Understanding "The Remix"

The Remix, as I understand it, is the combing of different things together to create something "new". When most people hear the word remix, they automatically associate it with music and DJs. But this can go far beyond just music- it can also include combining ideas and images. One group that focus on visual remixes is Adbusters.

Adbusters focuses primarily on parodying popular culture and bringing awareness to modern issues while bringing some humor to otherwise serious issues. Along with being a magazine, they also create visual images or "spoofs". Many of these spoofs focuses on corporations and negatives aspects to them (ex: their control of politics, poor treatment of workers, etc).

2 images of Adbuster's spoof, "Unswooshing"

One series in particular that I found myself drawn to were entitled "Big Mac Attack". The title alone tells the viewer it will be about McDonalds.  Many of the images created in "Big Mac Attack" focus on the concept of obesity and effects on children. 

While the series as a whole is a powerful, the image with the babies was probably the image that affected me the most. Everyone is familiar with Ronald McDonald, the friendly clown character that serves as McDonalds' primary mascot. The use of a clown as a mascot is a clever marketing strategy to appeal more to kids. The baby in the picture is not a regular baby but a Ronald McDonald baby. There are many parents that do not see the negative effects of fast food and start to feed their children from a very young age this food.  

The image itself is a commentary on the increasing obesity rate in children, which has more than doubled in children in the past 30 years. McDonalds, while not the only fast food chain, is often seen as a major contributor to obesity in individuals.  And while in recent years, McDonalds has attempted to make healthier meals, there are many that question just how healthy they really are.