Does someone who follows me know how to talk about the fallaciousness of this argument? I get the gist of it, but I have no idea how to explain it.Butyeah, this post fucking irks me.
I will have a go at it. First of all, the prices of the items listed on this graphic are not the same everywhere. (Where the fuck can you find Morning Star burgers for less than $3, anyway?) Some people cannot afford these items, especially organic/vegan food. Some grocery stores do not stock these items. Some people only have access to stores/market with pretty basic items. This graphic assumes everyone can just up and go pick up a box of Morning Star and Kashi cereal and call it a day. Not everyone has that privilege. Food from a dollar menu, on the other hand, is cheap and filling.
And fuck that, if people want to eat fast food, they should be able to. Damn.
So yeah, fuck this classist noise.
If you are going to argue that this graphic is classist, the greatest factor is probably time. The amount of time that it takes to buy and prepare all of that food might not be available for individuals or households that hold several jobs to make ends meet. Another factor is preparation space and costs (i.e. pots, pans, stove, water, freezer.)
I do agree that not all grocery stores stock these items, and that they aren’t this affordable in most places. However, I would give the graphic some credit in that they did make an effort to show generic brand items (save the Morning Star patties) that can be found in most grocery stores for a comparable price. Perhaps the creators of the graphic are blind in assuming availability, but I wouldn’t knock them *as* much for cost.
The questions you raised about the availability of healthy food options vs fast food does make me wonder how often a Burger King is located near a Walmart Super Center. I smell a map project!
I feel like if you switch the check and the X, then this argument works the same in reverse. Right now, it’s “see, this food is cheaper and better for you; look at how much you get for $20!” whereas it could easily be “this food will take countless hours of planning, shopping, thawing, and cooking; these delicious Big Macs Whoppers (whichever) will be handed to you in less than two minutes by a cute teenage girl!”
Now, I hate fast food with the kind of passion that only comes from spending my formative years flipping burgers, but I feel like that second argument can make just as much sense as the first, especially if you’re more strapped for time than cash.
