JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
We remember the filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who died yesterday. He was 53. Spurlock's 2004 documentary, "Super Size Me," made him famous. He went on to make TV shows and movies, tackling topics like the U.S. war in Afghanistan and immigrant labor. Spurlock died due to complications from cancer. NPR's Chloe Veltman has this remembrance.
CHLOE VELTMAN, BYLINE: Morgan Spurlock tapped into the early 21st century zeitgeist with "Super Size Me."
(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "SUPER SIZE ME")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Hello. May I help you?
MORGAN SPURLOCK: Yeah. Can I get the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal?
VELTMAN: Inspired by an obesity lawsuit against McDonald's, Spurlock took it upon himself to test just how bad fast food could possibly be. For 30 days straight, he ate nothing but burgers, fries and sugary beverages from Mickey D's, often opting for the chain's biggest portions.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "SUPER SIZE ME")
SPURLOCK: I think I'm going to have to go super size.
VELTMAN: Spurlock reported that he gained nearly 25 pounds over the course of the month. In an interview with NPR at the time of the film's release, he said he'd experienced chest pains, loss of libido, liver deterioration and other symptoms.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
SPURLOCK: I started to get very depressed.
VELTMAN: The film was a massive success. It won an Oscar nomination, and McDonald's dropped its super size option. But Spurlock also had to fend off questions, including from NPR, about his gimmicky approach.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
SPURLOCK: My doing this diet has really given the film accessibility. You know, now we've created a movie that has a storyline that is interesting, that is intriguing, that people want to see.
VELTMAN: Before Spurlock effectively ended his own career by speaking out about his sexual misconduct allegations on social media at the height of the #MeToo movement, he made a career of being a guinea pig in films and TV shows, investigating challenging topics. In his 2005 FX cable network series "30 Days," the filmmaker explored the difficulties of surviving in America on a minimum wage. He and his fiancee tried it for a month.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "30 DAYS")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: When was the last time you made a budget for living?
SPURLOCK: A budget for living (laughter)? What's that?
VELTMAN: In his review of the show for NPR, TV critic Andrew Wallenstein praised Spurlock's all-in approach.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
ANDREW WALLENSTEIN: The format helps illustrate the plight of millions of Americans in a way no average report could capture.
VELTMAN: And in the 2011 film "POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," Spurlock critiqued the entertainment industry's reliance on corporate branding by turning his own film into a billboard.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD")
SPURLOCK: So ultimately, what we want to try and do is create what is the Ironman of documentaries. Everything from top to bottom is branded from beginning to end.
VELTMAN: Companies participated in exchange for sponsorship rights. In an interview for NPR, Morgan Spurlock said he even reached out to his older nemesis, McDonald's.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
SPURLOCK: I was leaving messages. Hey. It's Morgan Spurlock. You might remember me. I promise it'll be completely different this time. Call me back.
VELTMAN: But the filmmaker said no one ever did.
Chloe Veltman, NPR News.
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.