'Super Size Me' Director Morgan Spurlock Passes Away at 53

Facts

• Morgan Spurlock, the director behind the 2004 Oscar-nominated film 'Super Size Me,' died aged 53 from cancer complications, his family announced on Friday.¹
• His most famous work documented his month-long diet, eating only McDonald's to test the health impact on his body, putting on 25 pounds (11 kg), and raising medical concerns over his blood pressure and cholesterol.²
• After the release of the movie, the fast-food chain discontinued its super-size option — an offer increasing the size of fries and soft drinks, that, as part of the experiment, Spurlock had to agree to if asked.³
• He also directed several other films — including a sequel entitled 'Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!' and projects addressing topics such as the war on terror and rodent infestations — and hosted shows on CNN and FX.⁴
• However, Spurlock had been out of the spotlight since 2017 following confessions of alcohol abuse — which cast doubt over claims made in his 2004 documentary — and sexual misconduct.⁵
• He is survived by his two children and their mothers, his parents, and his brothers.⁶

Sources: ¹Business Insider, ²BBC News, ³Newsweek, ⁴Wall Street Journal, ⁵Daily Mail and ⁶FOX News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Reason.com. Two decades before his sad demise, Spurlock rose to fame with a well-intentioned film that shocked the world despite finding that, as anyone would expect, eating too many calories would trigger health issues. Though not a groundbreaking exposé of the fast-food industry, 'Super Size Me' serves as a reminder that skepticism and inquiry is always welcome.
• Narrative B, as provided by Guardian. Spurlock may have only had one major success with Super Size Me, but there's no way to discredit his masterpiece. No one would ever expect that a 30-day junk-food-only diet could lead to anything other than weight gain and unhealthiness. That was only the absurd punchline for a documentary that enjoyably showed that McDonald's was encouraging obesity and led to the fast food giant ultimately eliminating the unhealthy 'super-size' option.

Predictions