Fast Food And Processed Food Companies - 1556 Words

Introduction Due to today’s reliance on instantaneous service, most Americans cannot picture a world without fast food, TV dinners, and frozen sections in supermarkets. Yet, only sixty-five years ago or so, most of the United States had never even heard of a drive-through lane. The gigantic shift from hot, home-cooked dinners to meals birthed from bags and boxes was largely spurred by targeted advertising due to political and social context. During World War II, for example, five million women flooded into the workforce, filling the jobs left by men heeding their country’s draft for the army. When these soldiers returned, most women were forced to leave their work to return to the home. But having tasted freedom, women yearned for†¦show more content†¦Another kind of mass distribution, television, became a major source for these industries to reach out to the public. How did mass production and targeted advertising shape the development of the fast food an d processed food industries in America in the 1950s and 1960s? This question is extremely significant because investigation provides insight on the roots of the American consumer culture and growing conformity that mark our country today. It is also fascinating to understand the political and social impetuses behind the mass economy that gave rise to new corporations. Revealing the inspirations and inventions that spawned a revolution in the American diet can help us understand the multifaceted forces that created changes in our society. The Rise of Fast and Processed Food The 1950s and 1960s were decades full of technological innovation. One of the main reasons why fast food and processed food experienced such success was the efficiency that came with them. The revolution in the American diet was largely due to the popularity of the fast and processed food among housewives, who could now serve supposedly nutritious meals in minutes. Therefore, women, who took care of most of the shopping, were targeted by advertisements promising them the ability to maintain the home and still have time for other activities. As â€Å"over 23 million American women, or 36 percent of all women, had jobs