do after leaving fast food restaurants: they schlep. If one orders a hamburger expecting the marketing picture, the real thing will not only be poorly made but will also be schlepped around for 20 minutes before it can be eaten.
The fries, on the other hand, will never make it through the front door. Added bonus: if you eat them all while they’re inside the bag, you won’t even be able to see what they look like!