How Does the Documentary Super Size Me Use Pathos to Deliver Its Powerful Message?

Fast food is inexpensive and easily accessible, which is mainly why it is everywhere. But have you ever considered its repercussions on one’s body? That’s exactly what Morgan Spurlock does in the documentary called ‘Super Size Me (2004).’ He literally takes this question to the next level!

Spurlock methodically attempted to prove a point in the documentary. By eating nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days, he simply demonstrates fast food’s startling effects on health.

While the documentary uses many facts and numbers, it relies heavily on pathos. But what exactly is that? How does the documentary Super Size Me use pathos? To answer these questions, we’ve created this blog post. So, let’s dive right in without any delays.

What Is Pathos? Why Do People Use Pathos?

Before answering the elephant in the room, ‘How the documentary Super Size Me uses pathos,’ let’s first clarify our understanding of Pathos!

Pathos focuses on where the emotions are. So, it is a rhetorical strategy that evokes feelings among the audience. It fills its audience with emotions like anger, fear, happiness, or sadness in relation to a particular phenomenon. As seen, it is quite common in communication.

But the big question is, why do people use it? Well, as we examine this question further, we realize that the answer lies at the core of this word’s origin, which simply describes it as a persuasion technique. So, whenever you are in an argument and seeking to win someone over, one of the main ways to appeal to your point is by using pathos.

How Does the Documentary Super Size Me Use Pathos? — The Core

Now that you’ve understood what pathos is, let’s get to the main matter ofhow the Super Size Me documentary actually uses pathos. So, upon watching the whole documentary quite a few times, to be honest, and analyzing it, we’ve found the following five ways:

1.    Personal Suffering: Spurlock’s Physical Decline

If you want to see how food affects your body, there is nothing more effective approach than watching someone’s health deteriorate before your eyes. So, during the thirty-day experiment, Spurlock suffers the following issues:

• Weight gain.
• Feeling sluggish.
• Liver problems.
• Extreme mood swings.

The audience has seen his once-energetic personality fade right in front of their very eyes as he becomes visibly unhealthy.

At times, viewers felt concerned, angry, and even fearful as he pushed himself into further health risk, all the while being warned by his doctors. Witnessing the destruction firsthand makes the dangers of fast food real rather than hypothetical.

2.    Shock and Disgust: The Power of Visuals

The documentary ‘Super Size Me’ spares no effort in depicting horrific moments that shock viewers. One of the most shocking scenes is Spurlock throwing up after consuming a Super-sized meal. It is disgusting but self-evident; it succeeds in making the audience cringe and highlights how irresponsible he is towards his body.

Medical check-ups have also shown that Morgan Spurlock developed dangerous levels of the following health issues:

• Cholesterol.
• Liver damage.

In fact, he even put on an extreme amount of weight. These shocking revealings serve as warnings and perfectly portray a sense of fear and urgency.

3.    Emotional Interviews: Real Stories That Resonate

Spurlock doesn’t just rely on his own experience. In fact, he also brings in experts and real people affected by fast food. Here are the views of others:

• Doctors and nutritionists express genuine concern about the rising obesity epidemic, which makes this whole issue more serious and urgent.
• Overweight individuals share their struggles with health problems, which evokes sympathy from viewers.
• Former McDonald’s employees discuss the industry’s marketing tactics, which makes the audience angry about how fast food is sold to the public.

So, by incorporating such voices, Super Size Me makes the issue personal and relatable.

4.    Concern for Children: The Future at Risk

One of the more emotional issues raised in the ‘Super Size Me’ documentary is children’s health and the impact of fast food. Spurlock mentions the aggressive targeted advertising to children, in addition to the highly unconducive meals served in schools.

Seeing young children eat processed, unhealthy food while bright, colorful ads convince them it’s good for them creates a feeling of frustration and sadness. The message is clear: future generations will suffer the consequences if nothing changes.

5.    Humor and Sarcasm: A Lighthearted Yet Impactful Approach

Despite the serious topic of how actually the Super Size Me documentary uses pathos, Morgan Spurlock keeps the whole thing entertaining with humor and sarcasm. His playful tone makes the message engaging rather than preachy.

For example, his upbeat attitude at the start of the experiment contrasts with his declining health, making the reality even more shocking. This mix of humor and horror makes Super Size Me memorable and emotionally powerful.

Final Thoughts

To summarize everything shared in this discussion, the Super Size Me documentary doesn’t just tell us that fast food is bad. It makes us feel why it’s terrible. By utilizing painful truths of individuals, eye-catching visuals, affectionate family interviews, concern for children, and irony, this documentary compels the audience to experience a range of emotions that remain with them even after it has ended. By effectively using pathos, Super Size Me encourages viewers to rethink their eating habits and question the role of fast food in modern society. And that’s all due to the power of emotional storytelling. So, it doesn’t just inform; it changes minds.