>A while back I asked people on this list about the survival of regional
>cuisine in the era of fast foods. The fruits of the discussion inform this
>essay, which appeared in today's Boston Globe. (link and short excerpt
>below).
>
> http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/040/focus/True_Grits+.shtml
>True Grits
>Forget McDonaldization: In the age of Krispy Kreme and Burritoville,
>fast-food chains may help preserve regional identity
>
>By Jeet Heer and Steve Penfold, 2/9/2003
>
>NOT TOO LONG AGO, McDonald's seemed invincible. Not only did the fast-food
>giant serve burgers by the billions, its social influence appeared
>unstoppable. "The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the
>Christian cross," maintained Eric Schlosser in his best-selling 2001 expos
>"Fast Food Nation." "The basic thinking behind fast food has become the
>operation system of today's retail economy, wiping out small businesses,
>obliterating regional differences, and spreading identical stores throughout
>the country like a self-replicating code."
I would say that Ritzer would have no objection to this article. :) Krispy Kreme and Burritoville simply rationalize the process of making donuts and burritos.
Neither, in fact, would Weber who argued that rationalization couldn't entirely take over because it would, in a sense, result in irrationalities and that, in turn, would unleash charismatic leadership. blah blah blah. OTHO, the whole thing depressed the guy.
http://newtimes.rway.com/1997/100897/cover.htm
Kelley