You didn’t have to get all the way through Supersize Me to remember the French fry experiment. The one where Morgan Spurlock proved that McDonald’s French fries don’t — at least in any perceptible way — decompose. This is troubling on a few levels, not the least of which being that it’s supposed to be food. Well, to reiterate this point (now eight years after that documentary) artist Ben Campbell has constructed a life-size (not supersized, thank goodness) “mummy” made entirely of ground-up McDonald’s food. No embalming fluid needed, I guess. Ew.
The exhibit aims to draw attention to current society’s similarities to ancient Egypt: We crave immortality like they did. We build empires of corporations instead of pyramids. So a mummy made of “immortal” fast food? Okay, I get it now. While this is definitely an art project designed to ruffle feathers — Campbell is hoping to get sued by Mickey D’s for this display — you have to hand it to the guy for some darn good handiwork.
Sidebar: This is only $200 worth of McDonald’s food. Amazing what two Benjamins will get you at the world’s biggest fast food chain. See the rest of Campbell’s exhibit here.
So, mummy made out of immortal fast food: Gross, or kinda awesome?
guest
Oooooh. Interesting haha.
guest
If I didn’t know the mummy was made up of ground up McDonald’s food (btw, gross!), I would’ve thought the decomposing flesh was real.
guest
This is pretty cool. But I love fast food ): I didn’t want to stare at it for too long for fear of thinking unthinkable thoughts and ruining my love of fast food forever );
guest
We are what we eat for better or for worse.
For the record I do not eat at McDonald’s or Burger King anymore. I do not miss it at all. Though I still eat at Taco Bell.
guest
WHY YOU WASTE ALL THIS GOOD FOOD?
I woulda ate that!
xD
guest
It’s true about that the fries. I went to a vitamin presentation and this lady was telling us that she had a bag of McDonald’s food that just sat in her car for her presentations and it had been in her car for at least five years. She wanted to prove to us that nothing happens to their food because there are so many chemicals and preservatives in it.
To make matters worse, I dropped a McDonalds fry on the floor of my car, kind of under the seat… and I have yet to pick it up, and it’s been at least six months. The fry still looks the same. It’s gross but I’m so fascinated by the fact that it hasn’t attracted bugs or gotten mold on it.
guest
OH GOD,
I am so glad to be a vegetarian
guest
What’s gross about it is the fact that the medium (stuff for humans to eat) he uses does not decay.
However, the mummy itself is pretty cool. Looks like he used a mold of another mummy to construct this piece, but if he did sculpt the whole thing then that’s awesome too.
guest
Gross but awesome, yes.
guest
It’s pretty nasty how much crap gets put in McDonald’s. Bad quality meat and fat aside, there are so many preservatives and stuff in it….ew.
guest
that’s pretty interesting. People who are obese take longer to ‘decompose’ in the grave too. The fat works similiar to waxing a dead body. So, it can be that if someone with a lot of fat gets buried in a casket they open the grave after 20 yrs (which is the regular time here ) and find something really gross instead of just bones. Not that you need to be obese to be unhealthy from mc donalds food, but that just came to my mind.
guest
HURF gross
guest
@under_the_carpet@xanga - That’s interesting… I had heard that obese people start to decompose faster after they die- the skin starts to slough off quickly and it’s more difficult to make them up convincingly. Is it the fat that doesn’t decompose?
guest
it’s one of those things that’s disgusting, but you can’t help but to be fascinated by it.
guest
Wow. Just wow.
I am really amazed by the artist’s handicraft and concept.
sunflower / 332 posts
And now I don’t want to eat at McDonalds anymore…the image will haunt me forever *shudders*
guest
The mummy itself looks gross, but the craftsmanship is awesome. Props to the artist. But I’m glad I gave up McDonald’s and similar popular fast food names almost a decade ago. I refuse to eat at those places.
guest
I love the idea but any food mashed up will look gross. It probably tastes good, LOL.
guest
why does he want to get sued?