1 00:00:09,342 --> 00:00:12,746 ROB: The eighties were a decade that seriously hustled. 2 00:00:12,812 --> 00:00:15,148 We were told greed was good, 3 00:00:15,215 --> 00:00:17,283 and that insatiable desire to consume 4 00:00:17,350 --> 00:00:19,185 is the theme of this show. 5 00:00:21,588 --> 00:00:26,393 NARRATOR: We are what we eat, and in the eighties, we liked it fast. 6 00:00:26,459 --> 00:00:28,661 DMC: There was this fast food explosion. 7 00:00:29,896 --> 00:00:31,865 KEVIN: 30 minutes or your pizza's free. 8 00:00:33,166 --> 00:00:36,669 NARRATOR: They were the guilty pleasures that defined a decade. 9 00:00:36,736 --> 00:00:39,372 LONI: You don't know what the hell was inside of it. 10 00:00:39,439 --> 00:00:42,976 But if you cooked it right, you had glory. 11 00:00:44,177 --> 00:00:46,479 JON: It's cheap and it's fast and it's delicious. 12 00:00:46,546 --> 00:00:48,681 ADAM: The notion of moderation is absurd. 13 00:00:48,748 --> 00:00:53,119 NARRATOR: Brands battled to unlock the cravings of a decade on the move. 14 00:00:53,186 --> 00:00:57,791 DEE: The Happy Meal in itself was like crackerjacks to the next level. 15 00:00:57,857 --> 00:01:00,627 JASON: Could be the best tasting lettuce and tomato hamburger, ever. 16 00:01:00,693 --> 00:01:03,163 MEAT: I don't know what they did, but it was really good. 17 00:01:04,264 --> 00:01:08,001 NARRATOR: 10 guilty pleasures, 10 fantastic fast foods. 18 00:01:08,068 --> 00:01:11,871 But which one will rise to the very top of our menu? 19 00:01:20,313 --> 00:01:24,150 ROB: Now, let's get the party started by pigging out on our number 10. 20 00:01:29,722 --> 00:01:31,091 ADAM: In the 1980s, you had neon, 21 00:01:31,157 --> 00:01:33,993 you had perms and Jheri curls. 22 00:01:34,060 --> 00:01:37,197 NARRATOR: In the decade of outrageous clothes, and big hair 23 00:01:37,263 --> 00:01:40,233 even the humble French fry gets an eighties makeover. 24 00:01:43,903 --> 00:01:47,307 The fast food industry revolved around the way we lived, 25 00:01:47,373 --> 00:01:51,111 and in the eighties, it gave way to the curly fry. 26 00:01:51,177 --> 00:01:53,513 ADAM: The curly fry had this kind of zany-ness to it 27 00:01:53,580 --> 00:01:55,882 that really spoke to the time. 28 00:01:55,949 --> 00:01:58,651 ADAM: It was visually really cool. 29 00:01:58,718 --> 00:02:01,521 NARRATOR: By the mid-eighties, America's love affair 30 00:02:01,588 --> 00:02:03,923 with French fries has taken a dive, 31 00:02:03,990 --> 00:02:07,160 when sales slump after years of rapid growth. 32 00:02:08,027 --> 00:02:11,664 To win consumers back, French fry makers start experimenting 33 00:02:11,731 --> 00:02:13,933 with different styles. 34 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,470 DMC: Hip hop took rock and funk and created this gumbo. 35 00:02:17,537 --> 00:02:20,740 Curly fries took the idea of what a French fry's 36 00:02:20,807 --> 00:02:25,411 supposed to be, and mixed it, you know what I'm saying, 37 00:02:25,478 --> 00:02:28,014 like a DJ would, into something else. 38 00:02:28,515 --> 00:02:30,350 NARRATOR: On menus since the forties, 39 00:02:30,416 --> 00:02:34,587 curly fries were too labor intensive to be called fast food. 40 00:02:34,654 --> 00:02:37,357 MALE: This is what they call a French curl. 41 00:02:37,423 --> 00:02:40,627 Unwind it and there's two curls on the one potato. 42 00:02:43,363 --> 00:02:46,866 NARRATOR: But in the eighties, the process gets industrialized. 43 00:02:46,933 --> 00:02:52,172 Now potatoes are blasted down a shoot at 60 miles per hour into waiting blades. 44 00:02:52,238 --> 00:02:54,340 CLAUDIA: My favourite part about curly fries of course 45 00:02:54,407 --> 00:02:56,776 is all of these crispy edges throughout, so you get, 46 00:02:56,843 --> 00:02:58,978 you know, the flavor of a steak fry with, you know, 47 00:02:59,045 --> 00:03:01,114 a delicious crispy fry. 48 00:03:01,181 --> 00:03:05,051 MALE: (Singing) You and I love roast beef at Arby's. 49 00:03:05,118 --> 00:03:06,519 Tender and juicy. 50 00:03:07,453 --> 00:03:10,356 NARRATOR: Arby's had become famous for roast beef sandwiches, 51 00:03:10,423 --> 00:03:12,625 and only roast beef sandwiches. 52 00:03:12,692 --> 00:03:15,728 Now, they're eager to expand their sales horizon. 53 00:03:15,795 --> 00:03:17,330 So, in 1988, 54 00:03:17,397 --> 00:03:22,135 they introduce a fry variation with its own culinary twist. 55 00:03:22,202 --> 00:03:25,471 FEMALE: Spicy new twister fries, Arby's curly fries. 56 00:03:25,538 --> 00:03:29,776 NARRATOR: This unique spicy seasoning is called Cajun style, 57 00:03:29,842 --> 00:03:34,681 capitalizing on the growing trend for southwestern foods with bolder flavors. 58 00:03:34,747 --> 00:03:36,482 PAUL: Our food has wonderful flavors, 59 00:03:36,549 --> 00:03:38,351 and it has depth and it has emotion, 60 00:03:38,418 --> 00:03:41,588 and it just makes you, you know, want to get fat. 61 00:03:42,722 --> 00:03:44,991 NARRATOR: Arby's curly fries are a hit. 62 00:03:45,058 --> 00:03:48,361 Sales in the US jump by 17 percent. 63 00:03:48,428 --> 00:03:51,030 ANNE: Not always was I in the mood for a roast beef sandwich, 64 00:03:51,097 --> 00:03:54,300 but I was always in the mood for fries. 65 00:03:54,367 --> 00:03:56,603 ADAM: My memories of them are wrapping French fries 66 00:03:56,669 --> 00:03:58,771 around your finger and becoming these 67 00:03:58,838 --> 00:04:02,141 little like carbohydrate laden springs of joy. 68 00:04:02,208 --> 00:04:05,278 NARRATOR: Arby's curly fries tap into the cultural zeitgeist 69 00:04:05,345 --> 00:04:07,213 as our number 10. 70 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,083 Their popularity spirals for generations, 71 00:04:10,149 --> 00:04:12,585 and they're still on menus today. 72 00:04:12,652 --> 00:04:15,822 DMC: Curly fries was like hip hop, people thought it 73 00:04:15,888 --> 00:04:19,859 was going to die like disco, but it stood the test of time. 74 00:04:21,694 --> 00:04:26,399 ROB: How do we rank 10 tasty items, like curly fries? 75 00:04:26,466 --> 00:04:29,435 Well, we recruited eight brilliant brains to rank our 76 00:04:29,502 --> 00:04:32,505 fast foods by grilling them on two factors. 77 00:04:32,572 --> 00:04:35,642 Eighties wow, their importance at the time, 78 00:04:35,708 --> 00:04:36,976 and impact. 79 00:04:37,043 --> 00:04:38,978 How we digest their legacy today. 80 00:04:42,548 --> 00:04:44,183 ROB: It's time for our number nine. 81 00:04:44,250 --> 00:04:47,954 One of the truly genius parts of American fast food technology 82 00:04:48,021 --> 00:04:52,358 is taking something ordinary and creating a unique way of cooking it, 83 00:04:52,425 --> 00:04:55,361 and then finally coming up with a catchy name. 84 00:04:55,428 --> 00:04:59,832 Edging in at order number nine, a crunchy case in point. 85 00:05:02,902 --> 00:05:05,571 ALVIN: Americans in particular like fast food 86 00:05:05,638 --> 00:05:08,341 because of the automobile culture. 87 00:05:10,877 --> 00:05:14,580 ADAM: In the 1980s you had people in their cars longer than ever before, 88 00:05:14,647 --> 00:05:16,849 and more people were driving, and that meant 89 00:05:16,916 --> 00:05:18,618 you had less time at home to cook, 90 00:05:18,685 --> 00:05:21,688 and it meant you needed food that you could grab quickly and cheaply on the go. 91 00:05:29,095 --> 00:05:31,731 ADAM: Cup holders are becoming standard in cars. 92 00:05:31,798 --> 00:05:34,300 And that spoke to what was happening with food. 93 00:05:35,735 --> 00:05:38,671 LONI: I mean, who came up with the genius idea 94 00:05:38,738 --> 00:05:42,442 of waiting in our cars to receive our food, 95 00:05:42,508 --> 00:05:44,143 and then eating it in the car? 96 00:05:44,210 --> 00:05:45,611 That was genius. 97 00:05:45,678 --> 00:05:47,513 That started it all off. 98 00:05:49,615 --> 00:05:50,483 SANDERS: Howdy do. 99 00:05:52,485 --> 00:05:56,222 NARRATOR: Chicken king Colonel Sanders built his business on the road. 100 00:05:56,289 --> 00:06:00,093 Often sleeping overnight in his car to deliver his sales pitch 101 00:06:00,159 --> 00:06:02,862 of 11 secret spices and herbs. 102 00:06:02,929 --> 00:06:07,567 But in December of 1980, the colonel reaches the end of the highway. 103 00:06:09,035 --> 00:06:10,636 ANCHOR: Colonel Sanders is dead. 104 00:06:10,703 --> 00:06:13,673 The old chieftain of the Kentucky Fried Chicken empire 105 00:06:13,740 --> 00:06:17,744 died in Louisville, Kentucky, in a hospital, aged 90. 106 00:06:17,810 --> 00:06:20,680 NARRATOR: The colonel leaves behind a global legacy 107 00:06:20,747 --> 00:06:23,683 with annual sales of two billion dollars. 108 00:06:23,750 --> 00:06:27,353 Meanwhile, the nation is going crazy for chicken, 109 00:06:27,420 --> 00:06:30,790 and other fast food chains are catching on. 110 00:06:30,857 --> 00:06:32,225 MALE: Wendy's chicken sandwich. 111 00:06:32,291 --> 00:06:33,359 WORKERS: (Singing) Come and get it. 112 00:06:33,426 --> 00:06:34,594 MALE: Roast chicken club. 113 00:06:34,660 --> 00:06:35,962 FEMALE: The Burger King chicken sandwich. 114 00:06:41,601 --> 00:06:45,905 NARRATOR: To keep in the fast lane, KFC must rev into gear, 115 00:06:45,972 --> 00:06:48,408 and they hatch a surprising plan. 116 00:06:50,209 --> 00:06:53,112 They create a sandwich called the Chicken Little, 117 00:06:53,179 --> 00:06:56,149 engineered to be consumed behind the wheel, 118 00:06:56,215 --> 00:06:59,318 and a whole new consumer highway opens up. 119 00:06:59,385 --> 00:07:04,757 ANNE: You could get KFC in your hand, while you were in the car driving. 120 00:07:04,824 --> 00:07:06,926 ADAM: You could still steer while eating a Chicken Little, 121 00:07:06,993 --> 00:07:10,496 as opposed to trying to make your way with a Whopper. 122 00:07:10,563 --> 00:07:12,265 NARRATOR: It's perfect for the convenience 123 00:07:12,331 --> 00:07:14,734 obsessed car culture of the eighties. 124 00:07:14,801 --> 00:07:19,439 But it also bucks the trend in a decade known for going big. 125 00:07:22,208 --> 00:07:24,177 DMC: The eighties was all about being seen. 126 00:07:24,243 --> 00:07:26,379 Most people thought, yo it's got to be big to be seen. 127 00:07:26,446 --> 00:07:30,216 They were smart, no, let's go small and everybody will notice us. 128 00:07:30,283 --> 00:07:34,220 NARRATOR: At only 39 cents each, they're a big hit with customers, 129 00:07:34,287 --> 00:07:36,722 and initially boost sales by 10 percent. 130 00:07:36,789 --> 00:07:40,426 CLAUDIA: Chicken Littles are a perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect snack. 131 00:07:40,493 --> 00:07:44,497 NARRATOR: But low price means low profit, and KFC realises 132 00:07:44,564 --> 00:07:48,634 it can make more money by staying focused on its chicken buckets. 133 00:07:48,701 --> 00:07:50,903 So, despite being a popular menu item, 134 00:07:50,970 --> 00:07:54,207 in the early nineties, Chicken Littles get parked. 135 00:07:54,273 --> 00:07:58,344 MALE: (Singing) Kentucky Fried Chicken, we do chicken right. 136 00:07:59,412 --> 00:08:02,114 NARRATOR: Gone but not forgotten, in 2012, 137 00:08:02,181 --> 00:08:06,486 fans campaigned to bring them back, and Chicken Littles ride again. 138 00:08:06,552 --> 00:08:10,690 MALE: Little is the new big. New KFC Chicken Littles. 139 00:08:10,756 --> 00:08:13,426 NARRATOR: And they remain on menus to this day. 140 00:08:15,795 --> 00:08:19,298 Chicken Littles fight the trend of the bigger means better eighties, 141 00:08:19,365 --> 00:08:22,301 and drive in at number nine. 142 00:08:22,368 --> 00:08:26,405 But we're about to go bigger. Way bigger. 143 00:08:28,174 --> 00:08:30,343 ROB: Now I'm a fan of man-sized portions 144 00:08:30,409 --> 00:08:33,646 but that kind of went out of control with our number eight. 145 00:08:33,713 --> 00:08:36,516 Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. 146 00:08:40,620 --> 00:08:43,489 NARRATOR: Audrey Griswold wasn't the only one to be dreaming 147 00:08:43,556 --> 00:08:46,959 of a never-ending feast in the eighties. 148 00:08:47,026 --> 00:08:49,762 ADAM: Go big or go home is an American expression. 149 00:08:51,631 --> 00:08:53,332 ADAM: The notion of moderation is absurd. 150 00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:03,976 ALVIN: America is about the bountiful harvest. 151 00:09:04,043 --> 00:09:06,279 That's why we celebrate Thanksgiving. 152 00:09:08,114 --> 00:09:11,951 Plates of food and vegetables, huge turkeys, 153 00:09:12,018 --> 00:09:14,820 this is a part of American culture. 154 00:09:14,887 --> 00:09:17,323 NARRATOR: The all American all you can eat buffet 155 00:09:17,390 --> 00:09:19,725 is actually a Swedish import. 156 00:09:19,792 --> 00:09:24,497 The smorgasbord came Stateside at the 1939 World Fair, 157 00:09:24,564 --> 00:09:29,035 and the buffet soon finds a spiritual home under Las Vegas neon. 158 00:09:32,405 --> 00:09:35,041 ANNE: I guess it's a trait of being an American, you know, 159 00:09:35,107 --> 00:09:38,544 that we just want more, everything in excess. 160 00:09:39,845 --> 00:09:42,448 NARRATOR: By the eighties, the conspicuous over-consumption 161 00:09:42,515 --> 00:09:47,753 that made Vegas, well, Vegas, has hijacked the entire decade. 162 00:09:48,654 --> 00:09:51,991 Burger joint Wendy's wants to get in on the action. 163 00:09:54,994 --> 00:09:58,931 FEMALE: (Singing) You'll find our salad bar deliciously complete. 164 00:09:58,998 --> 00:10:02,902 12 garden fresh ingredients, yeah, all you can eat. 165 00:10:04,036 --> 00:10:07,740 NARRATOR: Wendy's salad bar has been around since the late seventies. 166 00:10:07,807 --> 00:10:09,709 DAVE: My daughter Wendy says, Dad, 167 00:10:09,775 --> 00:10:11,944 people are eating more salads today. 168 00:10:12,011 --> 00:10:16,549 NARRATOR: But in the decade of excess, they decide to roll the proverbial dice 169 00:10:16,616 --> 00:10:19,518 and double down, way down. 170 00:10:19,585 --> 00:10:21,454 DAVE: That's a heck of a good idea. 171 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,323 NARRATOR: Wendy's decides to raise the bar. 172 00:10:24,390 --> 00:10:26,459 MALE: You've seen biker bars and 173 00:10:26,525 --> 00:10:31,864 piano bars, handlebars, even Zanzibars, 174 00:10:31,931 --> 00:10:35,768 but you've never seen nothing like Wendy's Superbar. 175 00:10:36,969 --> 00:10:39,305 ADAM: The Superbar by Wendy's was a collection 176 00:10:39,372 --> 00:10:41,507 of some of the strangest things you'd ever imagine. 177 00:10:43,643 --> 00:10:46,912 MALE: In the mood for fettucine Alfredo or Rotini with meat sauce? 178 00:10:46,979 --> 00:10:50,650 Maybe some Spanish rice, re-fried beans and tortillas? 179 00:10:50,716 --> 00:10:55,454 ADAM: I'm not really sure how any of those foods go together. 180 00:10:55,521 --> 00:10:57,556 NARRATOR: The ability to create your own meal 181 00:10:57,623 --> 00:11:00,493 was perfect for a decade that lived large 182 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,829 and taught us to ask for exactly what we wanted. 183 00:11:05,364 --> 00:11:07,633 MEG: I'd like the chef's salad please with the oil and vinegar on the side 184 00:11:07,700 --> 00:11:09,201 and the apple pie a la mode. 185 00:11:09,268 --> 00:11:11,837 JEN: That idea of I want it the way I want it really 186 00:11:11,904 --> 00:11:14,974 emerged in the eighties, to the point where at the end of the decade, 187 00:11:15,041 --> 00:11:16,976 that was when When Harry Met Sally came out, 188 00:11:17,043 --> 00:11:19,078 and Sally said I want it on the side. 189 00:11:19,145 --> 00:11:21,647 MEG: But I'd like the pie heated, and I don't want the ice cream on top, 190 00:11:21,714 --> 00:11:23,549 I want it on the side, and I'd like strawberry 191 00:11:23,616 --> 00:11:24,750 instead of vanilla, if you have it. 192 00:11:24,817 --> 00:11:27,286 If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it's real. 193 00:11:27,353 --> 00:11:30,156 - If it's out of a can, then nothing. - WAITRESS: Not even the pie? 194 00:11:30,222 --> 00:11:31,691 JEN: Everybody called her high maintenance, but guess what? 195 00:11:31,757 --> 00:11:34,560 We were all starting to do that. 196 00:11:34,627 --> 00:11:37,396 NARRATOR: The Superbar offered us the choice we craved, 197 00:11:37,463 --> 00:11:41,067 and all we could eat for a mere $3.49. 198 00:11:41,133 --> 00:11:45,504 So, in the decade of excess, what could possibly go wrong? 199 00:11:51,544 --> 00:11:54,146 NARRATOR: The Wendy's Superbar hits our number eight 200 00:11:54,213 --> 00:11:57,016 because it offered us all the choice we craved, 201 00:11:57,083 --> 00:12:01,053 and all we could eat for just $3.49. 202 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,523 MALE: Wendy's Superbar features three distinct all you can eat bars. 203 00:12:04,590 --> 00:12:08,861 Pasta, Mexican, and an extensive salad bar that even includes dessert. 204 00:12:08,928 --> 00:12:10,830 Very tasty, it's excellent. I'll be back. 205 00:12:10,896 --> 00:12:11,931 What about the price? 206 00:12:11,997 --> 00:12:14,200 FEMALE: Fantastic. You can't beat it. 207 00:12:14,266 --> 00:12:16,869 NARRATOR: But it's a victim of its own success. 208 00:12:16,936 --> 00:12:20,239 The unlimited seconds policy, and the cost of keeping 209 00:12:20,306 --> 00:12:22,908 this vast feast of food fully stocked, 210 00:12:22,975 --> 00:12:26,245 costs Wendy's more money than it makes. 211 00:12:26,312 --> 00:12:28,581 ADAM: It's hard to not want to try everything. 212 00:12:28,647 --> 00:12:32,184 Especially when the buffet set up is geared 213 00:12:32,251 --> 00:12:34,420 for you to try everything. 214 00:12:34,487 --> 00:12:37,790 NARRATOR: Tragically for salad gluttons, in 1998, 215 00:12:37,857 --> 00:12:42,294 the Superbar closes down its sneeze guard forever. 216 00:12:43,696 --> 00:12:48,968 ROB: Wendy's learned the concept of all you can eat can occasionally bite back, 217 00:12:49,034 --> 00:12:51,604 but the eighties fast food wars raged on. 218 00:12:51,670 --> 00:12:54,840 One of their competitors came up with another brilliant idea, 219 00:12:54,907 --> 00:12:58,177 which is our coveted number seven, and that idea is simply, 220 00:12:58,244 --> 00:13:01,514 if you can't beat them, out-price them. 221 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,357 NARRATOR: Between 1980 and 1990 the number of people 222 00:13:11,423 --> 00:13:15,594 migrating from Mexico into the US doubles. 223 00:13:15,661 --> 00:13:18,397 And over the decade, Mexico's influence 224 00:13:18,464 --> 00:13:21,433 starts to be felt across US culture. 225 00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:28,507 (music) 226 00:13:32,711 --> 00:13:36,982 EDUARDO: Mexican people have always been in the United States. 227 00:13:37,049 --> 00:13:40,886 Our food, it was so good that people wanted it everywhere they went. 228 00:13:40,953 --> 00:13:42,288 People love it. 229 00:13:42,354 --> 00:13:45,691 Somebody saw that and saw this is an amazing cuisine. 230 00:13:47,626 --> 00:13:50,930 How do I take this and give it to everyone? 231 00:13:53,265 --> 00:13:56,135 NARRATOR: Founded by American entrepreneur Glen Bell, 232 00:13:56,202 --> 00:13:59,839 Taco Bell, get it, Bell, takes the quintessential 233 00:13:59,905 --> 00:14:02,675 street food snack from south of the border, 234 00:14:02,741 --> 00:14:06,111 and transforms it for mainstream US tastes. 235 00:14:06,178 --> 00:14:07,980 MEAT: I eat at Taco Bell whenever I can. 236 00:14:08,047 --> 00:14:10,049 I think their tacos are incredible. 237 00:14:10,783 --> 00:14:14,587 TIFFANI: It was like hands down my favourite. 238 00:14:14,653 --> 00:14:18,357 EDUARDO: It was never something I thought of as Mexican food. 239 00:14:18,424 --> 00:14:21,427 - It was its own thing. - CLAUDIA: Are they authentic Mexican? 240 00:14:21,493 --> 00:14:22,628 We know they're not. 241 00:14:22,695 --> 00:14:25,464 But at the end of the day, everybody loves tacos, 242 00:14:25,531 --> 00:14:27,867 and Taco Bell was really at the helm of that. 243 00:14:31,837 --> 00:14:33,606 NARRATOR: As the eighties roll in, 244 00:14:33,672 --> 00:14:37,810 Taco Bell has become a familiar part of American life. 245 00:14:39,745 --> 00:14:42,715 But in 1988, due to an ever-expanding 246 00:14:42,781 --> 00:14:47,052 fast-food market, their sales have nose-dived. 247 00:14:47,119 --> 00:14:51,290 Needing to reinvent their image, they introduce a maverick plan. 248 00:14:52,458 --> 00:14:54,460 MALE: You'll love our 59-cent value menu, 249 00:14:54,526 --> 00:14:56,896 guaranteed or your money back. 250 00:15:03,636 --> 00:15:08,674 NARRATOR: In 1989, Taco Bell drops the price of six popular items, 251 00:15:08,741 --> 00:15:11,844 and launches its famous value meal. 252 00:15:14,113 --> 00:15:16,115 TIFFANI: We used to get the value meal and we'd go to the beach 253 00:15:16,181 --> 00:15:19,485 and we'd sit all day, wearing no sunscreen. 254 00:15:20,986 --> 00:15:26,392 ALVIN: The value meal is about speed, low cost, and convenience. 255 00:15:26,458 --> 00:15:29,695 You looked at the cost of buying the vegetables in the supermarket, 256 00:15:29,762 --> 00:15:33,165 the cost of cooking it at home, what was cheaper? 257 00:15:33,232 --> 00:15:37,169 Fast food. Which was quicker? Fast food. 258 00:15:39,772 --> 00:15:41,974 NARRATOR: The value meal pays off big. 259 00:15:42,041 --> 00:15:45,945 Taco Bells gobbles 70 percent of the Mexican fast food market, 260 00:15:46,011 --> 00:15:49,214 and their profits jump by 25 percent. 261 00:15:49,281 --> 00:15:51,984 It's a call to arms, and their competitors 262 00:15:52,051 --> 00:15:54,320 soon add their own value menus, 263 00:15:54,386 --> 00:15:57,656 starting a price cutting war that continues to this day. 264 00:15:57,723 --> 00:16:03,028 ALVIN: You saw as every other fast food chain got on that bandwagon. 265 00:16:03,095 --> 00:16:06,398 The value meals are very characteristic of the 1980s, 266 00:16:06,465 --> 00:16:09,568 and Taco Bell's was at the essence of it. 267 00:16:09,635 --> 00:16:12,338 TIFFANI: Taco Bell changed the way some families 268 00:16:12,404 --> 00:16:14,440 were able to feed their families. 269 00:16:14,506 --> 00:16:16,942 There were times that my dad was working two jobs. 270 00:16:17,009 --> 00:16:20,079 That fast food every now and then was life-saving, 271 00:16:20,145 --> 00:16:21,647 for time but also for money. 272 00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:27,519 NARRATOR: So, let's take a look at our ranking menu. 273 00:16:27,586 --> 00:16:30,656 Arby's curly fries spirals at number 10. 274 00:16:30,723 --> 00:16:34,026 Sliding in at number nine, it's the Chicken Little. 275 00:16:34,093 --> 00:16:36,628 Wendy's Superbar is our number eight. 276 00:16:36,695 --> 00:16:39,498 And Taco Bell has cornered the number seven. 277 00:16:39,565 --> 00:16:43,268 But what hot little number will pop in at number six? 278 00:16:43,335 --> 00:16:45,904 LONI: You don't know what the hell was inside of it, 279 00:16:45,971 --> 00:16:49,475 but if you cooked it right, you had glory. 280 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,550 ROB: Our number six is living proof of a memorable line from Hamilton, 281 00:16:58,617 --> 00:17:01,286 and that is that immigrants get the job done. 282 00:17:01,353 --> 00:17:05,391 Let's meet two guys from Iran, who definitely got the job done. 283 00:17:07,126 --> 00:17:08,227 Ow. 284 00:17:12,264 --> 00:17:16,735 NARRATOR: Having immigrated to the US in the 1960s, in 1977, 285 00:17:16,802 --> 00:17:20,939 brothers Paul and David Merage found Chef America. 286 00:17:21,006 --> 00:17:25,010 Their start-up becomes a big success, selling frozen foods. 287 00:17:25,077 --> 00:17:29,148 But by the early eighties, the brothers are looking for the next big thing, 288 00:17:29,214 --> 00:17:32,684 and soon they spot two emerging trends. 289 00:17:32,751 --> 00:17:34,086 TIFFANI: The microwave. 290 00:17:34,153 --> 00:17:39,258 The fact that you could make a meal in two minutes was huge. 291 00:17:40,092 --> 00:17:43,062 NARRATOR: In the eighties, the microwave was the fastest growing 292 00:17:43,128 --> 00:17:46,498 kitchen appliance sold in the United States. 293 00:17:46,565 --> 00:17:50,636 By 1986, more than 60 percent of homes have one 294 00:17:50,702 --> 00:17:54,206 and there's a good reason for that. 295 00:17:54,273 --> 00:17:56,942 MALE: Nearly half the American labor force is now female, 296 00:17:57,009 --> 00:18:01,046 the result of changes in attitudes, politics and laws. 297 00:18:01,113 --> 00:18:04,750 NARRATOR: And many of those working women are also mothers. 298 00:18:04,817 --> 00:18:06,618 SETH: If you had a family with a working mother, 299 00:18:06,685 --> 00:18:09,154 the microwave was absolutely your best friend. 300 00:18:09,221 --> 00:18:10,889 A kid could come home from school, 301 00:18:10,956 --> 00:18:13,292 make himself dinner in like two minutes 302 00:18:13,358 --> 00:18:15,527 without any chance of burning down the house. 303 00:18:15,594 --> 00:18:18,163 NARRATOR: In the eighties, latchkey kids, 304 00:18:18,230 --> 00:18:21,533 unsupervised minors who'd come home to an empty house, 305 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:22,668 become a phenomenon. 306 00:18:26,905 --> 00:18:29,541 FEMALE: So, these kids are spending part of their camp day learning 307 00:18:29,608 --> 00:18:32,411 how to be secure latchkey children. 308 00:18:32,478 --> 00:18:35,981 ADAM: I was a latchkey kid and my mom, you know, 309 00:18:36,048 --> 00:18:39,251 was just amazing and worked many, many jobs 310 00:18:39,318 --> 00:18:43,922 so that we could get by, and very often I would get home before she would. 311 00:18:45,491 --> 00:18:48,393 NARRATOR: The Merage brothers realized that if they can create a snack 312 00:18:48,460 --> 00:18:52,931 easy enough for kids to microwave on their own, they'd have a winner. 313 00:18:52,998 --> 00:18:55,067 But that's not as simple as it sounds. 314 00:18:56,535 --> 00:18:59,338 SHAWN: Early microwaves never heated things evenly, 315 00:18:59,404 --> 00:19:03,942 so you had to constantly come up with creative solutions. 316 00:19:04,009 --> 00:19:05,711 JAMES: And I think a lot of people learned pretty fast 317 00:19:05,777 --> 00:19:07,779 that microwaves are good at certain things, 318 00:19:07,846 --> 00:19:10,449 not very good at other things. 319 00:19:10,516 --> 00:19:12,284 NARRATOR: But with so much to gain, 320 00:19:12,351 --> 00:19:15,120 the brothers decide they need to go for broke. 321 00:19:15,187 --> 00:19:20,359 They spend years developing a way to make microwave food crispy. 322 00:19:22,127 --> 00:19:23,562 FEMALE: (Singing) Hot Pockets, hot. 323 00:19:23,629 --> 00:19:26,498 When you want a hot meal, without a big deal. 324 00:19:26,565 --> 00:19:27,966 Hot Pockets. 325 00:19:28,033 --> 00:19:30,369 NARRATOR: The key to their success is a magic 326 00:19:30,435 --> 00:19:33,438 metalized inner sleeve now as a susceptor, 327 00:19:33,505 --> 00:19:36,542 that brilliant mimics the effects of home baking, 328 00:19:36,608 --> 00:19:41,647 keeping the insider piping hot, and the outside brown and crispy. 329 00:19:41,713 --> 00:19:45,350 ADAM: You put them in that little magic sleeve and nuked it. 330 00:19:45,417 --> 00:19:47,586 CLAUDIA: I mean, that was just so innovative. 331 00:19:47,653 --> 00:19:51,089 It gave you the opportunity to toast inside of a microwave. 332 00:19:51,156 --> 00:19:53,392 NARRATOR: This cutting-edge technology helps create 333 00:19:53,458 --> 00:19:55,827 an easy snack that speaks to the cravings 334 00:19:55,894 --> 00:19:58,297 of the latchkey kid generation. 335 00:19:58,830 --> 00:20:03,669 Who needs Mom when you can instantly crisp up one of these babies? 336 00:20:03,735 --> 00:20:05,370 - WOMAN: Ham and cheese. - GIRL: Pizza please. 337 00:20:05,437 --> 00:20:06,638 - BOY: Barbecue. - MAN: It's for you. 338 00:20:08,106 --> 00:20:10,542 JEN: If you're a kid who was like a latchkey kid, 339 00:20:10,609 --> 00:20:12,344 came home from school, 340 00:20:12,411 --> 00:20:14,613 you know at least how to heat up a Hot Pocket. 341 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:16,615 CLAUDIA: They were a staple for all of us. 342 00:20:16,682 --> 00:20:19,551 Pick up a hot pocket, put it in the microwave, and you're done. 343 00:20:20,686 --> 00:20:23,222 NARRATOR: The Merage brothers' ingenuity and persistence 344 00:20:23,288 --> 00:20:26,725 means this tasty snack transforms mealtimes, 345 00:20:26,792 --> 00:20:30,095 and earns an enduring cult status. 346 00:20:30,162 --> 00:20:31,730 REGINALD: I will confess this about Hot Pockets. 347 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:39,504 I had a Hot Pocket about two years ago, and they still good. 348 00:20:47,012 --> 00:20:50,082 ROB: Try the Hot Pockets, they're breathtaking. 349 00:20:50,983 --> 00:20:53,752 Five down. Five to go. 350 00:20:53,819 --> 00:20:55,887 We've covered some of the main food groups, 351 00:20:55,954 --> 00:20:58,957 from Chicken Little to the unlimited buffet, 352 00:20:59,024 --> 00:21:02,894 but one genius brand told us that the point of fast food, 353 00:21:02,961 --> 00:21:07,266 was to lose all of the weight that we'd been gaining. 354 00:21:07,332 --> 00:21:08,567 Our number five. 355 00:21:13,071 --> 00:21:14,973 CLAUDIA: Americans love to eat. 356 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:17,175 I mean, we are the supersize culture. 357 00:21:17,242 --> 00:21:20,545 But then of course, what happens when we supersize everything? 358 00:21:20,612 --> 00:21:24,016 We realise that our waistline also supersizes. 359 00:21:24,082 --> 00:21:26,885 NARRATOR: In 1980, the US government publishes 360 00:21:26,952 --> 00:21:29,588 its first set of dietary guidelines, 361 00:21:29,655 --> 00:21:32,991 noting the connection between diet and heart disease. 362 00:21:33,058 --> 00:21:35,527 FEMALE: From fried chicken to hot dogs to ice cream, 363 00:21:35,594 --> 00:21:38,997 American diets are soaked in fat. 364 00:21:39,064 --> 00:21:41,099 NARRATOR: And by the mid-eighties, dieting 365 00:21:41,166 --> 00:21:44,169 has become a $10 billion business. 366 00:21:44,236 --> 00:21:45,837 MALE: The champagne diet. 367 00:21:45,904 --> 00:21:47,539 FEMALE: The great American sandwich diet. 368 00:21:47,606 --> 00:21:50,075 MALE: The grapefruit 45 fat burner plan just may be 369 00:21:50,142 --> 00:21:53,145 the most successful weight loss program ever. 370 00:21:53,679 --> 00:21:57,282 NARRATOR: The pressure for women to be thin is everywhere. 371 00:21:57,349 --> 00:22:00,352 FEMALE: Particularly for women, dissatisfaction with body image 372 00:22:00,419 --> 00:22:03,889 is absolutely pervasive in American society. 373 00:22:05,190 --> 00:22:08,293 JENNIFER: Celebrities like Jane Fonda, Cindy Crawford, 374 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:11,897 were super thin, super fit, and that's really what 375 00:22:11,963 --> 00:22:15,500 women in the eighties felt they should look like. 376 00:22:16,001 --> 00:22:19,271 FEMALE: This is no rehearsal for a stage show chorus line. 377 00:22:19,338 --> 00:22:22,641 This is Jazzersize, the latest way to exercise. 378 00:22:23,809 --> 00:22:27,279 ROBERT: Everybody's trying to get fit and, uh 379 00:22:27,346 --> 00:22:28,680 well what are you going to eat? 380 00:22:30,515 --> 00:22:34,653 NARRATOR: For many, the answer to that was a revolutionary product 381 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:36,922 that sparked such a buying frenzy 382 00:22:36,988 --> 00:22:39,725 it emptied shelves across the US. 383 00:22:45,030 --> 00:22:48,467 NARRATOR: In the 1980s, a humble unit of measurement changes 384 00:22:48,533 --> 00:22:51,970 the way we look at food. The calorie. 385 00:22:52,037 --> 00:22:54,239 Counting these calories had been made popular 386 00:22:54,306 --> 00:22:56,942 by bodybuilders in the late seventies. 387 00:22:57,008 --> 00:23:01,079 And in 1981, frozen food manufacturer Stouffer's 388 00:23:01,146 --> 00:23:05,684 launches a meal that promises to be 300 calories or less. 389 00:23:07,219 --> 00:23:10,188 FEMALE: Now when you watch your weight, do it deliciously, 390 00:23:10,255 --> 00:23:13,492 with new Lean Cuisine, from Stouffer's. 391 00:23:13,558 --> 00:23:15,527 CLAUDIA: The advertisers nailed it with this, right, 392 00:23:15,594 --> 00:23:17,362 everybody wanted to lose some weight, 393 00:23:17,429 --> 00:23:20,799 and they wanted the fastest and more affordable way to do that. 394 00:23:20,866 --> 00:23:22,768 NARRATOR: Lean Cuisine is so popular, 395 00:23:22,834 --> 00:23:26,405 stores can't keep up with demand, and sell out. 396 00:23:26,471 --> 00:23:28,473 MEAT: There may have been some diet meals before, 397 00:23:28,540 --> 00:23:32,344 but nothing attacked the population like Lean Cuisine. 398 00:23:32,411 --> 00:23:33,678 MALE: This is the hot stuff. 399 00:23:33,745 --> 00:23:37,582 Premium single serving dinners of about 300 calories. 400 00:23:37,649 --> 00:23:39,651 This segment of the frozen food industry 401 00:23:39,718 --> 00:23:41,319 is the hottest thing going right now. 402 00:23:47,626 --> 00:23:49,428 NARRATOR: Lean Cuisine makes the painstaking 403 00:23:49,494 --> 00:23:52,931 work of counting calories easy. 404 00:23:54,032 --> 00:23:57,836 KATIE: Lean Cuisine took the guesswork out of what you were eating. 405 00:23:57,903 --> 00:24:00,906 The calories had already been counted. 406 00:24:00,972 --> 00:24:03,575 JEN: There was this idea that if you ate a Lean Cuisine meal, 407 00:24:03,642 --> 00:24:04,810 you know, once a day, 408 00:24:04,876 --> 00:24:07,078 that somehow the pounds were just going to fall off. 409 00:24:07,145 --> 00:24:10,148 FEMALE: Low calories, light food, therefore healthy. 410 00:24:10,215 --> 00:24:12,284 JACKIE: I'm going to be healthy; I'm going to be fit; 411 00:24:12,350 --> 00:24:14,286 I'm going to eat a Lean Cuisine. 412 00:24:14,352 --> 00:24:17,155 JENNIFER: Lean Cuisine is probably not 413 00:24:17,222 --> 00:24:19,458 the most healthy thing that someone could eat, 414 00:24:19,524 --> 00:24:21,259 it's still processed food. 415 00:24:21,326 --> 00:24:25,697 ROBERT: But the significance of Lean Cuisine was that 416 00:24:25,764 --> 00:24:29,501 it was the right idea for the right time. 417 00:24:29,568 --> 00:24:31,336 NARRATOR: By the end of the decade, 418 00:24:31,403 --> 00:24:35,240 Lean Cuisine is only one diet regime among many. 419 00:24:35,307 --> 00:24:37,075 But the calorie counting revolution 420 00:24:37,142 --> 00:24:40,745 they helped start remains with us to this day. 421 00:24:40,812 --> 00:24:42,414 MEAT: I looked last night in my freezer. 422 00:24:42,481 --> 00:24:43,415 I still have four. 423 00:24:46,218 --> 00:24:49,020 ROB: So many fast foods, so little time. 424 00:24:49,087 --> 00:24:52,257 And time is the essence of our next contender. 425 00:24:52,324 --> 00:24:55,927 Rather than you go to the food, how about we figure out a way 426 00:24:55,994 --> 00:24:59,130 to get the food to you in 30 minutes or less. 427 00:24:59,197 --> 00:25:00,365 Well I can instantly tell you 428 00:25:00,432 --> 00:25:03,468 that this special delivery is our number four. 429 00:25:10,108 --> 00:25:11,810 WAITRESS: Hiya Tony, two or three? 430 00:25:11,877 --> 00:25:13,411 TONY: Two. Two. Give me two, that's good. 431 00:25:15,247 --> 00:25:18,617 NARRATOR: Americans have loved pizza since the dawn of time. 432 00:25:21,786 --> 00:25:25,123 But how did we jump from eating slices in a local pizzeria, 433 00:25:25,190 --> 00:25:30,362 to expecting whole pies delivered to our door while still piping hot? 434 00:25:30,428 --> 00:25:34,866 As with so many things, we have the eighties to thank for that. 435 00:25:34,933 --> 00:25:37,502 CLAUDIA: The fact that you can get a pizza at your home, 436 00:25:37,569 --> 00:25:40,972 that's freshly baked, that's still gooey and melty and delicious, 437 00:25:41,039 --> 00:25:45,010 I mean that was the holy grail of pizza. 438 00:25:45,076 --> 00:25:47,445 Yes. Yes. (Laughs) 439 00:25:50,849 --> 00:25:53,385 NARRATOR: Pizza delivery becomes big business, 440 00:25:53,451 --> 00:25:57,622 and a national obsession that reflects the era's need for speed. 441 00:25:57,689 --> 00:25:59,891 CRISTELA: The whole culture was now, I can do it now, 442 00:25:59,958 --> 00:26:02,861 I can always get it now. Now, now, now. 443 00:26:02,928 --> 00:26:07,198 NARRATOR: But nobody likes cold pizza, and in 1984, 444 00:26:07,265 --> 00:26:11,836 Domino's gets a brilliant streetwise idea. 445 00:26:11,903 --> 00:26:15,140 When founder Tom Monaghan redefines his brand, 446 00:26:15,206 --> 00:26:17,809 and the entire concept of fast food. 447 00:26:20,278 --> 00:26:21,846 MALE: So, when you want hot, delicious, 448 00:26:21,913 --> 00:26:24,816 quality pizza, delivered in less than 30 minutes, 449 00:26:24,883 --> 00:26:26,718 Domino's Pizza delivers. 450 00:26:26,785 --> 00:26:29,220 One call does it all. 451 00:26:29,287 --> 00:26:32,991 KEVIN: The big thing was like 30 minutes or your pizza's free. 452 00:26:33,058 --> 00:26:35,160 And, you know, everyone loves free. 453 00:26:36,328 --> 00:26:39,297 ADAM: Everyone wants to sort of game it out and see what happens. 454 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,202 JEN: Are you rooting for Domino's to get there faster cause you're hungry, 455 00:26:44,269 --> 00:26:46,805 or do you want them to show up 32 minutes 456 00:26:46,871 --> 00:26:49,674 after you call so that you get a free pizza? 457 00:26:50,308 --> 00:26:52,510 ADAM: I have friends that would literally set timers. 458 00:26:54,646 --> 00:26:56,781 REGINALD: I got so many free pizzas. 459 00:26:58,116 --> 00:27:00,518 I'd be like, hello brother, I think you will find 460 00:27:00,585 --> 00:27:03,755 that you've arrived 32 minutes and 15 seconds. 461 00:27:03,822 --> 00:27:05,957 Yeah, that's what I thought. 462 00:27:08,159 --> 00:27:10,495 NARRATOR: Weaponizing home delivery gives Domino's 463 00:27:10,562 --> 00:27:14,199 the edge over its rivals, and in the eighties it becomes 464 00:27:14,265 --> 00:27:17,836 one of the largest fast food enterprises in the world. 465 00:27:17,902 --> 00:27:23,908 MALE: From 400 stores in 1978, Domino's now lays claim to nearly 3000. 466 00:27:23,975 --> 00:27:26,411 NARRATOR: But the runaway success of the promotion 467 00:27:26,478 --> 00:27:29,981 eventually begins to speed dangerously out of control. 468 00:27:33,184 --> 00:27:36,688 Domino's need for speed has become a killer, 469 00:27:36,755 --> 00:27:38,857 causing a national outcry. 470 00:27:41,860 --> 00:27:44,863 MALE: We're not talking about any kind of emergency situation; 471 00:27:44,929 --> 00:27:46,698 we're talking about pizzas. 472 00:27:46,765 --> 00:27:49,701 NARRATOR: But in 1993, a St Louis woman hit 473 00:27:49,768 --> 00:27:54,939 by a Domino's driver is awarded 79 million dollars in damages, 474 00:27:55,006 --> 00:27:58,109 and the brakes are finally put on. 475 00:27:58,176 --> 00:28:00,945 ANCHOR: Domino's Pizza has abandoned one of its longest running 476 00:28:01,012 --> 00:28:02,947 and controversial promotions. 477 00:28:03,014 --> 00:28:05,050 It will no longer guarantee that you'll get 478 00:28:05,116 --> 00:28:07,018 your pie within 30 minutes. 479 00:28:07,085 --> 00:28:09,320 TOM: I just didn't feel I could put a hundred 480 00:28:09,387 --> 00:28:13,658 and some thousand Domino's people in jeopardy. 481 00:28:13,725 --> 00:28:15,527 NARRATOR: It's the end of an era, 482 00:28:15,593 --> 00:28:18,630 but the policy has a lasting impact. 483 00:28:18,697 --> 00:28:23,468 Today, Domino's is the highest grossing pizza chain in the world, 484 00:28:23,535 --> 00:28:26,404 and home delivered pizza has been permanently baked 485 00:28:26,471 --> 00:28:28,273 into American popular culture. 486 00:28:30,842 --> 00:28:37,615 MALE: Give me that. Hey, this is a 10. The tab's 13. 487 00:28:37,682 --> 00:28:39,117 TURTLE: You're two minutes late dude. 488 00:28:39,184 --> 00:28:42,020 Never pay full price for late pizza. 489 00:28:42,087 --> 00:28:43,955 MALE: I gotta get a new route. 490 00:28:44,022 --> 00:28:46,057 Hummmm. 491 00:28:46,124 --> 00:28:49,294 ROB: Now I won't comment on the actual gourmet quality of Domino's 492 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,730 but I understand why it's so high on the list, 493 00:28:51,796 --> 00:28:54,733 because the whole idea revolved around fast delivery, which, 494 00:28:54,799 --> 00:28:57,902 if you think about it, might have inspired 495 00:28:57,969 --> 00:29:01,139 a little product delivery company by the name of Amazon. 496 00:29:01,206 --> 00:29:02,607 I'm just saying. 497 00:29:03,408 --> 00:29:05,176 NARRATOR: Domino's rushed delivery earned 498 00:29:05,243 --> 00:29:08,313 it a place as our number four, ahead of Lean Cuisine 499 00:29:08,379 --> 00:29:12,283 and Hot Pockets, but it can't beat our final three. 500 00:29:12,350 --> 00:29:18,056 Next, the war to end all wars, fought under golden arches. 501 00:29:18,123 --> 00:29:19,357 MEAT: It's called Burger King. 502 00:29:19,424 --> 00:29:22,527 McDonald's is called McDonald's and that was a clown. 503 00:29:22,594 --> 00:29:27,899 LONI: It was the king and it was royal, but it really wasn't royal. 504 00:29:27,966 --> 00:29:29,567 KIDS: Burger King, yay! 505 00:29:33,438 --> 00:29:37,308 ROB: Well now we're down to the big three eighties foods. 506 00:29:37,375 --> 00:29:39,410 They have a few things in common. First, 507 00:29:39,477 --> 00:29:41,579 they're all very much a part of our daily lives, 508 00:29:41,646 --> 00:29:44,516 second, they've made billions for their creators, 509 00:29:44,582 --> 00:29:48,319 and finally, they all have insanely catchy names. 510 00:29:48,386 --> 00:29:52,257 And no name was more of a mouthful than our number three. 511 00:29:54,592 --> 00:29:58,329 REGINALD: I remember being about six or seven years old, 512 00:29:58,396 --> 00:30:02,600 and back then, a Whopper was huge. 513 00:30:02,667 --> 00:30:06,704 NARRATOR: The Whopper has been Burger King's signature dish since 1957. 514 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,376 LONI: Now you see I'm a burger connoisseur of course. 515 00:30:11,442 --> 00:30:14,412 My favourite fast food place was Burger King. 516 00:30:14,479 --> 00:30:17,615 I mean, it was something about that burger. 517 00:30:19,484 --> 00:30:21,319 CLAUDIA: That flame-broiled goodness 518 00:30:21,386 --> 00:30:23,588 that's just absolutely delicious. 519 00:30:25,990 --> 00:30:29,160 NARRATOR: Beloved as it may be, Burger King is far from 520 00:30:29,227 --> 00:30:31,863 the only burger joint on the block. 521 00:30:31,930 --> 00:30:34,632 In the early eighties, competition from Wendy's 522 00:30:34,699 --> 00:30:37,268 and other chains is heating up. 523 00:30:37,335 --> 00:30:42,640 And Burger King is lagging behind market Goliath McDonald's. 524 00:30:42,707 --> 00:30:44,542 KEVIN: Burger King had to gain a foothold, 525 00:30:44,609 --> 00:30:47,946 a toehold against the juggernaut that was Ronald McDonald. 526 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,382 ADAM: The hamburger is the national sandwich, 527 00:30:51,449 --> 00:30:53,918 so to be the best, to have the best hamburger, 528 00:30:53,985 --> 00:30:56,154 to have the most popular hamburger, is the holy grail. 529 00:30:58,089 --> 00:31:01,092 NARRATOR: So, in 1982, Burger King kicks off 530 00:31:01,159 --> 00:31:04,896 what became known as the Battle of the Burgers. 531 00:31:04,963 --> 00:31:09,467 And in true eighties fashion, they take no prisoners. 532 00:31:10,134 --> 00:31:12,704 BRIAN: McDonald's and Burger King were always sort of the Marvel 533 00:31:12,770 --> 00:31:15,607 and DC of their generation when it came to fast food. 534 00:31:15,673 --> 00:31:19,143 NARRATOR: Burger King's weapon of mass digestion? The Whopper. 535 00:31:19,210 --> 00:31:21,479 MALE: Burger King's new ad campaign involves the claim 536 00:31:21,546 --> 00:31:25,216 that consumers prefer the Whopper over the Big Mac. 537 00:31:25,283 --> 00:31:27,652 The fast food battle rages on. 538 00:31:27,719 --> 00:31:29,654 NARRATOR: Burger King's provocative claims 539 00:31:29,721 --> 00:31:31,823 become a whopping big deal. 540 00:31:31,890 --> 00:31:36,361 They enlist a young Elisabeth Shue in their advertising campaign. 541 00:31:36,427 --> 00:31:38,830 FEMALE: All you do is buy one Whopper and say: 542 00:31:38,897 --> 00:31:40,198 COUPLE: The Whopper beats the Big Mac. 543 00:31:40,265 --> 00:31:43,001 FEMALE: Just say that and get your second Whopper free. 544 00:31:44,903 --> 00:31:48,640 REGINALD: I remember when I went, it was like loads 545 00:31:48,706 --> 00:31:53,244 of poor black folks going, the Whopper beats the Big Mac. (Laughs) 546 00:31:53,311 --> 00:31:54,545 The Whopper beats the Big Mac. 547 00:31:54,612 --> 00:31:56,547 And eventually some dudes would get to the counter 548 00:31:56,614 --> 00:31:59,350 and they'd be like, hey man, you know this (bleep) I ain't saying that, 549 00:31:59,417 --> 00:32:02,720 just give me my Whopper. (Laughs) 550 00:32:02,787 --> 00:32:04,689 STEVE: We had people lined up out in the streets. 551 00:32:04,756 --> 00:32:06,958 We had groups of teenagers coming in singing it. 552 00:32:07,025 --> 00:32:13,197 We had, that weekend alone, 10 million people mouthing our claim. 553 00:32:13,264 --> 00:32:15,566 NARRATOR: McDonald's is less than pleased. 554 00:32:15,633 --> 00:32:20,471 They bite back by suing, and Burger King agrees to shelve its campaign. 555 00:32:20,538 --> 00:32:23,308 But a year later, Burger King's at it again. 556 00:32:23,374 --> 00:32:27,078 This time using the Whopper to trash McDonald's cooking methods. 557 00:32:29,814 --> 00:32:34,719 MALE: Burger King presents broiling versus frying. 558 00:32:34,786 --> 00:32:37,121 FEMALE: At this time, Burger King would like to suggest 559 00:32:37,188 --> 00:32:40,124 that everybody from McDonald's please leave the room. 560 00:32:40,191 --> 00:32:41,759 Now, the rest of you ready? 561 00:32:41,826 --> 00:32:44,896 ROBERT: And they said, oh our burgers are flame-broiled, 562 00:32:44,963 --> 00:32:47,398 you know, and the implication was, oh, if you go to McDonald's, 563 00:32:47,465 --> 00:32:49,834 your burgers are sitting in a puddle of grease. 564 00:32:49,901 --> 00:32:54,172 REGINALD: We ain't like these other people that use a frying pan. No. 565 00:32:55,373 --> 00:32:59,243 NARRATOR: Now imitation is the sincerest form of fast food, 566 00:32:59,310 --> 00:33:04,415 and in 1984, McDonald's concocts the ultimate Whopper stopper, 567 00:33:04,482 --> 00:33:08,252 spending $100 million on an ad campaign, 568 00:33:08,319 --> 00:33:11,556 featuring a pre-Seinfeld Jason Alexander. 569 00:33:11,622 --> 00:33:14,826 It launches its own version of the Whopper. 570 00:33:14,892 --> 00:33:17,362 JASON: Hey, you say you're getting tired of lettuce and tomato hamburgers 571 00:33:17,428 --> 00:33:19,297 in this town that don't quite make it? 572 00:33:19,364 --> 00:33:20,198 ALL: Yeah! 573 00:33:20,264 --> 00:33:21,666 JASON: The McDLT. 574 00:33:21,733 --> 00:33:25,703 ADAM: McDonald's separated the hot elements of the burger 575 00:33:25,770 --> 00:33:27,805 and the cold elements of the burger 576 00:33:27,872 --> 00:33:30,241 in a double wide Styrofoam container, 577 00:33:30,308 --> 00:33:32,543 just the ultimate eff you to the environment. 578 00:33:32,610 --> 00:33:35,380 JASON: Could be the best tasting lettuce and tomato hamburger ever. 579 00:33:35,446 --> 00:33:37,648 ALL: (Singing) New McDLT. 580 00:33:37,715 --> 00:33:39,851 NARRATOR: But under pressure from environmentalists 581 00:33:39,917 --> 00:33:42,954 and a growing awareness of the hazards of Styrofoam, 582 00:33:43,021 --> 00:33:46,090 McDonald's consigns this double wide McMissfire 583 00:33:46,157 --> 00:33:48,426 to the trash bin of history. 584 00:33:52,463 --> 00:33:56,501 Despite fighting off rivals, Burger King never quite steals 585 00:33:56,567 --> 00:33:58,436 the burger crown. 586 00:33:58,503 --> 00:34:00,838 But their scorched earth tactics in the burger 587 00:34:00,905 --> 00:34:04,008 wars boost sales by a whopping 15 percent. 588 00:34:08,012 --> 00:34:12,884 It seals their position as one of the true giants of the burger world.. 589 00:34:14,786 --> 00:34:16,888 ROB: Size isn't everything. 590 00:34:16,954 --> 00:34:19,457 Well I think if we're being completely honest, we know it helps. 591 00:34:19,524 --> 00:34:21,359 Especially when it comes to soda. 592 00:34:21,426 --> 00:34:24,462 Fill a mega sized container with mass quantities of sugar 593 00:34:24,529 --> 00:34:26,864 and, well, you've got our number two. 594 00:34:29,801 --> 00:34:31,702 ELLEN: Why on earth would anybody want this much soda 595 00:34:31,769 --> 00:34:35,807 when they could have this much soda? 596 00:34:37,875 --> 00:34:41,813 NARRATOR: In the late 1970s, 7-Eleven is everywhere, 597 00:34:41,879 --> 00:34:44,949 with over 6000 stores worldwide. 598 00:34:45,016 --> 00:34:48,653 Sales of soda and their own invention, the Slurpee, 599 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:50,688 are an important part of its business. 600 00:34:50,755 --> 00:34:53,658 MALE: Get your Big Gulp at 7-Eleven. 601 00:34:53,724 --> 00:34:57,028 You drugstore cowboy, you. 602 00:34:58,496 --> 00:35:02,834 NARRATOR: In 1976, 7-Eleven tries out a 32 ounce cup, 603 00:35:02,900 --> 00:35:06,003 equivalent to over two cans of regular soda. 604 00:35:06,070 --> 00:35:08,506 Of course it's an immediate success. 605 00:35:08,573 --> 00:35:11,843 JON: The Big Gulp was an example of supersizing a drink, 606 00:35:11,909 --> 00:35:13,911 cause it was so cheap, cause it's just corn syrup, 607 00:35:13,978 --> 00:35:16,214 which is nothing because of the low price of corn. 608 00:35:17,548 --> 00:35:19,650 NARRATOR: But this is only the beginning. 609 00:35:19,717 --> 00:35:22,553 In the 1980s, government legislation makes 610 00:35:22,620 --> 00:35:25,323 the syrupy corn at the heart of the Big Gulp, 611 00:35:25,389 --> 00:35:29,594 already an inexpensive ingredient, even cheaper. 612 00:35:29,660 --> 00:35:34,332 ALVIN: In the 1980s, there was a focus on farm subsidies in America. 613 00:35:34,398 --> 00:35:37,768 Farmers would grow the food, and then when it was sold on, 614 00:35:37,835 --> 00:35:42,273 manufacturers could produce something at such a low cost, 615 00:35:42,340 --> 00:35:44,876 because it was subsidised by the US government. 616 00:35:45,877 --> 00:35:50,548 NARRATOR: And that subsidy trickles down into 7-Eleven's soda sizes. 617 00:35:50,615 --> 00:35:54,752 In 1983, 7-Eleven's cup runneth over. 618 00:35:54,819 --> 00:35:58,389 They introduce the 44 ounce Super Big Gulp. 619 00:36:02,026 --> 00:36:05,062 KEVIN: The Big Gulp, one of the best branded 620 00:36:05,129 --> 00:36:07,698 pieces of merchandise in advertising history. 621 00:36:07,765 --> 00:36:09,267 It says exactly what it is. 622 00:36:09,333 --> 00:36:12,503 It's a big gulp man, it's a lot of liquid. 623 00:36:12,570 --> 00:36:15,306 NARRATOR: The bigger gulp is a big success, 624 00:36:15,373 --> 00:36:20,711 and as bigger cups mean bigger profits, 7-Eleven goes even bigger, 625 00:36:20,778 --> 00:36:25,750 introducing the 64-ounce Double Gulp is 1988. 626 00:36:25,816 --> 00:36:28,686 MALE: Now that's what I call a large. 627 00:36:28,753 --> 00:36:29,820 BRIAN: To put this in context, 628 00:36:29,887 --> 00:36:31,889 there were no free refills in the eighties. 629 00:36:31,956 --> 00:36:36,027 Getting as much soda as you could possibly carry was just heaven. 630 00:36:36,894 --> 00:36:38,729 KATIE: Overnight, it seemed like 631 00:36:38,796 --> 00:36:43,167 kids were walking around with these barrel sized drinks, 632 00:36:43,234 --> 00:36:45,636 and the straw stuck into their face, 633 00:36:45,703 --> 00:36:48,372 like it was almost an oxygen tank. 634 00:36:48,439 --> 00:36:50,408 AMBER: We used to get the biggest Big Gulp, 635 00:36:50,474 --> 00:36:52,843 and my sister and I used to share it. 636 00:36:52,910 --> 00:36:55,846 We called them suicides, so we would put literally 637 00:36:55,913 --> 00:37:00,952 every single flavor of soda or Slurpee 638 00:37:01,018 --> 00:37:03,487 or whatever it was, in the cup, in the Big Gulp. 639 00:37:04,522 --> 00:37:06,123 ALVIN: It felt like a bargain, 640 00:37:06,190 --> 00:37:10,661 and that's at the heart of a lot of American culture. 641 00:37:11,162 --> 00:37:14,098 Size versus price. 642 00:37:14,165 --> 00:37:17,735 NARRATOR: Once the cup is out the bag, there's no going back. 643 00:37:17,802 --> 00:37:20,938 Despite concerns that the giant soda craze of the eighties 644 00:37:21,005 --> 00:37:23,708 might be kicking off an obesity crisis. 645 00:37:23,774 --> 00:37:27,445 BLOOMBERG: This is becoming a devastating public health issue. 646 00:37:27,511 --> 00:37:28,913 It's an epidemic. 647 00:37:30,147 --> 00:37:33,150 NARRATOR: An attempt by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg 648 00:37:33,217 --> 00:37:38,322 to ban the sale of sodas over 16 ounces predictably falls flat. 649 00:37:39,690 --> 00:37:41,192 PROTESTOR: I'm here to tell Mayor Bloomberg 650 00:37:41,259 --> 00:37:42,526 that if I want to drink a Big Gulp, 651 00:37:42,593 --> 00:37:44,195 I'm gonna drink a Big Gulp. 652 00:37:44,262 --> 00:37:46,397 ADAM: Having a huge beverage that was cheap 653 00:37:46,464 --> 00:37:48,266 and you could carry with you wherever you went, 654 00:37:48,332 --> 00:37:51,435 was kind of like a trophy of American commercialism. 655 00:37:51,502 --> 00:37:54,071 NARRATOR: But apparently America's thirst for Big Gulps 656 00:37:54,138 --> 00:37:55,740 is unquenchable. 657 00:37:55,806 --> 00:37:59,844 BRIAN: It was a huge deal to try to drink yourself sick. 658 00:37:59,910 --> 00:38:01,412 MILLHOUSE: What's it like Bart? 659 00:38:01,479 --> 00:38:03,114 (brbrbr) 660 00:38:03,180 --> 00:38:05,416 KEVIN: Americans won't be happy at 7-Eleven until like 661 00:38:05,483 --> 00:38:07,351 we're just opening the trunk of our car 662 00:38:07,418 --> 00:38:09,987 and just pumping liquid right into it and being like, Car Gulp. 663 00:38:13,891 --> 00:38:17,395 ROB: Gulp is right. When we come back, our number one. 664 00:38:17,461 --> 00:38:19,664 I mean, what possible trick did these fast food 665 00:38:19,730 --> 00:38:23,134 geniuses leave on the table that we haven't gotten around to yet? 666 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:26,570 It's one where the food takes a back seat. 667 00:38:26,637 --> 00:38:29,774 DEE: It was like crackerjacks to the next level. 668 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:31,409 CRISTELA: You would have to try to collect them all, 669 00:38:31,475 --> 00:38:33,210 and there was always like that one that you couldn't get. 670 00:38:45,289 --> 00:38:47,291 ROB: We've sampled the menu from 10 to two, 671 00:38:47,358 --> 00:38:50,761 but there can only be one number one. 672 00:38:50,828 --> 00:38:53,364 And now, that order is ready for pick up. 673 00:38:55,666 --> 00:38:59,537 Our panel has spoken, with a surprisingly unanimous choice. 674 00:38:59,603 --> 00:39:01,472 We've taken a Whopper of a Big Gulp, 675 00:39:01,539 --> 00:39:04,875 at the not so Lean fast food Cuisines of the eighties, 676 00:39:04,942 --> 00:39:06,677 and now it's time for the main course. 677 00:39:06,744 --> 00:39:10,614 Our number one eighties fast food brought families together 678 00:39:10,681 --> 00:39:13,250 and smiles to children's faces everywhere. 679 00:39:17,288 --> 00:39:19,790 NARRATOR: If there's one fast food chain sure to bring 680 00:39:19,857 --> 00:39:23,494 in the kids today, it's McDonald's. 681 00:39:23,561 --> 00:39:24,962 MEAT: If we had the kids in the car 682 00:39:25,029 --> 00:39:28,499 and we drove past a McDonald's, that was it. 683 00:39:28,566 --> 00:39:31,001 DEE: I was already a dad by the mid-eighties 684 00:39:31,068 --> 00:39:35,339 and we would have to go to McDonald's all the time. 685 00:39:37,441 --> 00:39:39,110 NARRATOR: But McDonald's in the seventies isn't 686 00:39:39,176 --> 00:39:42,113 quite the kid-friendly zone it is today. 687 00:39:42,179 --> 00:39:46,016 Then their menu was aimed squarely at grown-ups. 688 00:39:46,083 --> 00:39:50,855 ROBERT: The problem was that families would come to fast food places, 689 00:39:50,921 --> 00:39:53,124 you could get your kid an ordinary cheeseburger 690 00:39:53,190 --> 00:39:54,692 and maybe a small fries, 691 00:39:54,759 --> 00:39:58,496 but there really wasn't anything just for them. 692 00:39:58,562 --> 00:40:02,400 DMC: And they're realising, we don't got to speak to the adults no more, 693 00:40:02,466 --> 00:40:05,936 let's speak to the kids and we got them for life. 694 00:40:08,472 --> 00:40:10,408 NARRATOR: In the late seventies, the concept 695 00:40:10,474 --> 00:40:13,544 of pester power is gaining traction. 696 00:40:13,911 --> 00:40:17,081 McDonald's charges adman Bob Bernstein with the job 697 00:40:17,148 --> 00:40:20,785 of convincing kids to convince their parents to take them 698 00:40:20,851 --> 00:40:22,520 to the golden arches. 699 00:40:23,220 --> 00:40:27,191 Soon, Bob has a breakfast brainwave. 700 00:40:27,258 --> 00:40:33,130 BOB: I was watching my oldest son Steve eat his breakfast cereal. 701 00:40:34,598 --> 00:40:38,035 STEVE: I did what every 10 year old used to do back then, 702 00:40:38,102 --> 00:40:41,305 I would put the cereal box in front of me and 703 00:40:41,372 --> 00:40:45,342 I would read that cereal box over and over again. 704 00:40:45,409 --> 00:40:47,077 BOB: And I'd ask him if he'd like to read 705 00:40:47,144 --> 00:40:48,679 the newspaper or do his homework, 706 00:40:48,746 --> 00:40:51,015 do something other than read that box. 707 00:40:51,081 --> 00:40:53,584 STEVE: I'd say no, I'd just keep eating the cereal 708 00:40:53,651 --> 00:40:56,353 and turning that same box over and over again. 709 00:40:56,420 --> 00:40:58,189 BOB: And then I thought to myself, you know, 710 00:40:58,255 --> 00:41:01,959 kids should have some kind of fun or activity while they're eating. 711 00:41:02,026 --> 00:41:04,562 And that's what we tried to do with the Happy Meal. 712 00:41:04,628 --> 00:41:06,730 FEMALE: Your kids will love McDonald's Happy Meal. 713 00:41:06,797 --> 00:41:08,566 It's a hamburger or cheeseburger, 714 00:41:08,632 --> 00:41:11,135 regular sized fries, regular sized soft drink, 715 00:41:11,202 --> 00:41:13,103 and a McDonaldland cookie sampler. 716 00:41:13,170 --> 00:41:14,472 It's food and fun in a box. 717 00:41:15,406 --> 00:41:18,442 NARRATOR: But a fast food icon is not made overnight. 718 00:41:18,509 --> 00:41:21,111 Initially McDonald's tries out the Happy Meal 719 00:41:21,178 --> 00:41:24,315 as a promotion in just a handful of states. 720 00:41:24,381 --> 00:41:28,452 BOB: It tested very well. So, then it got to be challenged as 721 00:41:28,519 --> 00:41:30,421 to whether it should be a menu item. 722 00:41:30,488 --> 00:41:33,457 NARRATOR: McDonald's execs wisely decide to go for it, 723 00:41:33,524 --> 00:41:36,393 and in 1979, the Happy Meal is rolled out 724 00:41:36,460 --> 00:41:38,496 on menus across the country. 725 00:41:38,562 --> 00:41:42,399 But it's not really the food that catches kids' eyes. 726 00:41:42,466 --> 00:41:45,035 LONI: And what made it happy was you got your little burger, 727 00:41:45,102 --> 00:41:46,837 you got your little fries for the kids, 728 00:41:46,904 --> 00:41:49,540 you either had milk or some type of juice, 729 00:41:49,607 --> 00:41:53,210 but it was the toy. The toy. 730 00:41:53,277 --> 00:41:54,612 CHRIS: McDonald's loved that because 731 00:41:54,678 --> 00:41:56,514 that's where pester power came in. 732 00:41:56,580 --> 00:41:59,517 Mommy, let's go to McDonald's because I need this toy. 733 00:41:59,583 --> 00:42:02,486 It was a brilliant marketing move. 734 00:42:02,553 --> 00:42:04,989 BOB: Kids wanted a surprise, a toy 735 00:42:05,055 --> 00:42:06,957 that they could get out of the Happy Meal. 736 00:42:07,024 --> 00:42:10,494 NARRATOR: In 1981, advertising is deregulated, 737 00:42:10,561 --> 00:42:14,198 commercials directed at kids flood TV screens. 738 00:42:14,265 --> 00:42:16,734 In another stroke of marketing genius, 739 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:21,539 McDonald's starts toy tie-ins with major movies and TV shows. 740 00:42:21,605 --> 00:42:23,574 Pester power reaches new heights. 741 00:42:27,511 --> 00:42:30,147 LONI: At first it was like a toy that was related 742 00:42:30,214 --> 00:42:33,984 to like McDonald's, and then it became fancy. 743 00:42:34,051 --> 00:42:36,453 LARRY: In the eighties there were amazing collections coming out 744 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:39,356 of the McDonald's Happy Meal toy world. 745 00:42:39,423 --> 00:42:42,560 DEE: It was like you got a piece of food with the toy, 746 00:42:42,626 --> 00:42:45,062 as opposed to getting a toy with the food. 747 00:42:45,129 --> 00:42:47,298 ADAM: As a kid, getting a toy in a Happy Meal 748 00:42:47,364 --> 00:42:50,301 was kind of a form of currency. 749 00:42:50,367 --> 00:42:52,336 CRISTELA: Berenstein Bears, I loved these. 750 00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:56,907 This was actually a really awesome cartoon. 751 00:42:56,974 --> 00:42:58,909 STEVE: You could get Star Wars collectibles. 752 00:42:58,976 --> 00:43:00,210 I had to have them all. 753 00:43:00,277 --> 00:43:01,445 CLAUDIA: I think my favourite Happy Meal 754 00:43:01,512 --> 00:43:05,115 of all time was the My Little Pony one. 755 00:43:05,182 --> 00:43:08,352 I remember going back and having my mom negotiate 756 00:43:08,419 --> 00:43:12,122 to try to exchange the different, because I already 757 00:43:12,189 --> 00:43:14,992 had that one, so I needed the next one. 758 00:43:16,594 --> 00:43:19,830 NARRATOR: The Happy Meal is our number one for a reason. 759 00:43:19,897 --> 00:43:23,867 It combines marketing genius, convenience and a product that fills 760 00:43:23,934 --> 00:43:29,273 a need that nobody knew they had, until it was served up. 761 00:43:29,340 --> 00:43:34,278 And to this day, our number one still makes kids, 762 00:43:34,345 --> 00:43:37,281 and its corporate creator, smile. 763 00:43:37,915 --> 00:43:40,417 CRISTELA: The Happy Meal is remarkable. 764 00:43:40,484 --> 00:43:41,919 It's a huge part of childhood. 765 00:43:41,986 --> 00:43:44,521 It's Americana really. 766 00:43:44,588 --> 00:43:46,457 ROBERT: It was enormously influential because 767 00:43:46,523 --> 00:43:48,192 once you had the McDonald's Happy Meal, 768 00:43:48,258 --> 00:43:50,828 then all of these other restaurant chains are like, 769 00:43:50,894 --> 00:43:53,197 we had better get one too. 770 00:43:53,263 --> 00:43:56,433 KEVIN: One of the most brilliant strokes of marketing genius. 771 00:43:56,500 --> 00:43:59,169 Branding of the highest order. 772 00:43:59,236 --> 00:44:00,638 BOB: Yes, I'm very proud of it. 773 00:44:00,704 --> 00:44:02,506 I'm very proud of it. 774 00:44:05,342 --> 00:44:07,444 ROB: Little do they know how much I love McDonald's.