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Emily turned to me suddenly as we stood waiting in line at McDonald’s.
“Why don’t you shave, Jen?” she asked.
It was a question I had fielded from others many times before. My response was quick and pre-made, like a McDouble.
“Why should I?”
Her face quirked in thought. “I don’t know.”
“Well, I’ll tell you why I shouldn’t shave: it hurts, it can cause infections, it costs money, and it takes up time that I could use for something more productive.” I rattled off my list as easily as my regular McDonald’s order. “So, can you tell me why I should shave?”
“No,” she said hesitantly, “when you put it like that, it makes sense not to.”
I smiled, “Exactly.”
The line moved us up to the counter where we ordered and got our food.
Our other friend, Dylan, who had sworn off fast food, was saving a booth for us. Her order, two bags of apple slices, was already half eaten when we sat down. Her distaste for the fast food giant is similar to my disenchantment with body hair removal and other common beauty practices. But while she was done in by a young, ambitious, independent filmmaker, prom is to blame for my actions, or more accurately, inactions.
During freshman year health class, we had watched Supersize Me, the story of a man who ate McDonald’s orders three times a day for a month. The film documented his stomach-heaving experience as he struggled…
