Taste worth dying for?
July 27th, 2009 § 5 Comments
The waitresses of The Heart Attack Grill.
Alternet, July 2009
In the late 90s while writing a paper about fitness training studios in a marketing class Jon Basso came up with an idea for a new theme based restaurant which he would call The Heart Attack Grill. Years later this American’s dream would become a reality in Chandler, Arizona where The Heart Attack Grill has literally been serving up death sentences on a plate since 2005. Menu choices include Quadruple Bypass Burgers (8,000 calories per a serving) and Flatliner Fries deep fried in loads of good old-fashioned pure lard, served by scantily clad women in nurse outfits. Basso himself (known as Dr. Basso though he holds no medical certifications) will even examine you with a stethescope and have you exit the restaurant in a wheel chair should you feel too weak from resulting blood clots to walk out by yourself. There’s also no chance of having your kids eat for free at this restaurant — only the customers who agree to prove they weigh 350 pounds or more can enjoy that privilege!
While the health craze movement has been increasingly penetrating various aspects of North American society for decades, everywhere from the workplace to the home and of course the food and drink industry (even Fat Burger which has been around since 1952 offers healthy menu alternatives now), The Heart Attack Grill has been promoting an anti-health rebellion. Basso even goes so far as to prohibit the existence of any calorie-conscious choices on the menu. Those who would have normally opt for a Diet Coke can choose a drink like Mexican Cola instead which is made with real sugar.
So there you have it ladies and gentlemen — in America one man’s dream can and will be the cause of another man’s death and while some will hail Basso as genius for his ability to produce profit from controversy, and others will defame him as an immoral murderer, chances are he will continue living this dream comfortably until the day he dies.
After 9/11 happened America’s defense spending ballooned to more than half of the federal government’s discretionary budget and measures were taken everywhere to remind Americans about the ‘threats from out there’ in the form of demonized, irrational Middle Eastern men who were determined to take away Americans’ right to pursue life, liberty and happiness. But what about domestic threats to American lives which claim many more lives consistently each and every single year? How much is being spent to counter obesity in America which is up since last year and leads to fatal illnesses and the general degradation of society as a whole?
In this short 2008 CBS news clip found below, Bill Geist interviews a devoted customer who says “you only live once, you’ve got to enjoy it” after agreeing that he may indeed need to see “real nurses” after his meal is done. In 2008 the UN food agency reported that 963 million people went hungry because they were unable to consume enough calories to live a normal, healthy life. Clearly definitions of living vary depending on where you had the good (or bad) fortune of being born.
PRETTY SICK HMMM?
And they wonder why the world thinks the Americans are stupid.
Does it take an IQ of 25 to figure that one out? No one has to eat there, but they do so that they can “rebel” and be “naughty or anti-common sense”.
No pity for anyone idiotic enough to go there and ends up with problems. They are already sick in the head to consider eating there.
Canada is not far behind! :/
http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/omnivore/archive/2009/07/24/heart-attack-grill-ottawa-s-new-famous-frenchy-s-makes-you-go-pitty-pat.aspx
I don’t know if McDonald’s has stores in other hospitals, but I worked at St Luke’s/Texas Heart Institute for over 20 years. Texas Children’s Hospital was an affiliate hospital and installed a McDonald’s so children, after being admitted, would see something soothing and familiar en route to their room. Some of us complained about the Golden Arches being there, to no avail. Once I told a cardiologist treating adults, as he stood in line next to a child in another line, “Your job here is assured. There’s a future patient.” He didn’t shrug back, didn’t argue with me at all; all he did was smile.
Too funny!!! Guess what? Puritans of any sort invite resentment. The finger pointing food police have overplayed their hand and have created people who are sick and tired of their harping. Do the diet dogooders really think their cause is so compelling it alone is immune from backlash? Grow up! Nagging results in rebellion. That is human nature.
Secondly his contention that obesity is responsible for the degeneration of society is absurd. The ultra rich are THIN. How many of the bankers and other top one percent are fat??? THEY are responsible for the degeneration of society more than anything else. The author must be insecure about her own appearance and need to make herself feel better by deriding fat people!
Finally, this heart attack grill would not even be famous if it weren’t such a novelty the press picked up on it. Many of the middle class women I know are still engaged in incessant diet babble, the modern day opium of the masses. Because thin will make everything better, no need for political change.
p.
To FatNSassy:
BRAVO–everything you say is right on the money! I couldn’t agree more, but you stated it better than I would have.