Passages quoted from the text (with page numbers)
Responses (interact with the text through analysis, predictions, evaluation, and connections, but don’t just summarize)
1. “On this count, most of the men in the room could rest easy. They had personal trainers, gym memberships, and enough nutritional awareness to avoid diets that were heavy in the foods they manufactured” (11).
This just confirms a horrible truth: the food companies are very much aware of the lack of nutritional value in their products, yet they continue to sell them to the less informed public. While Moss says the business men are able to “rest easy” when it comes to their weight, I find it difficult to believe that all the people in the room can “rest easy” morally.
Another similarity between the assemblages is their daily rituals. In the Islamic religion people must pray five times a day (Salat). The Peppers try to enjoy their favorite soda three times a day at specific times of the day. I find it interesting that a fan club made for a carbonated beverage could have anything in common with a religion that has been practiced for over millennia. The power of sugar does not cease to amaze me.
6. “…a mega-brand that epitomized the American culture, but one that was also in grave danger of falling behind: Jell-O pudding” (68).
Moss makes a bold statement when he says that Jell-O “epitomized the American culture”. How exactly does Jell-O, one food brand among millions, embody the land of the free? Jell-O has never been anything special to me. It is interesting in structure but overall very artificial. Perhaps that is exactly what Moss is trying to convey about the ways of this country. Americans celebrate the superficial. We worship movie stars, models, and other glamorous aspects of life. While it looks appealing, in reality there is no real substance to it. It is a synthetic snack that still leaves you feeling empty inside.
7. “And when he went to see his boss, the section head of desserts, Clausi was told that the rules have been changed, public fears be dammed” (70).
What prompted this sudden shift of opinion