AMC_Padlet_AxelvandenHeuvel by Axel v/d Heuvel

The history of one of the most famous American fast food chains: McDonald's

axelvdheuvel — 2024-01-16 14:23:00 UTC

This story starts with two brothers, called Richard and Maurice McDonald from New Hampshire. In the 1920s they moved to California where they started a movie theatre and a hotdog stand. Both endeavours came to and due to the Great Depression, making place for a new journey In 1940, they achieved their first major success with a barbecue joint named McDonald’s Famous Barbecue. This establishment, like many others at the time, was a small family business. The brothers recognized they should improve on their food delivery speed to outshine their competitors. They implemented changes in their restaurant, enabling them to prepare orders within just 30 second. This remarkable change caught the attention of Ray Kroc when he was selling his milkshake mixer to the brothers in 1954. He immediately came with the idea to franchise the business, and he was very successful in his operation. In the following years, they expanded by opening hundreds of restaurants. However, Ray wanted to innovate the franchise, but faced resistance from the brothers who denied him permission. In a sneaky way he forced the brothers to sell their company to him for 2.7 million dollars. With this development he was able to implement his own ideas, resulting in the Filet-O-Fish in 1965 and the iconic Big Mac in 1968. The company kept on improving and expanding, even until this day. Currently, they have over 40000 establishments in 120 countries, serving 68 million customers each day. McDonald’s hold the second position as the largest restaurant chain in the world and became an exemplary American company.

The Boston Tea Party

axelvdheuvel — 2024-01-16 14:23:30 UTC

The Boston Tea Party sounds like a festive gathering back in the days, where they enjoyed a cup of tea in celebration. However, this is far from the truth, as The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal moment in the early stages of the independence of America. The event, which unfolded on December 16^th in 1773, showed how the tensions between The British Empire and the American colony, came to a breaking point. The enduring frustration of the American colonists stemmed from their lack of representation in the British-American Parliament. The enactment of the Tea Act, which would allow the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the American colonies, was the decisive blow, making the Americans even angrier. That night three Americans ,dressed up as native people to hide their identity, boarded the ships of the British Empire. They proceeded to throw 342 crates of tea into the harbour as an act of protest. The British were furious and responded with severe measures passing a coercive act giving them more control over the colony. Despite the taken measures, the American people where inspired by the events and united them into resistance. That is why The Boston Tea Party stands as a symbol of colonial resistance against oppressive rule and taxation, and the beginning of the American Revolution.

The Influence of NWA on Police Violence

axelvdheuvel — 2024-01-16 14:24:36 UTC

The music group NWA brought up a lot of controversy between communities and law enforcement. The group consisting of five members called Eazy E, MC Ren, Ice Cube, Yella and Dr. Dre, were thrown in the spotlights in the late 1980s. Their influential music, particularly their questionable track “F**k tha Police” kindled up discussions about police abuse, racial profiling and inequality in the justice system. NWA’s songs represented the hard reality faced by black Americans in urban areas. The group showed their anger and frustration as being part of the black community exposed to racial profiling and police violence. The song “F**k tha Police” was a protest song dropped in 1988 part of an album called “Straight Outta Compton”. The song is a parody as it is representing member Dr. Dre, as a judge who oversees the legal proceedings involving the police department in different trials. The other members of the group testify before the judge, all criticizing the police. After the release of the song, the FBI did not approve of the song and banned it. However, as time moves on it became harder and harder to discredit the lyrics. Nowadays, the song is offensive to some, but over time the police are responsible for more and more deaths among the black community.

The Super Bowl halftime show

axelvdheuvel — 2024-01-16 22:49:22 UTC

Everyone in America knows about the Super Bowl halftime show. The show became a monumental occurrence that takes place annually during the Super Bowl. Whilst American Football itself is very popular, it's the halftime show during the Super Bowl that truly captivates the audience. Each year every American citizen turns on the television to watch the show as it is spectacular. Not only Americans watch it, the show has become so popular that people worldwide tune in to catch a glimpse. Over the years, it has featured some of the biggest names in the music industry, creating unforgettable moments for the viewers. Apart from the beautiful performances, the halftime show is a visual experience, using new technology and creative set designs. Artists use it to share powerful messages, celebrate diversity, and show off their talents. Furthermore, the halftime show generates a tremendous amount of income the television network broadcasting the Super Bowl. The average cost for a thirty second advertisement consist of seven million US dollars, which is a considerable amount for such little of air time. In summary, the Super Bowl halftime show is unmissable in American culture as it shows spectacular performances by iconic artists, new visuals, high-profile advertisements, and memorable moments. It creates an entertainment spectacle within one of the world’s largest sports events.