1 00:00:09,385 --> 00:00:12,789 ROB: The eighties were a decade that seriously hustled. 2 00:00:12,855 --> 00:00:15,191 We were told greed was good, 3 00:00:15,258 --> 00:00:17,326 and that insatiable desire to consume 4 00:00:17,393 --> 00:00:19,228 is the theme of this show. 5 00:00:21,631 --> 00:00:26,436 NARRATOR: We are what we eat, and in the eighties, we liked it fast. 6 00:00:26,502 --> 00:00:28,704 DMC: There was this fast food explosion. 7 00:00:29,939 --> 00:00:31,908 KEVIN: 30 minutes or your pizza's free. 8 00:00:33,209 --> 00:00:36,712 NARRATOR: They were the guilty pleasures that defined a decade. 9 00:00:36,779 --> 00:00:39,415 LONI: You don't know what the hell was inside of it. 10 00:00:39,482 --> 00:00:43,019 But if you cooked it right, you had glory. 11 00:00:44,220 --> 00:00:46,522 JON: It's cheap and it's fast and it's delicious. 12 00:00:46,589 --> 00:00:48,724 ADAM: The notion of moderation is absurd. 13 00:00:48,791 --> 00:00:53,162 NARRATOR: Brands battled to unlock the cravings of a decade on the move. 14 00:00:53,229 --> 00:00:57,834 DEE: The Happy Meal in itself was like crackerjacks to the next level. 15 00:00:57,900 --> 00:01:00,670 JASON: Could be the best tasting lettuce and tomato hamburger, ever. 16 00:01:00,736 --> 00:01:03,206 MEAT: I don't know what they did, but it was really good. 17 00:01:04,307 --> 00:01:08,044 NARRATOR: 10 guilty pleasures, 10 fantastic fast foods. 18 00:01:08,111 --> 00:01:11,914 But which one will rise to the very top of our menu? 19 00:01:20,356 --> 00:01:24,193 ROB: Now, let's get the party started by pigging out on our number 10. 20 00:01:29,765 --> 00:01:31,134 ADAM: In the 1980s, you had neon, 21 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,036 you had perms and Jheri curls. 22 00:01:34,103 --> 00:01:37,240 NARRATOR: In the decade of outrageous clothes, and big hair 23 00:01:37,306 --> 00:01:40,276 even the humble French fry gets an eighties makeover. 24 00:01:43,946 --> 00:01:47,350 The fast food industry revolved around the way we lived, 25 00:01:47,416 --> 00:01:51,154 and in the eighties, it gave way to the curly fry. 26 00:01:51,220 --> 00:01:53,556 ADAM: The curly fry had this kind of zany-ness to it 27 00:01:53,623 --> 00:01:55,925 that really spoke to the time. 28 00:01:55,992 --> 00:01:58,694 ADAM: It was visually really cool. 29 00:01:58,761 --> 00:02:01,564 NARRATOR: By the mid-eighties, America's love affair 30 00:02:01,631 --> 00:02:03,966 with French fries has taken a dive, 31 00:02:04,033 --> 00:02:07,203 when sales slump after years of rapid growth. 32 00:02:08,070 --> 00:02:11,707 To win consumers back, French fry makers start experimenting 33 00:02:11,774 --> 00:02:13,976 with different styles. 34 00:02:14,043 --> 00:02:17,513 DMC: Hip hop took rock and funk and created this gumbo. 35 00:02:17,580 --> 00:02:20,783 Curly fries took the idea of what a French fry's 36 00:02:20,850 --> 00:02:25,454 supposed to be, and mixed it, you know what I'm saying, 37 00:02:25,521 --> 00:02:28,057 like a DJ would, into something else. 38 00:02:28,558 --> 00:02:30,393 NARRATOR: On menus since the forties, 39 00:02:30,459 --> 00:02:34,630 curly fries were too labor intensive to be called fast food. 40 00:02:34,697 --> 00:02:37,400 MALE: This is what they call a French curl. 41 00:02:37,466 --> 00:02:40,670 Unwind it and there's two curls on the one potato. 42 00:02:43,406 --> 00:02:46,909 NARRATOR: But in the eighties, the process gets industrialized. 43 00:02:46,976 --> 00:02:52,215 Now potatoes are blasted down a shoot at 60 miles per hour into waiting blades. 44 00:02:52,281 --> 00:02:54,383 CLAUDIA: My favourite part about curly fries of course 45 00:02:54,450 --> 00:02:56,819 is all of these crispy edges throughout, so you get, 46 00:02:56,886 --> 00:02:59,021 you know, the flavor of a steak fry with, you know, 47 00:02:59,088 --> 00:03:01,157 a delicious crispy fry. 48 00:03:01,224 --> 00:03:05,094 MALE: (Singing) You and I love roast beef at Arby's. 49 00:03:05,161 --> 00:03:06,562 Tender and juicy. 50 00:03:07,496 --> 00:03:10,399 NARRATOR: Arby's had become famous for roast beef sandwiches, 51 00:03:10,466 --> 00:03:12,668 and only roast beef sandwiches. 52 00:03:12,735 --> 00:03:15,771 Now, they're eager to expand their sales horizon. 53 00:03:15,838 --> 00:03:17,373 So, in 1988, 54 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,178 they introduce a fry variation with its own culinary twist. 55 00:03:22,245 --> 00:03:25,514 FEMALE: Spicy new twister fries, Arby's curly fries. 56 00:03:25,581 --> 00:03:29,819 NARRATOR: This unique spicy seasoning is called Cajun style, 57 00:03:29,885 --> 00:03:34,724 capitalizing on the growing trend for southwestern foods with bolder flavors. 58 00:03:34,790 --> 00:03:36,525 PAUL: Our food has wonderful flavors, 59 00:03:36,592 --> 00:03:38,394 and it has depth and it has emotion, 60 00:03:38,461 --> 00:03:41,631 and it just makes you, you know, want to get fat. 61 00:03:42,765 --> 00:03:45,034 NARRATOR: Arby's curly fries are a hit. 62 00:03:45,101 --> 00:03:48,404 Sales in the US jump by 17 percent. 63 00:03:48,471 --> 00:03:51,073 ANNE: Not always was I in the mood for a roast beef sandwich, 64 00:03:51,140 --> 00:03:54,343 but I was always in the mood for fries. 65 00:03:54,410 --> 00:03:56,646 ADAM: My memories of them are wrapping French fries 66 00:03:56,712 --> 00:03:58,814 around your finger and becoming these 67 00:03:58,881 --> 00:04:02,184 little like carbohydrate laden springs of joy. 68 00:04:02,251 --> 00:04:05,321 NARRATOR: Arby's curly fries tap into the cultural zeitgeist 69 00:04:05,388 --> 00:04:07,256 as our number 10. 70 00:04:07,323 --> 00:04:10,126 Their popularity spirals for generations, 71 00:04:10,192 --> 00:04:12,628 and they're still on menus today. 72 00:04:12,695 --> 00:04:15,865 DMC: Curly fries was like hip hop, people thought it 73 00:04:15,931 --> 00:04:19,902 was going to die like disco, but it stood the test of time. 74 00:04:21,737 --> 00:04:26,442 ROB: How do we rank 10 tasty items, like curly fries? 75 00:04:26,509 --> 00:04:29,478 Well, we recruited eight brilliant brains to rank our 76 00:04:29,545 --> 00:04:32,548 fast foods by grilling them on two factors. 77 00:04:32,615 --> 00:04:35,685 Eighties wow, their importance at the time, 78 00:04:35,751 --> 00:04:37,019 and impact. 79 00:04:37,086 --> 00:04:39,021 How we digest their legacy today. 80 00:04:42,591 --> 00:04:44,226 ROB: It's time for our number nine. 81 00:04:44,293 --> 00:04:47,997 One of the truly genius parts of American fast food technology 82 00:04:48,064 --> 00:04:52,401 is taking something ordinary and creating a unique way of cooking it, 83 00:04:52,468 --> 00:04:55,404 and then finally coming up with a catchy name. 84 00:04:55,471 --> 00:04:59,875 Edging in at order number nine, a crunchy case in point. 85 00:05:02,945 --> 00:05:05,614 ALVIN: Americans in particular like fast food 86 00:05:05,681 --> 00:05:08,384 because of the automobile culture. 87 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,623 ADAM: In the 1980s you had people in their cars longer than ever before, 88 00:05:14,690 --> 00:05:16,892 and more people were driving, and that meant 89 00:05:16,959 --> 00:05:18,661 you had less time at home to cook, 90 00:05:18,728 --> 00:05:21,731 and it meant you needed food that you could grab quickly and cheaply on the go. 91 00:05:29,138 --> 00:05:31,774 ADAM: Cup holders are becoming standard in cars. 92 00:05:31,841 --> 00:05:34,343 And that spoke to what was happening with food. 93 00:05:35,778 --> 00:05:38,714 LONI: I mean, who came up with the genius idea 94 00:05:38,781 --> 00:05:42,485 of waiting in our cars to receive our food, 95 00:05:42,551 --> 00:05:44,186 and then eating it in the car? 96 00:05:44,253 --> 00:05:45,654 That was genius. 97 00:05:45,721 --> 00:05:47,556 That started it all off. 98 00:05:49,658 --> 00:05:50,526 SANDERS: Howdy do. 99 00:05:52,528 --> 00:05:56,265 NARRATOR: Chicken king Colonel Sanders built his business on the road. 100 00:05:56,332 --> 00:06:00,136 Often sleeping overnight in his car to deliver his sales pitch 101 00:06:00,202 --> 00:06:02,905 of 11 secret spices and herbs. 102 00:06:02,972 --> 00:06:07,610 But in December of 1980, the colonel reaches the end of the highway. 103 00:06:09,078 --> 00:06:10,679 ANCHOR: Colonel Sanders is dead. 104 00:06:10,746 --> 00:06:13,716 The old chieftain of the Kentucky Fried Chicken empire 105 00:06:13,783 --> 00:06:17,787 died in Louisville, Kentucky, in a hospital, aged 90. 106 00:06:17,853 --> 00:06:20,723 NARRATOR: The colonel leaves behind a global legacy 107 00:06:20,790 --> 00:06:23,726 with annual sales of two billion dollars. 108 00:06:23,793 --> 00:06:27,396 Meanwhile, the nation is going crazy for chicken, 109 00:06:27,463 --> 00:06:30,833 and other fast food chains are catching on. 110 00:06:30,900 --> 00:06:32,268 MALE: Wendy's chicken sandwich. 111 00:06:32,334 --> 00:06:33,402 WORKERS: (Singing) Come and get it. 112 00:06:33,469 --> 00:06:34,637 MALE: Roast chicken club. 113 00:06:34,703 --> 00:06:36,005 FEMALE: The Burger King chicken sandwich. 114 00:06:41,644 --> 00:06:45,948 NARRATOR: To keep in the fast lane, KFC must rev into gear, 115 00:06:46,015 --> 00:06:48,451 and they hatch a surprising plan. 116 00:06:50,252 --> 00:06:53,155 They create a sandwich called the Chicken Little, 117 00:06:53,222 --> 00:06:56,192 engineered to be consumed behind the wheel, 118 00:06:56,258 --> 00:06:59,361 and a whole new consumer highway opens up. 119 00:06:59,428 --> 00:07:04,800 ANNE: You could get KFC in your hand, while you were in the car driving. 120 00:07:04,867 --> 00:07:06,969 ADAM: You could still steer while eating a Chicken Little, 121 00:07:07,036 --> 00:07:10,539 as opposed to trying to make your way with a Whopper. 122 00:07:10,606 --> 00:07:12,308 NARRATOR: It's perfect for the convenience 123 00:07:12,374 --> 00:07:14,777 obsessed car culture of the eighties. 124 00:07:14,844 --> 00:07:19,482 But it also bucks the trend in a decade known for going big. 125 00:07:22,251 --> 00:07:24,220 DMC: The eighties was all about being seen. 126 00:07:24,286 --> 00:07:26,422 Most people thought, yo it's got to be big to be seen. 127 00:07:26,489 --> 00:07:30,259 They were smart, no, let's go small and everybody will notice us. 128 00:07:30,326 --> 00:07:34,263 NARRATOR: At only 39 cents each, they're a big hit with customers, 129 00:07:34,330 --> 00:07:36,765 and initially boost sales by 10 percent. 130 00:07:36,832 --> 00:07:40,469 CLAUDIA: Chicken Littles are a perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect snack. 131 00:07:40,536 --> 00:07:44,540 NARRATOR: But low price means low profit, and KFC realises 132 00:07:44,607 --> 00:07:48,677 it can make more money by staying focused on its chicken buckets. 133 00:07:48,744 --> 00:07:50,946 So, despite being a popular menu item, 134 00:07:51,013 --> 00:07:54,250 in the early nineties, Chicken Littles get parked. 135 00:07:54,316 --> 00:07:58,387 MALE: (Singing) Kentucky Fried Chicken, we do chicken right. 136 00:07:59,455 --> 00:08:02,157 NARRATOR: Gone but not forgotten, in 2012, 137 00:08:02,224 --> 00:08:06,529 fans campaigned to bring them back, and Chicken Littles ride again. 138 00:08:06,595 --> 00:08:10,733 MALE: Little is the new big. New KFC Chicken Littles. 139 00:08:10,799 --> 00:08:13,469 NARRATOR: And they remain on menus to this day. 140 00:08:15,838 --> 00:08:19,341 Chicken Littles fight the trend of the bigger means better eighties, 141 00:08:19,408 --> 00:08:22,344 and drive in at number nine. 142 00:08:22,411 --> 00:08:26,448 But we're about to go bigger. Way bigger. 143 00:08:28,217 --> 00:08:30,386 ROB: Now I'm a fan of man-sized portions 144 00:08:30,452 --> 00:08:33,689 but that kind of went out of control with our number eight. 145 00:08:33,756 --> 00:08:36,559 Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. 146 00:08:40,663 --> 00:08:43,532 NARRATOR: Audrey Griswold wasn't the only one to be dreaming 147 00:08:43,599 --> 00:08:47,002 of a never-ending feast in the eighties. 148 00:08:47,069 --> 00:08:49,805 ADAM: Go big or go home is an American expression. 149 00:08:51,674 --> 00:08:53,375 ADAM: The notion of moderation is absurd. 150 00:09:00,416 --> 00:09:04,019 ALVIN: America is about the bountiful harvest. 151 00:09:04,086 --> 00:09:06,322 That's why we celebrate Thanksgiving. 152 00:09:08,157 --> 00:09:11,994 Plates of food and vegetables, huge turkeys, 153 00:09:12,061 --> 00:09:14,863 this is a part of American culture. 154 00:09:14,930 --> 00:09:17,366 NARRATOR: The all American all you can eat buffet 155 00:09:17,433 --> 00:09:19,768 is actually a Swedish import. 156 00:09:19,835 --> 00:09:24,540 The smorgasbord came Stateside at the 1939 World Fair, 157 00:09:24,607 --> 00:09:29,078 and the buffet soon finds a spiritual home under Las Vegas neon. 158 00:09:32,448 --> 00:09:35,084 ANNE: I guess it's a trait of being an American, you know, 159 00:09:35,150 --> 00:09:38,587 that we just want more, everything in excess. 160 00:09:39,888 --> 00:09:42,491 NARRATOR: By the eighties, the conspicuous over-consumption 161 00:09:42,558 --> 00:09:47,796 that made Vegas, well, Vegas, has hijacked the entire decade. 162 00:09:48,697 --> 00:09:52,034 Burger joint Wendy's wants to get in on the action. 163 00:09:55,037 --> 00:09:58,974 FEMALE: (Singing) You'll find our salad bar deliciously complete. 164 00:09:59,041 --> 00:10:02,945 12 garden fresh ingredients, yeah, all you can eat. 165 00:10:04,079 --> 00:10:07,783 NARRATOR: Wendy's salad bar has been around since the late seventies. 166 00:10:07,850 --> 00:10:09,752 DAVE: My daughter Wendy says, Dad, 167 00:10:09,818 --> 00:10:11,987 people are eating more salads today. 168 00:10:12,054 --> 00:10:16,592 NARRATOR: But in the decade of excess, they decide to roll the proverbial dice 169 00:10:16,659 --> 00:10:19,561 and double down, way down. 170 00:10:19,628 --> 00:10:21,497 DAVE: That's a heck of a good idea. 171 00:10:21,563 --> 00:10:24,366 NARRATOR: Wendy's decides to raise the bar. 172 00:10:24,433 --> 00:10:26,502 MALE: You've seen biker bars and 173 00:10:26,568 --> 00:10:31,907 piano bars, handlebars, even Zanzibars, 174 00:10:31,974 --> 00:10:35,811 but you've never seen nothing like Wendy's Superbar. 175 00:10:37,012 --> 00:10:39,348 ADAM: The Superbar by Wendy's was a collection 176 00:10:39,415 --> 00:10:41,550 of some of the strangest things you'd ever imagine. 177 00:10:43,686 --> 00:10:46,955 MALE: In the mood for fettucine Alfredo or Rotini with meat sauce? 178 00:10:47,022 --> 00:10:50,693 Maybe some Spanish rice, re-fried beans and tortillas? 179 00:10:50,759 --> 00:10:55,497 ADAM: I'm not really sure how any of those foods go together. 180 00:10:55,564 --> 00:10:57,599 NARRATOR: The ability to create your own meal 181 00:10:57,666 --> 00:11:00,536 was perfect for a decade that lived large 182 00:11:00,602 --> 00:11:03,872 and taught us to ask for exactly what we wanted. 183 00:11:05,407 --> 00:11:07,676 MEG: I'd like the chef's salad please with the oil and vinegar on the side 184 00:11:07,743 --> 00:11:09,244 and the apple pie a la mode. 185 00:11:09,311 --> 00:11:11,880 JEN: That idea of I want it the way I want it really 186 00:11:11,947 --> 00:11:15,017 emerged in the eighties, to the point where at the end of the decade, 187 00:11:15,084 --> 00:11:17,019 that was when When Harry Met Sally came out, 188 00:11:17,086 --> 00:11:19,121 and Sally said I want it on the side. 189 00:11:19,188 --> 00:11:21,690 MEG: But I'd like the pie heated, and I don't want the ice cream on top, 190 00:11:21,757 --> 00:11:23,592 I want it on the side, and I'd like strawberry 191 00:11:23,659 --> 00:11:24,793 instead of vanilla, if you have it. 192 00:11:24,860 --> 00:11:27,329 If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it's real. 193 00:11:27,396 --> 00:11:30,199 - If it's out of a can, then nothing. - WAITRESS: Not even the pie? 194 00:11:30,265 --> 00:11:31,734 JEN: Everybody called her high maintenance, but guess what? 195 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,603 We were all starting to do that. 196 00:11:34,670 --> 00:11:37,439 NARRATOR: The Superbar offered us the choice we craved, 197 00:11:37,506 --> 00:11:41,110 and all we could eat for a mere $3.49. 198 00:11:41,176 --> 00:11:45,547 So, in the decade of excess, what could possibly go wrong? 199 00:11:51,587 --> 00:11:54,189 NARRATOR: The Wendy's Superbar hits our number eight 200 00:11:54,256 --> 00:11:57,059 because it offered us all the choice we craved, 201 00:11:57,126 --> 00:12:01,096 and all we could eat for just $3.49. 202 00:12:01,163 --> 00:12:04,566 MALE: Wendy's Superbar features three distinct all you can eat bars. 203 00:12:04,633 --> 00:12:08,904 Pasta, Mexican, and an extensive salad bar that even includes dessert. 204 00:12:08,971 --> 00:12:10,873 Very tasty, it's excellent. I'll be back. 205 00:12:10,939 --> 00:12:11,974 What about the price? 206 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,243 FEMALE: Fantastic. You can't beat it. 207 00:12:14,309 --> 00:12:16,912 NARRATOR: But it's a victim of its own success. 208 00:12:16,979 --> 00:12:20,282 The unlimited seconds policy, and the cost of keeping 209 00:12:20,349 --> 00:12:22,951 this vast feast of food fully stocked, 210 00:12:23,018 --> 00:12:26,288 costs Wendy's more money than it makes. 211 00:12:26,355 --> 00:12:28,624 ADAM: It's hard to not want to try everything. 212 00:12:28,690 --> 00:12:32,227 Especially when the buffet set up is geared 213 00:12:32,294 --> 00:12:34,463 for you to try everything. 214 00:12:34,530 --> 00:12:37,833 NARRATOR: Tragically for salad gluttons, in 1998, 215 00:12:37,900 --> 00:12:42,337 the Superbar closes down its sneeze guard forever. 216 00:12:43,739 --> 00:12:49,011 ROB: Wendy's learned the concept of all you can eat can occasionally bite back, 217 00:12:49,077 --> 00:12:51,647 but the eighties fast food wars raged on. 218 00:12:51,713 --> 00:12:54,883 One of their competitors came up with another brilliant idea, 219 00:12:54,950 --> 00:12:58,220 which is our coveted number seven, and that idea is simply, 220 00:12:58,287 --> 00:13:01,557 if you can't beat them, out-price them. 221 00:13:07,963 --> 00:13:11,400 NARRATOR: Between 1980 and 1990 the number of people 222 00:13:11,466 --> 00:13:15,637 migrating from Mexico into the US doubles. 223 00:13:15,704 --> 00:13:18,440 And over the decade, Mexico's influence 224 00:13:18,507 --> 00:13:21,476 starts to be felt across US culture. 225 00:13:21,543 --> 00:13:28,550 (music) 226 00:13:32,754 --> 00:13:37,025 EDUARDO: Mexican people have always been in the United States. 227 00:13:37,092 --> 00:13:40,929 Our food, it was so good that people wanted it everywhere they went. 228 00:13:40,996 --> 00:13:42,331 People love it. 229 00:13:42,397 --> 00:13:45,734 Somebody saw that and saw this is an amazing cuisine. 230 00:13:47,669 --> 00:13:50,973 How do I take this and give it to everyone? 231 00:13:53,308 --> 00:13:56,178 NARRATOR: Founded by American entrepreneur Glen Bell, 232 00:13:56,245 --> 00:13:59,882 Taco Bell, get it, Bell, takes the quintessential 233 00:13:59,948 --> 00:14:02,718 street food snack from south of the border, 234 00:14:02,784 --> 00:14:06,154 and transforms it for mainstream US tastes. 235 00:14:06,221 --> 00:14:08,023 MEAT: I eat at Taco Bell whenever I can. 236 00:14:08,090 --> 00:14:10,092 I think their tacos are incredible. 237 00:14:10,826 --> 00:14:14,630 TIFFANI: It was like hands down my favourite. 238 00:14:14,696 --> 00:14:18,400 EDUARDO: It was never something I thought of as Mexican food. 239 00:14:18,467 --> 00:14:21,470 - It was its own thing. - CLAUDIA: Are they authentic Mexican? 240 00:14:21,536 --> 00:14:22,671 We know they're not. 241 00:14:22,738 --> 00:14:25,507 But at the end of the day, everybody loves tacos, 242 00:14:25,574 --> 00:14:27,910 and Taco Bell was really at the helm of that. 243 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:33,649 NARRATOR: As the eighties roll in, 244 00:14:33,715 --> 00:14:37,853 Taco Bell has become a familiar part of American life. 245 00:14:39,788 --> 00:14:42,758 But in 1988, due to an ever-expanding 246 00:14:42,824 --> 00:14:47,095 fast-food market, their sales have nose-dived. 247 00:14:47,162 --> 00:14:51,333 Needing to reinvent their image, they introduce a maverick plan. 248 00:14:52,501 --> 00:14:54,503 MALE: You'll love our 59-cent value menu, 249 00:14:54,569 --> 00:14:56,939 guaranteed or your money back. 250 00:15:03,679 --> 00:15:08,717 NARRATOR: In 1989, Taco Bell drops the price of six popular items, 251 00:15:08,784 --> 00:15:11,887 and launches its famous value meal. 252 00:15:14,156 --> 00:15:16,158 TIFFANI: We used to get the value meal and we'd go to the beach 253 00:15:16,224 --> 00:15:19,528 and we'd sit all day, wearing no sunscreen. 254 00:15:21,029 --> 00:15:26,435 ALVIN: The value meal is about speed, low cost, and convenience. 255 00:15:26,501 --> 00:15:29,738 You looked at the cost of buying the vegetables in the supermarket, 256 00:15:29,805 --> 00:15:33,208 the cost of cooking it at home, what was cheaper? 257 00:15:33,275 --> 00:15:37,212 Fast food. Which was quicker? Fast food. 258 00:15:39,815 --> 00:15:42,017 NARRATOR: The value meal pays off big. 259 00:15:42,084 --> 00:15:45,988 Taco Bells gobbles 70 percent of the Mexican fast food market, 260 00:15:46,054 --> 00:15:49,257 and their profits jump by 25 percent. 261 00:15:49,324 --> 00:15:52,027 It's a call to arms, and their competitors 262 00:15:52,094 --> 00:15:54,363 soon add their own value menus, 263 00:15:54,429 --> 00:15:57,699 starting a price cutting war that continues to this day. 264 00:15:57,766 --> 00:16:03,071 ALVIN: You saw as every other fast food chain got on that bandwagon. 265 00:16:03,138 --> 00:16:06,441 The value meals are very characteristic of the 1980s, 266 00:16:06,508 --> 00:16:09,611 and Taco Bell's was at the essence of it. 267 00:16:09,678 --> 00:16:12,381 TIFFANI: Taco Bell changed the way some families 268 00:16:12,447 --> 00:16:14,483 were able to feed their families. 269 00:16:14,549 --> 00:16:16,985 There were times that my dad was working two jobs. 270 00:16:17,052 --> 00:16:20,122 That fast food every now and then was life-saving, 271 00:16:20,188 --> 00:16:21,690 for time but also for money. 272 00:16:24,860 --> 00:16:27,562 NARRATOR: So, let's take a look at our ranking menu. 273 00:16:27,629 --> 00:16:30,699 Arby's curly fries spirals at number 10. 274 00:16:30,766 --> 00:16:34,069 Sliding in at number nine, it's the Chicken Little. 275 00:16:34,136 --> 00:16:36,671 Wendy's Superbar is our number eight. 276 00:16:36,738 --> 00:16:39,541 And Taco Bell has cornered the number seven. 277 00:16:39,608 --> 00:16:43,311 But what hot little number will pop in at number six? 278 00:16:43,378 --> 00:16:45,947 LONI: You don't know what the hell was inside of it, 279 00:16:46,014 --> 00:16:49,518 but if you cooked it right, you had glory. 280 00:16:54,523 --> 00:16:58,593 ROB: Our number six is living proof of a memorable line from Hamilton, 281 00:16:58,660 --> 00:17:01,329 and that is that immigrants get the job done. 282 00:17:01,396 --> 00:17:05,434 Let's meet two guys from Iran, who definitely got the job done. 283 00:17:07,169 --> 00:17:08,270 Ow. 284 00:17:12,307 --> 00:17:16,778 NARRATOR: Having immigrated to the US in the 1960s, in 1977, 285 00:17:16,845 --> 00:17:20,982 brothers Paul and David Merage found Chef America. 286 00:17:21,049 --> 00:17:25,053 Their start-up becomes a big success, selling frozen foods. 287 00:17:25,120 --> 00:17:29,191 But by the early eighties, the brothers are looking for the next big thing, 288 00:17:29,257 --> 00:17:32,727 and soon they spot two emerging trends. 289 00:17:32,794 --> 00:17:34,129 TIFFANI: The microwave. 290 00:17:34,196 --> 00:17:39,301 The fact that you could make a meal in two minutes was huge. 291 00:17:40,135 --> 00:17:43,105 NARRATOR: In the eighties, the microwave was the fastest growing 292 00:17:43,171 --> 00:17:46,541 kitchen appliance sold in the United States. 293 00:17:46,608 --> 00:17:50,679 By 1986, more than 60 percent of homes have one 294 00:17:50,745 --> 00:17:54,249 and there's a good reason for that. 295 00:17:54,316 --> 00:17:56,985 MALE: Nearly half the American labor force is now female, 296 00:17:57,052 --> 00:18:01,089 the result of changes in attitudes, politics and laws. 297 00:18:01,156 --> 00:18:04,793 NARRATOR: And many of those working women are also mothers. 298 00:18:04,860 --> 00:18:06,661 SETH: If you had a family with a working mother, 299 00:18:06,728 --> 00:18:09,197 the microwave was absolutely your best friend. 300 00:18:09,264 --> 00:18:10,932 A kid could come home from school, 301 00:18:10,999 --> 00:18:13,335 make himself dinner in like two minutes 302 00:18:13,401 --> 00:18:15,570 without any chance of burning down the house. 303 00:18:15,637 --> 00:18:18,206 NARRATOR: In the eighties, latchkey kids, 304 00:18:18,273 --> 00:18:21,576 unsupervised minors who'd come home to an empty house, 305 00:18:21,643 --> 00:18:22,711 become a phenomenon. 306 00:18:26,948 --> 00:18:29,584 FEMALE: So, these kids are spending part of their camp day learning 307 00:18:29,651 --> 00:18:32,454 how to be secure latchkey children. 308 00:18:32,521 --> 00:18:36,024 ADAM: I was a latchkey kid and my mom, you know, 309 00:18:36,091 --> 00:18:39,294 was just amazing and worked many, many jobs 310 00:18:39,361 --> 00:18:43,965 so that we could get by, and very often I would get home before she would. 311 00:18:45,534 --> 00:18:48,436 NARRATOR: The Merage brothers realized that if they can create a snack 312 00:18:48,503 --> 00:18:52,974 easy enough for kids to microwave on their own, they'd have a winner. 313 00:18:53,041 --> 00:18:55,110 But that's not as simple as it sounds. 314 00:18:56,578 --> 00:18:59,381 SHAWN: Early microwaves never heated things evenly, 315 00:18:59,447 --> 00:19:03,985 so you had to constantly come up with creative solutions. 316 00:19:04,052 --> 00:19:05,754 JAMES: And I think a lot of people learned pretty fast 317 00:19:05,820 --> 00:19:07,822 that microwaves are good at certain things, 318 00:19:07,889 --> 00:19:10,492 not very good at other things. 319 00:19:10,559 --> 00:19:12,327 NARRATOR: But with so much to gain, 320 00:19:12,394 --> 00:19:15,163 the brothers decide they need to go for broke. 321 00:19:15,230 --> 00:19:20,402 They spend years developing a way to make microwave food crispy. 322 00:19:22,170 --> 00:19:23,605 FEMALE: (Singing) Hot Pockets, hot. 323 00:19:23,672 --> 00:19:26,541 When you want a hot meal, without a big deal. 324 00:19:26,608 --> 00:19:28,009 Hot Pockets. 325 00:19:28,076 --> 00:19:30,412 NARRATOR: The key to their success is a magic 326 00:19:30,478 --> 00:19:33,481 metalized inner sleeve now as a susceptor, 327 00:19:33,548 --> 00:19:36,585 that brilliant mimics the effects of home baking, 328 00:19:36,651 --> 00:19:41,690 keeping the insider piping hot, and the outside brown and crispy. 329 00:19:41,756 --> 00:19:45,393 ADAM: You put them in that little magic sleeve and nuked it. 330 00:19:45,460 --> 00:19:47,629 CLAUDIA: I mean, that was just so innovative. 331 00:19:47,696 --> 00:19:51,132 It gave you the opportunity to toast inside of a microwave. 332 00:19:51,199 --> 00:19:53,435 NARRATOR: This cutting-edge technology helps create 333 00:19:53,501 --> 00:19:55,870 an easy snack that speaks to the cravings 334 00:19:55,937 --> 00:19:58,340 of the latchkey kid generation. 335 00:19:58,873 --> 00:20:03,712 Who needs Mom when you can instantly crisp up one of these babies? 336 00:20:03,778 --> 00:20:05,413 - WOMAN: Ham and cheese. - GIRL: Pizza please. 337 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:06,681 - BOY: Barbecue. - MAN: It's for you. 338 00:20:08,149 --> 00:20:10,585 JEN: If you're a kid who was like a latchkey kid, 339 00:20:10,652 --> 00:20:12,387 came home from school, 340 00:20:12,454 --> 00:20:14,656 you know at least how to heat up a Hot Pocket. 341 00:20:14,723 --> 00:20:16,658 CLAUDIA: They were a staple for all of us. 342 00:20:16,725 --> 00:20:19,594 Pick up a hot pocket, put it in the microwave, and you're done. 343 00:20:20,729 --> 00:20:23,265 NARRATOR: The Merage brothers' ingenuity and persistence 344 00:20:23,331 --> 00:20:26,768 means this tasty snack transforms mealtimes, 345 00:20:26,835 --> 00:20:30,138 and earns an enduring cult status. 346 00:20:30,205 --> 00:20:31,773 REGINALD: I will confess this about Hot Pockets. 347 00:20:35,043 --> 00:20:39,547 I had a Hot Pocket about two years ago, and they still good. 348 00:20:47,055 --> 00:20:50,125 ROB: Try the Hot Pockets, they're breathtaking. 349 00:20:51,026 --> 00:20:53,795 Five down. Five to go. 350 00:20:53,862 --> 00:20:55,930 We've covered some of the main food groups, 351 00:20:55,997 --> 00:20:59,000 from Chicken Little to the unlimited buffet, 352 00:20:59,067 --> 00:21:02,937 but one genius brand told us that the point of fast food, 353 00:21:03,004 --> 00:21:07,309 was to lose all of the weight that we'd been gaining. 354 00:21:07,375 --> 00:21:08,610 Our number five. 355 00:21:13,114 --> 00:21:15,016 CLAUDIA: Americans love to eat. 356 00:21:15,083 --> 00:21:17,218 I mean, we are the supersize culture. 357 00:21:17,285 --> 00:21:20,588 But then of course, what happens when we supersize everything? 358 00:21:20,655 --> 00:21:24,059 We realise that our waistline also supersizes. 359 00:21:24,125 --> 00:21:26,928 NARRATOR: In 1980, the US government publishes 360 00:21:26,995 --> 00:21:29,631 its first set of dietary guidelines, 361 00:21:29,698 --> 00:21:33,034 noting the connection between diet and heart disease. 362 00:21:33,101 --> 00:21:35,570 FEMALE: From fried chicken to hot dogs to ice cream, 363 00:21:35,637 --> 00:21:39,040 American diets are soaked in fat. 364 00:21:39,107 --> 00:21:41,142 NARRATOR: And by the mid-eighties, dieting 365 00:21:41,209 --> 00:21:44,212 has become a $10 billion business. 366 00:21:44,279 --> 00:21:45,880 MALE: The champagne diet. 367 00:21:45,947 --> 00:21:47,582 FEMALE: The great American sandwich diet. 368 00:21:47,649 --> 00:21:50,118 MALE: The grapefruit 45 fat burner plan just may be 369 00:21:50,185 --> 00:21:53,188 the most successful weight loss program ever. 370 00:21:53,722 --> 00:21:57,325 NARRATOR: The pressure for women to be thin is everywhere. 371 00:21:57,392 --> 00:22:00,395 FEMALE: Particularly for women, dissatisfaction with body image 372 00:22:00,462 --> 00:22:03,932 is absolutely pervasive in American society. 373 00:22:05,233 --> 00:22:08,336 JENNIFER: Celebrities like Jane Fonda, Cindy Crawford, 374 00:22:08,403 --> 00:22:11,940 were super thin, super fit, and that's really what 375 00:22:12,006 --> 00:22:15,543 women in the eighties felt they should look like. 376 00:22:16,044 --> 00:22:19,314 FEMALE: This is no rehearsal for a stage show chorus line. 377 00:22:19,381 --> 00:22:22,684 This is Jazzersize, the latest way to exercise. 378 00:22:23,852 --> 00:22:27,322 ROBERT: Everybody's trying to get fit and, uh 379 00:22:27,389 --> 00:22:28,723 well what are you going to eat? 380 00:22:30,558 --> 00:22:34,696 NARRATOR: For many, the answer to that was a revolutionary product 381 00:22:34,763 --> 00:22:36,965 that sparked such a buying frenzy 382 00:22:37,031 --> 00:22:39,768 it emptied shelves across the US. 383 00:22:45,073 --> 00:22:48,510 NARRATOR: In the 1980s, a humble unit of measurement changes 384 00:22:48,576 --> 00:22:52,013 the way we look at food. The calorie. 385 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,282 Counting these calories had been made popular 386 00:22:54,349 --> 00:22:56,985 by bodybuilders in the late seventies. 387 00:22:57,051 --> 00:23:01,122 And in 1981, frozen food manufacturer Stouffer's 388 00:23:01,189 --> 00:23:05,727 launches a meal that promises to be 300 calories or less. 389 00:23:07,262 --> 00:23:10,231 FEMALE: Now when you watch your weight, do it deliciously, 390 00:23:10,298 --> 00:23:13,535 with new Lean Cuisine, from Stouffer's. 391 00:23:13,601 --> 00:23:15,570 CLAUDIA: The advertisers nailed it with this, right, 392 00:23:15,637 --> 00:23:17,405 everybody wanted to lose some weight, 393 00:23:17,472 --> 00:23:20,842 and they wanted the fastest and more affordable way to do that. 394 00:23:20,909 --> 00:23:22,811 NARRATOR: Lean Cuisine is so popular, 395 00:23:22,877 --> 00:23:26,448 stores can't keep up with demand, and sell out. 396 00:23:26,514 --> 00:23:28,516 MEAT: There may have been some diet meals before, 397 00:23:28,583 --> 00:23:32,387 but nothing attacked the population like Lean Cuisine. 398 00:23:32,454 --> 00:23:33,721 MALE: This is the hot stuff. 399 00:23:33,788 --> 00:23:37,625 Premium single serving dinners of about 300 calories. 400 00:23:37,692 --> 00:23:39,694 This segment of the frozen food industry 401 00:23:39,761 --> 00:23:41,362 is the hottest thing going right now. 402 00:23:47,669 --> 00:23:49,471 NARRATOR: Lean Cuisine makes the painstaking 403 00:23:49,537 --> 00:23:52,974 work of counting calories easy. 404 00:23:54,075 --> 00:23:57,879 KATIE: Lean Cuisine took the guesswork out of what you were eating. 405 00:23:57,946 --> 00:24:00,949 The calories had already been counted. 406 00:24:01,015 --> 00:24:03,618 JEN: There was this idea that if you ate a Lean Cuisine meal, 407 00:24:03,685 --> 00:24:04,853 you know, once a day, 408 00:24:04,919 --> 00:24:07,121 that somehow the pounds were just going to fall off. 409 00:24:07,188 --> 00:24:10,191 FEMALE: Low calories, light food, therefore healthy. 410 00:24:10,258 --> 00:24:12,327 JACKIE: I'm going to be healthy; I'm going to be fit; 411 00:24:12,393 --> 00:24:14,329 I'm going to eat a Lean Cuisine. 412 00:24:14,395 --> 00:24:17,198 JENNIFER: Lean Cuisine is probably not 413 00:24:17,265 --> 00:24:19,501 the most healthy thing that someone could eat, 414 00:24:19,567 --> 00:24:21,302 it's still processed food. 415 00:24:21,369 --> 00:24:25,740 ROBERT: But the significance of Lean Cuisine was that 416 00:24:25,807 --> 00:24:29,544 it was the right idea for the right time. 417 00:24:29,611 --> 00:24:31,379 NARRATOR: By the end of the decade, 418 00:24:31,446 --> 00:24:35,283 Lean Cuisine is only one diet regime among many. 419 00:24:35,350 --> 00:24:37,118 But the calorie counting revolution 420 00:24:37,185 --> 00:24:40,788 they helped start remains with us to this day. 421 00:24:40,855 --> 00:24:42,457 MEAT: I looked last night in my freezer. 422 00:24:42,524 --> 00:24:43,458 I still have four. 423 00:24:46,261 --> 00:24:49,063 ROB: So many fast foods, so little time. 424 00:24:49,130 --> 00:24:52,300 And time is the essence of our next contender. 425 00:24:52,367 --> 00:24:55,970 Rather than you go to the food, how about we figure out a way 426 00:24:56,037 --> 00:24:59,173 to get the food to you in 30 minutes or less. 427 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:00,408 Well I can instantly tell you 428 00:25:00,475 --> 00:25:03,511 that this special delivery is our number four. 429 00:25:10,151 --> 00:25:11,853 WAITRESS: Hiya Tony, two or three? 430 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:13,454 TONY: Two. Two. Give me two, that's good. 431 00:25:15,290 --> 00:25:18,660 NARRATOR: Americans have loved pizza since the dawn of time. 432 00:25:21,829 --> 00:25:25,166 But how did we jump from eating slices in a local pizzeria, 433 00:25:25,233 --> 00:25:30,405 to expecting whole pies delivered to our door while still piping hot? 434 00:25:30,471 --> 00:25:34,909 As with so many things, we have the eighties to thank for that. 435 00:25:34,976 --> 00:25:37,545 CLAUDIA: The fact that you can get a pizza at your home, 436 00:25:37,612 --> 00:25:41,015 that's freshly baked, that's still gooey and melty and delicious, 437 00:25:41,082 --> 00:25:45,053 I mean that was the holy grail of pizza. 438 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:47,488 Yes. Yes. (Laughs) 439 00:25:50,892 --> 00:25:53,428 NARRATOR: Pizza delivery becomes big business, 440 00:25:53,494 --> 00:25:57,665 and a national obsession that reflects the era's need for speed. 441 00:25:57,732 --> 00:25:59,934 CRISTELA: The whole culture was now, I can do it now, 442 00:26:00,001 --> 00:26:02,904 I can always get it now. Now, now, now. 443 00:26:02,971 --> 00:26:07,241 NARRATOR: But nobody likes cold pizza, and in 1984, 444 00:26:07,308 --> 00:26:11,879 Domino's gets a brilliant streetwise idea. 445 00:26:11,946 --> 00:26:15,183 When founder Tom Monaghan redefines his brand, 446 00:26:15,249 --> 00:26:17,852 and the entire concept of fast food. 447 00:26:20,321 --> 00:26:21,889 MALE: So, when you want hot, delicious, 448 00:26:21,956 --> 00:26:24,859 quality pizza, delivered in less than 30 minutes, 449 00:26:24,926 --> 00:26:26,761 Domino's Pizza delivers. 450 00:26:26,828 --> 00:26:29,263 One call does it all. 451 00:26:29,330 --> 00:26:33,034 KEVIN: The big thing was like 30 minutes or your pizza's free. 452 00:26:33,101 --> 00:26:35,203 And, you know, everyone loves free. 453 00:26:36,371 --> 00:26:39,340 ADAM: Everyone wants to sort of game it out and see what happens. 454 00:26:42,243 --> 00:26:44,245 JEN: Are you rooting for Domino's to get there faster cause you're hungry, 455 00:26:44,312 --> 00:26:46,848 or do you want them to show up 32 minutes 456 00:26:46,914 --> 00:26:49,717 after you call so that you get a free pizza? 457 00:26:50,351 --> 00:26:52,553 ADAM: I have friends that would literally set timers. 458 00:26:54,689 --> 00:26:56,824 REGINALD: I got so many free pizzas. 459 00:26:58,159 --> 00:27:00,561 I'd be like, hello brother, I think you will find 460 00:27:00,628 --> 00:27:03,798 that you've arrived 32 minutes and 15 seconds. 461 00:27:03,865 --> 00:27:06,000 Yeah, that's what I thought. 462 00:27:08,202 --> 00:27:10,538 NARRATOR: Weaponizing home delivery gives Domino's 463 00:27:10,605 --> 00:27:14,242 the edge over its rivals, and in the eighties it becomes 464 00:27:14,308 --> 00:27:17,879 one of the largest fast food enterprises in the world. 465 00:27:17,945 --> 00:27:23,951 MALE: From 400 stores in 1978, Domino's now lays claim to nearly 3000. 466 00:27:24,018 --> 00:27:26,454 NARRATOR: But the runaway success of the promotion 467 00:27:26,521 --> 00:27:30,024 eventually begins to speed dangerously out of control. 468 00:27:33,227 --> 00:27:36,731 Domino's need for speed has become a killer, 469 00:27:36,798 --> 00:27:38,900 causing a national outcry. 470 00:27:41,903 --> 00:27:44,906 MALE: We're not talking about any kind of emergency situation; 471 00:27:44,972 --> 00:27:46,741 we're talking about pizzas. 472 00:27:46,808 --> 00:27:49,744 NARRATOR: But in 1993, a St Louis woman hit 473 00:27:49,811 --> 00:27:54,982 by a Domino's driver is awarded 79 million dollars in damages, 474 00:27:55,049 --> 00:27:58,152 and the brakes are finally put on. 475 00:27:58,219 --> 00:28:00,988 ANCHOR: Domino's Pizza has abandoned one of its longest running 476 00:28:01,055 --> 00:28:02,990 and controversial promotions. 477 00:28:03,057 --> 00:28:05,093 It will no longer guarantee that you'll get 478 00:28:05,159 --> 00:28:07,061 your pie within 30 minutes. 479 00:28:07,128 --> 00:28:09,363 TOM: I just didn't feel I could put a hundred 480 00:28:09,430 --> 00:28:13,701 and some thousand Domino's people in jeopardy. 481 00:28:13,768 --> 00:28:15,570 NARRATOR: It's the end of an era, 482 00:28:15,636 --> 00:28:18,673 but the policy has a lasting impact. 483 00:28:18,740 --> 00:28:23,511 Today, Domino's is the highest grossing pizza chain in the world, 484 00:28:23,578 --> 00:28:26,447 and home delivered pizza has been permanently baked 485 00:28:26,514 --> 00:28:28,316 into American popular culture. 486 00:28:30,885 --> 00:28:37,658 MALE: Give me that. Hey, this is a 10. The tab's 13. 487 00:28:37,725 --> 00:28:39,160 TURTLE: You're two minutes late dude. 488 00:28:39,227 --> 00:28:42,063 Never pay full price for late pizza. 489 00:28:42,130 --> 00:28:43,998 MALE: I gotta get a new route. 490 00:28:44,065 --> 00:28:46,100 Hummmm. 491 00:28:46,167 --> 00:28:49,337 ROB: Now I won't comment on the actual gourmet quality of Domino's 492 00:28:49,403 --> 00:28:51,773 but I understand why it's so high on the list, 493 00:28:51,839 --> 00:28:54,776 because the whole idea revolved around fast delivery, which, 494 00:28:54,842 --> 00:28:57,945 if you think about it, might have inspired 495 00:28:58,012 --> 00:29:01,182 a little product delivery company by the name of Amazon. 496 00:29:01,249 --> 00:29:02,650 I'm just saying. 497 00:29:03,451 --> 00:29:05,219 NARRATOR: Domino's rushed delivery earned 498 00:29:05,286 --> 00:29:08,356 it a place as our number four, ahead of Lean Cuisine 499 00:29:08,422 --> 00:29:12,326 and Hot Pockets, but it can't beat our final three. 500 00:29:12,393 --> 00:29:18,099 Next, the war to end all wars, fought under golden arches. 501 00:29:18,166 --> 00:29:19,400 MEAT: It's called Burger King. 502 00:29:19,467 --> 00:29:22,570 McDonald's is called McDonald's and that was a clown. 503 00:29:22,637 --> 00:29:27,942 LONI: It was the king and it was royal, but it really wasn't royal. 504 00:29:28,009 --> 00:29:29,610 KIDS: Burger King, yay! 505 00:29:33,481 --> 00:29:37,351 ROB: Well now we're down to the big three eighties foods. 506 00:29:37,418 --> 00:29:39,453 They have a few things in common. First, 507 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:41,622 they're all very much a part of our daily lives, 508 00:29:41,689 --> 00:29:44,559 second, they've made billions for their creators, 509 00:29:44,625 --> 00:29:48,362 and finally, they all have insanely catchy names. 510 00:29:48,429 --> 00:29:52,300 And no name was more of a mouthful than our number three. 511 00:29:54,635 --> 00:29:58,372 REGINALD: I remember being about six or seven years old, 512 00:29:58,439 --> 00:30:02,643 and back then, a Whopper was huge. 513 00:30:02,710 --> 00:30:06,747 NARRATOR: The Whopper has been Burger King's signature dish since 1957. 514 00:30:08,683 --> 00:30:11,419 LONI: Now you see I'm a burger connoisseur of course. 515 00:30:11,485 --> 00:30:14,455 My favourite fast food place was Burger King. 516 00:30:14,522 --> 00:30:17,658 I mean, it was something about that burger. 517 00:30:19,527 --> 00:30:21,362 CLAUDIA: That flame-broiled goodness 518 00:30:21,429 --> 00:30:23,631 that's just absolutely delicious. 519 00:30:26,033 --> 00:30:29,203 NARRATOR: Beloved as it may be, Burger King is far from 520 00:30:29,270 --> 00:30:31,906 the only burger joint on the block. 521 00:30:31,973 --> 00:30:34,675 In the early eighties, competition from Wendy's 522 00:30:34,742 --> 00:30:37,311 and other chains is heating up. 523 00:30:37,378 --> 00:30:42,683 And Burger King is lagging behind market Goliath McDonald's. 524 00:30:42,750 --> 00:30:44,585 KEVIN: Burger King had to gain a foothold, 525 00:30:44,652 --> 00:30:47,989 a toehold against the juggernaut that was Ronald McDonald. 526 00:30:49,523 --> 00:30:51,425 ADAM: The hamburger is the national sandwich, 527 00:30:51,492 --> 00:30:53,961 so to be the best, to have the best hamburger, 528 00:30:54,028 --> 00:30:56,197 to have the most popular hamburger, is the holy grail. 529 00:30:58,132 --> 00:31:01,135 NARRATOR: So, in 1982, Burger King kicks off 530 00:31:01,202 --> 00:31:04,939 what became known as the Battle of the Burgers. 531 00:31:05,006 --> 00:31:09,510 And in true eighties fashion, they take no prisoners. 532 00:31:10,177 --> 00:31:12,747 BRIAN: McDonald's and Burger King were always sort of the Marvel 533 00:31:12,813 --> 00:31:15,650 and DC of their generation when it came to fast food. 534 00:31:15,716 --> 00:31:19,186 NARRATOR: Burger King's weapon of mass digestion? The Whopper. 535 00:31:19,253 --> 00:31:21,522 MALE: Burger King's new ad campaign involves the claim 536 00:31:21,589 --> 00:31:25,259 that consumers prefer the Whopper over the Big Mac. 537 00:31:25,326 --> 00:31:27,695 The fast food battle rages on. 538 00:31:27,762 --> 00:31:29,697 NARRATOR: Burger King's provocative claims 539 00:31:29,764 --> 00:31:31,866 become a whopping big deal. 540 00:31:31,933 --> 00:31:36,404 They enlist a young Elisabeth Shue in their advertising campaign. 541 00:31:36,470 --> 00:31:38,873 FEMALE: All you do is buy one Whopper and say: 542 00:31:38,940 --> 00:31:40,241 COUPLE: The Whopper beats the Big Mac. 543 00:31:40,308 --> 00:31:43,044 FEMALE: Just say that and get your second Whopper free. 544 00:31:44,946 --> 00:31:48,683 REGINALD: I remember when I went, it was like loads 545 00:31:48,749 --> 00:31:53,287 of poor black folks going, the Whopper beats the Big Mac. (Laughs) 546 00:31:53,354 --> 00:31:54,588 The Whopper beats the Big Mac. 547 00:31:54,655 --> 00:31:56,590 And eventually some dudes would get to the counter 548 00:31:56,657 --> 00:31:59,393 and they'd be like, hey man, you know this (bleep) I ain't saying that, 549 00:31:59,460 --> 00:32:02,763 just give me my Whopper. (Laughs) 550 00:32:02,830 --> 00:32:04,732 STEVE: We had people lined up out in the streets. 551 00:32:04,799 --> 00:32:07,001 We had groups of teenagers coming in singing it. 552 00:32:07,068 --> 00:32:13,240 We had, that weekend alone, 10 million people mouthing our claim. 553 00:32:13,307 --> 00:32:15,609 NARRATOR: McDonald's is less than pleased. 554 00:32:15,676 --> 00:32:20,514 They bite back by suing, and Burger King agrees to shelve its campaign. 555 00:32:20,581 --> 00:32:23,351 But a year later, Burger King's at it again. 556 00:32:23,417 --> 00:32:27,121 This time using the Whopper to trash McDonald's cooking methods. 557 00:32:29,857 --> 00:32:34,762 MALE: Burger King presents broiling versus frying. 558 00:32:34,829 --> 00:32:37,164 FEMALE: At this time, Burger King would like to suggest 559 00:32:37,231 --> 00:32:40,167 that everybody from McDonald's please leave the room. 560 00:32:40,234 --> 00:32:41,802 Now, the rest of you ready? 561 00:32:41,869 --> 00:32:44,939 ROBERT: And they said, oh our burgers are flame-broiled, 562 00:32:45,006 --> 00:32:47,441 you know, and the implication was, oh, if you go to McDonald's, 563 00:32:47,508 --> 00:32:49,877 your burgers are sitting in a puddle of grease. 564 00:32:49,944 --> 00:32:54,215 REGINALD: We ain't like these other people that use a frying pan. No. 565 00:32:55,416 --> 00:32:59,286 NARRATOR: Now imitation is the sincerest form of fast food, 566 00:32:59,353 --> 00:33:04,458 and in 1984, McDonald's concocts the ultimate Whopper stopper, 567 00:33:04,525 --> 00:33:08,295 spending $100 million on an ad campaign, 568 00:33:08,362 --> 00:33:11,599 featuring a pre-Seinfeld Jason Alexander. 569 00:33:11,665 --> 00:33:14,869 It launches its own version of the Whopper. 570 00:33:14,935 --> 00:33:17,405 JASON: Hey, you say you're getting tired of lettuce and tomato hamburgers 571 00:33:17,471 --> 00:33:19,340 in this town that don't quite make it? 572 00:33:19,407 --> 00:33:20,241 ALL: Yeah! 573 00:33:20,307 --> 00:33:21,709 JASON: The McDLT. 574 00:33:21,776 --> 00:33:25,746 ADAM: McDonald's separated the hot elements of the burger 575 00:33:25,813 --> 00:33:27,848 and the cold elements of the burger 576 00:33:27,915 --> 00:33:30,284 in a double wide Styrofoam container, 577 00:33:30,351 --> 00:33:32,586 just the ultimate eff you to the environment. 578 00:33:32,653 --> 00:33:35,423 JASON: Could be the best tasting lettuce and tomato hamburger ever. 579 00:33:35,489 --> 00:33:37,691 ALL: (Singing) New McDLT. 580 00:33:37,758 --> 00:33:39,894 NARRATOR: But under pressure from environmentalists 581 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,997 and a growing awareness of the hazards of Styrofoam, 582 00:33:43,064 --> 00:33:46,133 McDonald's consigns this double wide McMissfire 583 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,469 to the trash bin of history. 584 00:33:52,506 --> 00:33:56,544 Despite fighting off rivals, Burger King never quite steals 585 00:33:56,610 --> 00:33:58,479 the burger crown. 586 00:33:58,546 --> 00:34:00,881 But their scorched earth tactics in the burger 587 00:34:00,948 --> 00:34:04,051 wars boost sales by a whopping 15 percent. 588 00:34:08,055 --> 00:34:12,927 It seals their position as one of the true giants of the burger world.. 589 00:34:14,829 --> 00:34:16,931 ROB: Size isn't everything. 590 00:34:16,997 --> 00:34:19,500 Well I think if we're being completely honest, we know it helps. 591 00:34:19,567 --> 00:34:21,402 Especially when it comes to soda. 592 00:34:21,469 --> 00:34:24,505 Fill a mega sized container with mass quantities of sugar 593 00:34:24,572 --> 00:34:26,907 and, well, you've got our number two. 594 00:34:29,844 --> 00:34:31,745 ELLEN: Why on earth would anybody want this much soda 595 00:34:31,812 --> 00:34:35,850 when they could have this much soda? 596 00:34:37,918 --> 00:34:41,856 NARRATOR: In the late 1970s, 7-Eleven is everywhere, 597 00:34:41,922 --> 00:34:44,992 with over 6000 stores worldwide. 598 00:34:45,059 --> 00:34:48,696 Sales of soda and their own invention, the Slurpee, 599 00:34:48,762 --> 00:34:50,731 are an important part of its business. 600 00:34:50,798 --> 00:34:53,701 MALE: Get your Big Gulp at 7-Eleven. 601 00:34:53,767 --> 00:34:57,071 You drugstore cowboy, you. 602 00:34:58,539 --> 00:35:02,877 NARRATOR: In 1976, 7-Eleven tries out a 32 ounce cup, 603 00:35:02,943 --> 00:35:06,046 equivalent to over two cans of regular soda. 604 00:35:06,113 --> 00:35:08,549 Of course it's an immediate success. 605 00:35:08,616 --> 00:35:11,886 JON: The Big Gulp was an example of supersizing a drink, 606 00:35:11,952 --> 00:35:13,954 cause it was so cheap, cause it's just corn syrup, 607 00:35:14,021 --> 00:35:16,257 which is nothing because of the low price of corn. 608 00:35:17,591 --> 00:35:19,693 NARRATOR: But this is only the beginning. 609 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:22,596 In the 1980s, government legislation makes 610 00:35:22,663 --> 00:35:25,366 the syrupy corn at the heart of the Big Gulp, 611 00:35:25,432 --> 00:35:29,637 already an inexpensive ingredient, even cheaper. 612 00:35:29,703 --> 00:35:34,375 ALVIN: In the 1980s, there was a focus on farm subsidies in America. 613 00:35:34,441 --> 00:35:37,811 Farmers would grow the food, and then when it was sold on, 614 00:35:37,878 --> 00:35:42,316 manufacturers could produce something at such a low cost, 615 00:35:42,383 --> 00:35:44,919 because it was subsidised by the US government. 616 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:50,591 NARRATOR: And that subsidy trickles down into 7-Eleven's soda sizes. 617 00:35:50,658 --> 00:35:54,795 In 1983, 7-Eleven's cup runneth over. 618 00:35:54,862 --> 00:35:58,432 They introduce the 44 ounce Super Big Gulp. 619 00:36:02,069 --> 00:36:05,105 KEVIN: The Big Gulp, one of the best branded 620 00:36:05,172 --> 00:36:07,741 pieces of merchandise in advertising history. 621 00:36:07,808 --> 00:36:09,310 It says exactly what it is. 622 00:36:09,376 --> 00:36:12,546 It's a big gulp man, it's a lot of liquid. 623 00:36:12,613 --> 00:36:15,349 NARRATOR: The bigger gulp is a big success, 624 00:36:15,416 --> 00:36:20,754 and as bigger cups mean bigger profits, 7-Eleven goes even bigger, 625 00:36:20,821 --> 00:36:25,793 introducing the 64-ounce Double Gulp is 1988. 626 00:36:25,859 --> 00:36:28,729 MALE: Now that's what I call a large. 627 00:36:28,796 --> 00:36:29,863 BRIAN: To put this in context, 628 00:36:29,930 --> 00:36:31,932 there were no free refills in the eighties. 629 00:36:31,999 --> 00:36:36,070 Getting as much soda as you could possibly carry was just heaven. 630 00:36:36,937 --> 00:36:38,772 KATIE: Overnight, it seemed like 631 00:36:38,839 --> 00:36:43,210 kids were walking around with these barrel sized drinks, 632 00:36:43,277 --> 00:36:45,679 and the straw stuck into their face, 633 00:36:45,746 --> 00:36:48,415 like it was almost an oxygen tank. 634 00:36:48,482 --> 00:36:50,451 AMBER: We used to get the biggest Big Gulp, 635 00:36:50,517 --> 00:36:52,886 and my sister and I used to share it. 636 00:36:52,953 --> 00:36:55,889 We called them suicides, so we would put literally 637 00:36:55,956 --> 00:37:00,995 every single flavor of soda or Slurpee 638 00:37:01,061 --> 00:37:03,530 or whatever it was, in the cup, in the Big Gulp. 639 00:37:04,565 --> 00:37:06,166 ALVIN: It felt like a bargain, 640 00:37:06,233 --> 00:37:10,704 and that's at the heart of a lot of American culture. 641 00:37:11,205 --> 00:37:14,141 Size versus price. 642 00:37:14,208 --> 00:37:17,778 NARRATOR: Once the cup is out the bag, there's no going back. 643 00:37:17,845 --> 00:37:20,981 Despite concerns that the giant soda craze of the eighties 644 00:37:21,048 --> 00:37:23,751 might be kicking off an obesity crisis. 645 00:37:23,817 --> 00:37:27,488 BLOOMBERG: This is becoming a devastating public health issue. 646 00:37:27,554 --> 00:37:28,956 It's an epidemic. 647 00:37:30,190 --> 00:37:33,193 NARRATOR: An attempt by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg 648 00:37:33,260 --> 00:37:38,365 to ban the sale of sodas over 16 ounces predictably falls flat. 649 00:37:39,733 --> 00:37:41,235 PROTESTOR: I'm here to tell Mayor Bloomberg 650 00:37:41,302 --> 00:37:42,569 that if I want to drink a Big Gulp, 651 00:37:42,636 --> 00:37:44,238 I'm gonna drink a Big Gulp. 652 00:37:44,305 --> 00:37:46,440 ADAM: Having a huge beverage that was cheap 653 00:37:46,507 --> 00:37:48,309 and you could carry with you wherever you went, 654 00:37:48,375 --> 00:37:51,478 was kind of like a trophy of American commercialism. 655 00:37:51,545 --> 00:37:54,114 NARRATOR: But apparently America's thirst for Big Gulps 656 00:37:54,181 --> 00:37:55,783 is unquenchable. 657 00:37:55,849 --> 00:37:59,887 BRIAN: It was a huge deal to try to drink yourself sick. 658 00:37:59,953 --> 00:38:01,455 MILLHOUSE: What's it like Bart? 659 00:38:01,522 --> 00:38:03,157 (brbrbr) 660 00:38:03,223 --> 00:38:05,459 KEVIN: Americans won't be happy at 7-Eleven until like 661 00:38:05,526 --> 00:38:07,394 we're just opening the trunk of our car 662 00:38:07,461 --> 00:38:10,030 and just pumping liquid right into it and being like, Car Gulp. 663 00:38:13,934 --> 00:38:17,438 ROB: Gulp is right. When we come back, our number one. 664 00:38:17,504 --> 00:38:19,707 I mean, what possible trick did these fast food 665 00:38:19,773 --> 00:38:23,177 geniuses leave on the table that we haven't gotten around to yet? 666 00:38:23,243 --> 00:38:26,613 It's one where the food takes a back seat. 667 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:29,817 DEE: It was like crackerjacks to the next level. 668 00:38:29,883 --> 00:38:31,452 CRISTELA: You would have to try to collect them all, 669 00:38:31,518 --> 00:38:33,253 and there was always like that one that you couldn't get. 670 00:38:45,332 --> 00:38:47,334 ROB: We've sampled the menu from 10 to two, 671 00:38:47,401 --> 00:38:50,804 but there can only be one number one. 672 00:38:50,871 --> 00:38:53,407 And now, that order is ready for pick up. 673 00:38:55,709 --> 00:38:59,580 Our panel has spoken, with a surprisingly unanimous choice. 674 00:38:59,646 --> 00:39:01,515 We've taken a Whopper of a Big Gulp, 675 00:39:01,582 --> 00:39:04,918 at the not so Lean fast food Cuisines of the eighties, 676 00:39:04,985 --> 00:39:06,720 and now it's time for the main course. 677 00:39:06,787 --> 00:39:10,657 Our number one eighties fast food brought families together 678 00:39:10,724 --> 00:39:13,293 and smiles to children's faces everywhere. 679 00:39:17,331 --> 00:39:19,833 NARRATOR: If there's one fast food chain sure to bring 680 00:39:19,900 --> 00:39:23,537 in the kids today, it's McDonald's. 681 00:39:23,604 --> 00:39:25,005 MEAT: If we had the kids in the car 682 00:39:25,072 --> 00:39:28,542 and we drove past a McDonald's, that was it. 683 00:39:28,609 --> 00:39:31,044 DEE: I was already a dad by the mid-eighties 684 00:39:31,111 --> 00:39:35,382 and we would have to go to McDonald's all the time. 685 00:39:37,484 --> 00:39:39,153 NARRATOR: But McDonald's in the seventies isn't 686 00:39:39,219 --> 00:39:42,156 quite the kid-friendly zone it is today. 687 00:39:42,222 --> 00:39:46,059 Then their menu was aimed squarely at grown-ups. 688 00:39:46,126 --> 00:39:50,898 ROBERT: The problem was that families would come to fast food places, 689 00:39:50,964 --> 00:39:53,167 you could get your kid an ordinary cheeseburger 690 00:39:53,233 --> 00:39:54,735 and maybe a small fries, 691 00:39:54,802 --> 00:39:58,539 but there really wasn't anything just for them. 692 00:39:58,605 --> 00:40:02,443 DMC: And they're realising, we don't got to speak to the adults no more, 693 00:40:02,509 --> 00:40:05,979 let's speak to the kids and we got them for life. 694 00:40:08,515 --> 00:40:10,451 NARRATOR: In the late seventies, the concept 695 00:40:10,517 --> 00:40:13,587 of pester power is gaining traction. 696 00:40:13,954 --> 00:40:17,124 McDonald's charges adman Bob Bernstein with the job 697 00:40:17,191 --> 00:40:20,828 of convincing kids to convince their parents to take them 698 00:40:20,894 --> 00:40:22,563 to the golden arches. 699 00:40:23,263 --> 00:40:27,234 Soon, Bob has a breakfast brainwave. 700 00:40:27,301 --> 00:40:33,173 BOB: I was watching my oldest son Steve eat his breakfast cereal. 701 00:40:34,641 --> 00:40:38,078 STEVE: I did what every 10 year old used to do back then, 702 00:40:38,145 --> 00:40:41,348 I would put the cereal box in front of me and 703 00:40:41,415 --> 00:40:45,385 I would read that cereal box over and over again. 704 00:40:45,452 --> 00:40:47,120 BOB: And I'd ask him if he'd like to read 705 00:40:47,187 --> 00:40:48,722 the newspaper or do his homework, 706 00:40:48,789 --> 00:40:51,058 do something other than read that box. 707 00:40:51,124 --> 00:40:53,627 STEVE: I'd say no, I'd just keep eating the cereal 708 00:40:53,694 --> 00:40:56,396 and turning that same box over and over again. 709 00:40:56,463 --> 00:40:58,232 BOB: And then I thought to myself, you know, 710 00:40:58,298 --> 00:41:02,002 kids should have some kind of fun or activity while they're eating. 711 00:41:02,069 --> 00:41:04,605 And that's what we tried to do with the Happy Meal. 712 00:41:04,671 --> 00:41:06,773 FEMALE: Your kids will love McDonald's Happy Meal. 713 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:08,609 It's a hamburger or cheeseburger, 714 00:41:08,675 --> 00:41:11,178 regular sized fries, regular sized soft drink, 715 00:41:11,245 --> 00:41:13,146 and a McDonaldland cookie sampler. 716 00:41:13,213 --> 00:41:14,515 It's food and fun in a box. 717 00:41:15,449 --> 00:41:18,485 NARRATOR: But a fast food icon is not made overnight. 718 00:41:18,552 --> 00:41:21,154 Initially McDonald's tries out the Happy Meal 719 00:41:21,221 --> 00:41:24,358 as a promotion in just a handful of states. 720 00:41:24,424 --> 00:41:28,495 BOB: It tested very well. So, then it got to be challenged as 721 00:41:28,562 --> 00:41:30,464 to whether it should be a menu item. 722 00:41:30,531 --> 00:41:33,500 NARRATOR: McDonald's execs wisely decide to go for it, 723 00:41:33,567 --> 00:41:36,436 and in 1979, the Happy Meal is rolled out 724 00:41:36,503 --> 00:41:38,539 on menus across the country. 725 00:41:38,605 --> 00:41:42,442 But it's not really the food that catches kids' eyes. 726 00:41:42,509 --> 00:41:45,078 LONI: And what made it happy was you got your little burger, 727 00:41:45,145 --> 00:41:46,880 you got your little fries for the kids, 728 00:41:46,947 --> 00:41:49,583 you either had milk or some type of juice, 729 00:41:49,650 --> 00:41:53,253 but it was the toy. The toy. 730 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:54,655 CHRIS: McDonald's loved that because 731 00:41:54,721 --> 00:41:56,557 that's where pester power came in. 732 00:41:56,623 --> 00:41:59,560 Mommy, let's go to McDonald's because I need this toy. 733 00:41:59,626 --> 00:42:02,529 It was a brilliant marketing move. 734 00:42:02,596 --> 00:42:05,032 BOB: Kids wanted a surprise, a toy 735 00:42:05,098 --> 00:42:07,000 that they could get out of the Happy Meal. 736 00:42:07,067 --> 00:42:10,537 NARRATOR: In 1981, advertising is deregulated, 737 00:42:10,604 --> 00:42:14,241 commercials directed at kids flood TV screens. 738 00:42:14,308 --> 00:42:16,777 In another stroke of marketing genius, 739 00:42:16,843 --> 00:42:21,582 McDonald's starts toy tie-ins with major movies and TV shows. 740 00:42:21,648 --> 00:42:23,617 Pester power reaches new heights. 741 00:42:27,554 --> 00:42:30,190 LONI: At first it was like a toy that was related 742 00:42:30,257 --> 00:42:34,027 to like McDonald's, and then it became fancy. 743 00:42:34,094 --> 00:42:36,496 LARRY: In the eighties there were amazing collections coming out 744 00:42:36,563 --> 00:42:39,399 of the McDonald's Happy Meal toy world. 745 00:42:39,466 --> 00:42:42,603 DEE: It was like you got a piece of food with the toy, 746 00:42:42,669 --> 00:42:45,105 as opposed to getting a toy with the food. 747 00:42:45,172 --> 00:42:47,341 ADAM: As a kid, getting a toy in a Happy Meal 748 00:42:47,407 --> 00:42:50,344 was kind of a form of currency. 749 00:42:50,410 --> 00:42:52,379 CRISTELA: Berenstein Bears, I loved these. 750 00:42:52,446 --> 00:42:56,950 This was actually a really awesome cartoon. 751 00:42:57,017 --> 00:42:58,952 STEVE: You could get Star Wars collectibles. 752 00:42:59,019 --> 00:43:00,253 I had to have them all. 753 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:01,488 CLAUDIA: I think my favourite Happy Meal 754 00:43:01,555 --> 00:43:05,158 of all time was the My Little Pony one. 755 00:43:05,225 --> 00:43:08,395 I remember going back and having my mom negotiate 756 00:43:08,462 --> 00:43:12,165 to try to exchange the different, because I already 757 00:43:12,232 --> 00:43:15,035 had that one, so I needed the next one. 758 00:43:16,637 --> 00:43:19,873 NARRATOR: The Happy Meal is our number one for a reason. 759 00:43:19,940 --> 00:43:23,910 It combines marketing genius, convenience and a product that fills 760 00:43:23,977 --> 00:43:29,316 a need that nobody knew they had, until it was served up. 761 00:43:29,383 --> 00:43:34,321 And to this day, our number one still makes kids, 762 00:43:34,388 --> 00:43:37,324 and its corporate creator, smile. 763 00:43:37,958 --> 00:43:40,460 CRISTELA: The Happy Meal is remarkable. 764 00:43:40,527 --> 00:43:41,962 It's a huge part of childhood. 765 00:43:42,029 --> 00:43:44,564 It's Americana really. 766 00:43:44,631 --> 00:43:46,500 ROBERT: It was enormously influential because 767 00:43:46,566 --> 00:43:48,235 once you had the McDonald's Happy Meal, 768 00:43:48,301 --> 00:43:50,871 then all of these other restaurant chains are like, 769 00:43:50,937 --> 00:43:53,240 we had better get one too. 770 00:43:53,306 --> 00:43:56,476 KEVIN: One of the most brilliant strokes of marketing genius. 771 00:43:56,543 --> 00:43:59,212 Branding of the highest order. 772 00:43:59,279 --> 00:44:00,681 BOB: Yes, I'm very proud of it. 773 00:44:00,747 --> 00:44:02,549 I'm very proud of it. 774 00:44:05,385 --> 00:44:07,487 ROB: Little do they know how much I love McDonald's.