I just watched this short film, expecting to be amused, and came away feeling kind of…affected.

The film is made by Burger King. Basically, they go to the “ends of the Earth,” where people have never had a burger and have not been influenced by advertising. They have them try a Big Mac and a Whopper and determine which is better. Some liked the Big Mac best others liked the Whopper. Some had “no preference.” Most interesting to me is that they had absolutely no context in which to place “a burger.” These people didn’t know what to do with the thing. Some picked at the bun. One woman was in awe of the pickle.

I guess it made me think about how much eating and food is a cultural thing. We take for granted the food choices we have, and think that our way of eating is “the only way.” We place certain judgments and values on food, but none of these is “right” or “wrong”; they are just culturally significant. Here in the Canada, for example, a Whopper is a cheap dinner on a lazy night. To these people, it was a delicacy.

Watch it and let me know what you think: www.whoppervirgins.com

Yes baby.