If there is any one concept the authors of Fast Food Nation and Working at McDonald's would like for their readers to grasp it is that McDonald's, and everything it represents, is evil. The food is bad for children and is further responsible for obesity in America. The advertising is manipulative and the Corporation can not be trusted. McDonalds, simply by existing, has made this country a worse place to live. No doubt Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation and Amitai Etzioni author of Working at McDonald's have written their pieces in an attempt to inspire their readers. Perhaps they hope that society as a whole will revolt against the fast food Empire and liberate themselves from the tiny individually wrapped hamburgers, and greasy, salty french-fries that they have become so dependent upon. Great lengths have been taken to convince the reader that the McDonald's corporation is the definition of evil. Both authors, in fact, suggest that the corporation not only harms its customers, but its employees as well. While Scholosser devotes a great deal of time to detailing individual examples of what some might call poorly treated employees, Etzioni's use of statistics and outside research studies makes Working at McDonalds a much more convincing and far superior piece.
The most notable comparison between these two pieces is that Etzioni and Schlosser argue that the kind of experience a typical teenage employee at a McDonald's franchise receives is largely counter-productive. Most would agree teenagers with after school jobs benefit from their experiences by becoming increasingly responsible; however, Scholler boldly asserts, "The strict regimentation at the fast food restaurant creates standardized products. It increases the output. And it gives fast food companies an enormous amount of power over their employees" (Fast Food Nation, 70). Etzioni states that " most teen jobs these days are highly structured" (Saint Martins Guide, 360).
