Sophie Bennett
In the documentary film Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!!, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock investigates the chicken industry by opening his own chicken farm and fast-food restaurant. Spurlock teamed up with Alabama-based chicken farmer Jonathan Buttram and his son Zack to raise chickens and learn about the challenges farmers face when dealing with large corporations. The film explores the tournament system, in which farmers are paid based on performance, leading to accusations of unfair treatment and indebtedness. Spurlock also exposes deceptive marketing tactics, such as buzzwords like free-range, which may not accurately reflect the living conditions of the chickens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the chicken farmer | John or Jonathan Buttram |
| Location | Alabama |
| Family | Wife Connie, son Zack |
| Other chicken farmers who helped Morgan Spurlock | Charles Morris, Jackie Lohr, Zack Buttram |
| What happened to him | He stuck by Spurlock after Spurlock admitted to sexual misconduct in 2017, and the film was put on hold. |
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What You'll Learn
- Morgan Spurlock's film 'Super Size Me 2' explores the chicken industry
- Spurlock worked with Alabama chicken farmer Jonathan Buttram
- Buttram wanted to expose the inhumane treatment of chickens and growers and how farmers are mistreated
- Spurlock and Buttram criticised the tournament system of chicken farming
- Spurlock's film was criticised for being misleading and inaccurate
Morgan Spurlock's film 'Super Size Me 2' explores the chicken industry
In Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!, Morgan Spurlock explores the chicken industry by opening his own chicken farm and fast-food restaurant. Spurlock worked with Alabama-based chicken farmer Jonathan Buttram and his son Zack to raise chickens for his restaurant. The film reveals some unsavory truths about the chicken industry, including the mistreatment of farmers and the inhumane treatment of animals.
Spurlock exposes the deceptive marketing tactics used by the fast-food industry to rebrand itself as healthier and more socially responsible. For example, labels such as "free-range" or "artisanal" often don't reflect the reality of how the chickens are raised. In the film, Spurlock simply opens a barn door and fences in a small, grassless patch of land to demonstrate that all it takes for a chicken to be labeled "free-range" is for it to have access to a tiny space outside.
The film also sheds light on the "`tournament system," which pits chicken farmers against each other. Farmers are paid based on their performance, but many say that the rules are vague, unfair, and leave them indebted to the industry. Spurlock also discusses the National Chicken Council and their suspicions of his actions when he tries to talk to them unannounced.
Through his desire to build a successful chain, Spurlock also highlights the deceptive marketing that comes in the form of buzzwords like "green" and "grilled," giving the illusion of health. Overall, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! is a thought-provoking documentary that provides a critical look at the chicken industry and the challenges faced by farmers.
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Spurlock worked with Alabama chicken farmer Jonathan Buttram
In his documentary film "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!", Morgan Spurlock worked with Alabama chicken farmer Jonathan Buttram and his son Zack Buttram to raise chickens for his fast-food restaurant. Spurlock's film explores the ways in which the fast-food industry has rebranded itself as healthier since his original film "Super Size Me". In the film, Spurlock opens his own fast-food restaurant, thus exposing some of the ways in which rebranding is more perception than reality.
Spurlock worked with the Buttrams to raise chickens for his restaurant after getting stonewalled by larger producers. The Buttrams helped Spurlock start his own poultry farming operation and learn about the chicken industry monopolies that comprise "big chicken". Spurlock blames this bureaucracy (which he calls "corrupt") for what he calls the greatest chicken myth: that we think we're eating something that's better for us than it actually is. For example, in "Super Size Me 2", viewers learn that all it takes for a chicken to be labelled as "free-range" is that it has access to a tiny space outside—not that it actually roams outdoors all day.
In an interview, Spurlock said that the most shocking thing he learned about the chicken industry wasn't how chickens are treated, but how farmers are mistreated:
> These people are the backbone of feeding our country and you’ve never seen people get more used, abused and mistreated than these farmers by these corporations.
Spurlock also discusses the "'tournament system', in which chicken farmers are paid per pound of meat produced. However, farmers say that the rules of this system are vague and unfair, leaving them indebted to the industry.
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Buttram wanted to expose the inhumane treatment of chickens and growers and how farmers are mistreated
In the documentary "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!", filmmaker Morgan Spurlock investigates the dark side of the chicken industry. Spurlock opens his own chicken farm and fast-food restaurant, Holy Chicken, in Columbus, Ohio, to expose the deceptive practices of large-scale chicken producers.
Spurlock teamed up with Alabama-based chicken farmer John Buttram, who wanted to expose the inhumane treatment of chickens and growers and the mistreatment of farmers. Buttram shared his experiences with the chicken industry, highlighting the negative impact on both the animals and the growers. He described how chickens are fed unhealthy substances and how growers are treated poorly, with the industry talking to them like they are "dogs".
Buttram and other chicken farmers are critical of the "'tournament system", which pits farmers against each other based on vague and unfair performance rules. This system, according to Buttram, leaves farmers indebted to the industry. In the film, Spurlock and Buttram also address the issue of labels such as "free-range" and "green", arguing that these terms often do not reflect the reality of chicken farming practices.
Through his collaboration with Buttram, Spurlock aimed to shed light on the mistreatment of farmers by large chicken corporations. Buttram and his family provided support and stuck by Spurlock's side, even when the film faced delays due to Spurlock's admission of sexual misconduct in 2017.
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Spurlock and Buttram criticised the tournament system of chicken farming
In his documentary film "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!", Morgan Spurlock investigates the dark side of the chicken industry, exposing the practices of big-time producers like Perdue Farms, Pilgrim's Pride, and Tyson. Spurlock worked with Alabama-based chicken farmer John/Jonathan Buttram and his family to raise chickens for his restaurant.
Spurlock and Buttram criticised the "tournament system" of chicken farming, which pits farmers against each other in a competition to produce more pounds of meat per feed supplied. Farmers are paid based on their performance according to a set of rules, but many farmers say that these rules are vague and unfair, often leaving them indebted to the industry. Buttram shared that the government is no friend of the farmers, and they are treated terribly by the chicken companies, with the debt these companies throw on them.
In the film, Spurlock opens his own chicken sandwich restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, called "Holy Chicken". He wanted to show the deceptive marketing that comes in the form of buzzwords like "green" and "grilled", giving the illusion of health. Spurlock also wanted to expose how these companies present themselves as healthier and more socially responsible, using terms like "artisanal" and "handcrafted", which don't tell much about what happens behind the scenes. For example, the label "free-range" might just mean that chickens have access to a small outdoor space, not that they actually roam outdoors all day.
Through his film, Spurlock aimed to liberate poultry farmers from the grip of the chicken industry and empower consumers to make a difference through their choices. He wanted people to focus not on his transgressions but on the farmers who are being squeezed by major chicken processors.
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Spurlock's film was criticised for being misleading and inaccurate
Morgan Spurlock's documentary film Super Size Me was criticized for being misleading and inaccurate. The film depicts a 30-day experiment Spurlock conducted in 2003, where he ate only McDonald's food. However, it was later disclosed that he also consumed large amounts of alcohol during this period, a fact that was not included in the documentary. This omission led to criticism as the film strongly implied that eating McDonald's caused liver damage, without addressing the potential impact of alcohol consumption.
Further criticism arose from the dramatic and unscientific approach of the film. Spurlock was accused of unnecessarily eating more than he needed and ignoring his nutritionist's advice. Additionally, the film's accuracy and the truthfulness of Spurlock's on-camera claims have been questioned, with some arguing that the experiment may have been more of a publicity stunt than a legitimate scientific study.
In response to these criticisms, Spurlock's team has not disclosed the exact food logs from the experiment, making it difficult to verify the accuracy of the film's claims. Despite the criticisms, Super Size Me received positive reviews from critics and audiences, winning the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and achieving a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Spurlock's sequel to Super Size Me, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!, also faced criticism for being misleading. In this film, Spurlock opens his own fast-food chicken restaurant, exposing deceptive marketing practices in the industry. However, some reviewers questioned Spurlock's agenda, arguing that the film painted chicken farming in a worse light than was warranted. Additionally, there were discrepancies noted between the film's portrayal of chicken farming and real-life practices, such as the ability to rent a chicken house, which is not possible in commercial broiler farming.
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Frequently asked questions
Jonathan Buttram, an Alabama-based chicken farmer, helped Morgan Spurlock in his documentary 'Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!'.
Jonathan Buttram and his family stuck by Spurlock through the controversy surrounding the film, and Spurlock expressed his gratitude towards them.
The film was put on hold after Spurlock admitted to sexual misconduct and harassment in 2017. It was eventually released in 2019.
The documentary explores the challenges faced by farmers dealing with big corporations in the chicken industry. Spurlock opens his own chicken farm and fast-food restaurant, exposing deceptive marketing tactics and the mistreatment of farmers.
