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Adams 1
Holden Adams
Professor Reid
WRIT 105-07
November 2, 2023
1. The challenges I had for this initial draft was finding a document that I could relate to a
social/public issue. With my previous documentary I watched, Man on Wire, it was more
focused on an individuals’ story rather than something that could be compared and
related to a societal issue. With Super Size me I was able to find this connection of public
issues and show how it engages the issue with its audience.
2. Overall, I think I have so far done a decent job at being effective in showing my claim
throughout the essay. As long as I keep that claim and the subclaims consistent when
continuing my revisions, the essay will be effective at presenting my claim.
3. For revisions, I think firstly I need to change my title so that it fits more to what the essay
is talking about. I also need to do a better job at explaining how my subclaims and events
of the documentary allow for the audience to be engaged in the message. I also need to
revise the paragraph lengths and overall structure.
Super Size Me and the Rise of American Obesity
Do you ever ask yourself what exactly you are putting into your body while taking a bite
out of your favorite fast food burger and if it is good for you? Director Morgan Spurlock in his
2004 documentary, Super Size Me, asks this question and takes on the challenge of only eating
McDonalds for 30 days straight. As seen in the film, Spurlock goes through great physical and
even mental changes throughout his experiment that expose the dangerous and negativity that the
fast food industry has on the American public. Through the documentary’s use of direct cinema,
linear sequencing, and narration, Super Size Me effectively informs its audience of the terrible
dangers of the billion dollar American fast food industry.
Similar to vlog or home video, Super Size Me uses the effect of direct cinema and real
time interactions within the film. This method of documenting the reality of the experiment in
real time allows the audience to see the dangers of fast food that the film is trying to present. An
example of this documenting strategy can be seen in the doctor and health check up scenes
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within the movie. By the film documenting real time reactions of Spurlock and his health check
ups, such as seeing that his cholesterol and blood pressure going up significantly only after a few
days, the events have a great impact on the message. That message being that even a little fast
food is detrimental to your overall health. In an article by Medical News Today, author Timothy
Huzar mentions a study showing these dangers: “A 2015 study identified the sometimes
irreparable effects of eating fast food. Such risks include obesity, insulin resistance, type 2
diabetes, and various cardiovascular conditions”. Along with this information and effects of fast
food on Spulock’s body, the documentary shows to the audience the dangers of fast food
consumption.
The documentary uses linear sequencing of events to clearly structure and show the
progression of Spurlock’s health while eating McDonalds. This provides a clear and realistic
approach to documenting that is easy for the audience to follow. Beginning with Spurlock’s
initial health assessment, the documentary follows a day-to-day journey that shows the
deterioration of his health. By showing this day-to-day journey, the documentary acts as
evidence of the negative effects of fast food and ultimately acts as a warning as seen in
Spurlock’s fast weight gain and lack of energy. The experiment takes place over 30 days but
sadly takes a huge toll on Spurlock’s health that not even he predicted. This rapid change in
health warns the audience to think about what they are eating the next time they have fast food.
Throughout the documentary, Splurdock’s narration creates relatability in humor even
amidst the serious and dangerous experiment that he puts himself through. By having these
relatable thoughts by Splurdock in the documentary, it again allows the audience to be more
aware and care for the health crisis that affects millions of Americans everyday. As Splurdock
reflects his own experiences with a critical eye, he again points out the broader implications of
this fast food and health epidemic.
As seen in the unscripted direct cinema moments in Super Size Me as well as the use of
linear sequencing to show the progression of the health risks and Spurlock’s narration, the
documentary allows the audience to feel present in the experiment. By doing this, the overall
message is clear and impactful. Although the documentary was made nearly 20 years ago, Super
Size Me still is relevant and significant in current day America due to the constant rise of obesity
in the country.
Adams 3
Works Cited
Timothy, Medical News Today, 9 February, 2023
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324847#long-term-impacts
Max Perry
Professor Reid
Writing 105
November 2, 2023
1. My biggest challenge here was making sure that my subclaims clearly addressed the
poignant social issue in the documentary. Any help with making sure the main point is
clearly communicated and that my subclaims supports the central claim would be greatly
appreciated.
2. I do feel that my introductory paragraph is solid. I feel like my central claim is clear and
supported by evidence that I have been able to find.
3. After writing this draft, I feel my focus will be on adding additional information to the
analysis paragraph and making sure that the examples and research that have provided best
fit into my argument.
Introduction:
In 2015, the product Juul hit the market by storm. It is a brand of electronic cigarettes (ecigarettes) known for their sleek and simple design, earning billions in revenue in 2018. Initially,
intended to be a safer alternative to smoking, it quickly turned into an epidemic of its own
targeting America’s young adults. According to the Washington Post, youth vaping peaked in
2019, with a staggering 5.5 million middle and high school students reporting use of e-cigarettes
(McGinley, 2022). Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul, is a four-episode documentary film
directed by R.J. Cutler, based on the 2021 book Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul by Jamie
Ducharme, who played an instrumental role in the docuseries. The documentary film highlighted
the intricate development and marketing of the product Juul, centering on the innovation of the
product followed by the inevitable demise due to the numerous reported health and medical
complications of young adults that were reported as result of its product use.
Juul initially was started as a smoking cessation device, targeted as a substitute for
smokers pursuing to quit cigarettes. Through the use of a broad array of interviews with
the company’s co-founders, investors, medical experts, and former employees the
documentary the audience to gain a better understanding of Juul’s initial intent as well as
the misjudgments and mistakes that ultimately lead to the company going from making
billions to less than favorable margins. Adam Bowen and James Monsees were graduate
students at Stanford University on a smoke break when they came up with a concept that
was meant to result in people quitting smoking. The mixture of personal and historical
interviews presented a well-rounded argument that both Bowen and Monsees’s initial
intent was to develop a new innovative tech product that would replace cigarette smoke
and reduce the health risks such as cancer. For example, Adam Bowen stated “smoking
impacts a lot of lives, it occurred to us it is a space where there has been little to no
innovation, wouldn’t it be remarkable if we can take all the bad stuff out and keep the
good stuff that we like” (Big Vape 8:30-8:36). Both Bowen and Monsees saw this as a
huge public health opportunity. According to the CDC, in 2021, nearly 12 of every 100
U.S. adults aged 18 years or older smoked cigarettes. This means an estimated 28.3
million adults (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). The goal of both
designers was to create a prototype that preserved the ritual and eliminated the harm and
focused on vaporization of tobacco. In the first phases of development Ploom/Juul’s took
many efforts to avoid obtaining investments from Big Tobacco Companies (Keller,
2023). The various interviews gave the audience a first-hand account on how the
developers of this product had good intentions but failed to take into account marketing
of the product and the health issues surrounding vaping when developing a heated
nicotine tobacco system that landed up being a more potent and highly addictive product.
Juul’s flashy marketing approaches, including colorful packaging and the
utilization of trendy social media advertising, were intended to appeal to society’s youth.
The documentary through the use of reenactments drew the audience in and did an
excellent job pointing out the controversial strategies utilized. In 2008, Kurt Sonderegger
was brought in to assist Ploom/Juul with a marketing campaign. His experience was with
the company Red Bull and that he learned early on that when marketing a product you
needed to take a different approach to entice more people. Kurt stated “That you needed
to allow people to discover your product in a cool way” (Big Vape 16:59). The
reenactments clearly showed that the target audience were teens and young adults. The
marketing strategies not only appealed to the young, but its slim design made the device
easy for youth to hide. The ads were flashy, edgy and were geared to present a “cool kid”
persona, often including young good-looking models. The Company also focused
attention to social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to promote their
product. According to Jamie Ducharme, “the goal was for the cool New York socialites
to be seen pulling on Juul vaporizers. The company had intentionally chosen to promote
Juul in two trendy cities such as New York and Los Angeles due to the vast number of
influencers and journalists that could help build thrill around the product”. (Ducharme,
2021). In the end, the documentary successfully concludes that the marketing strategies
utilized target the youth, and led to public health epidemic and regulatory actions taken
against the company, Juul.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “CDC – Fact Sheet – Current Cigarette
Smoking among Adults in the United States – Smoking & Tobacco Use.” Smoking and
Tobacco Use, 2020,
www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm.
Chaykowski, Kathleen. “The Disturbing Focus of Juul’s Early Marketing
Campaigns.” Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenchaykowski/2018/11/16/thedisturbing-focus-of-juuls-early-marketing-campaigns/?sh=6aee921a14f9.
Ducharme, Jamie. “How Juul Got Vaporized.” Time, 17 May 2021,
time.com/6048234/juul-downfall/.
Sargeant, Rebecca. “7 Most Shocking Reveals from Netflix’s Big Vape: The Rise and
Fall of Juul Documentary.” ScreenRant, 17 Oct. 2023, screenrant.com/netflix-big-vaperise-fall-juul-documentary-shocking-reveals/#juul-39-s-cannabis-based-origins. Accessed
23 Oct. 2023.
“Watch Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul | Netflix Official Site.” Www.netflix.com,
www.netflix.com/title/81444184. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.
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