The man behind the 2004 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary has passed away. Director Morgan Spurlock was known for his documentaries, ranging from his quest to find Osama bin Laden to documenting the rise of One Direction, one of the best-selling bands ever. However, it was “Super Size Me,” where Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald's for a month to see what would happen, that earned him critical acclaim. Spurlock was 53.
“Super Size Me” famously documented Spurlock's dramatic decline in health, surprising even his doctors, who had anticipated noticeable but far less severe effects from his bad diet. The documentary also noted McDonald's pervasive impact on American culture, depicting young children successfully identifying characters like Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar, while not recognizing pictures of George W. Bush or Jesus of Nazareth.
The New York Times adds:
His brother Craig Spurlock confirmed the death in a statement to The Associated Press, and said the cause was complications from cancer. The statement did not say where he died.
In “Super Size Me,” Mr. Spurlock tested the broadly held idea that fast food is unhealthy by gorging on McDonald's Super Size meals, hamburgers, fries, soda and more for weeks, as he steadily gained weight. The film, which grossed more than $22 million on a $65,000 budget, contributed to a sweeping backlash against the fast food industry.
From 2013 to 2016, Spurlock hosted and executive produced the CNN show “Morgan Spurlock Inside Man.”
In 2017, Spurlock confessed to sexual misconduct, including an accusation of assault in college, which effectively ended his career as a filmmaker.
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