American director Morgan Spurlock has died at the age of 53. Spurlock immortalized his psychological and physical symptoms of eating McDonald’s food every day for a month in the 2004 Oscar-nominated film “Super Size Me”. The documentarian, who became famous for his critical but ironic films about the food industry American, died due to complications from cancer on Thursday 23 May in New York.
Spurlock’s family announced his passing to “Variety” today. “It was a sad day as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said Craig Spurlock, who worked with his brother on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, his ideas and his generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Fame with Super Size Me
Spurlock rose to prominence thanks to “Super Size Me”, in which he conducted an experiment that involved exclusively consuming food from McDonald’s for a period of 30 days. The rules also stipulated that Spurlock could not refuse the “super-size” option if asked while shopping at the fast-food restaurant. The filmmaker also did less exercise to match the physical activity of the average American. At the end of the experiment, Spurlock said he gained 50 pounds and suffered from depression and liver dysfunction.
“Super Size Me” captured the zeitgeist when it came out in 2004, grossing $22 million at the global box office and sparking discussion and controversy about how the fast-food industry encourages poor nutrition among the public. In the aftermath of the film’s release, McDonald’s eliminated the “super-size” option from its menu. Although the documentary is still used as an aid in nutrition education courses, it has sparked debate over its accuracy in subsequent years, with some critics citing Spurlock’s refusal to publicly share his food diary during filming.
Born on November 7, 1970 in Parkersburg, Spurlock was raised in a Methodist family, although he later declared himself an agnostic. He graduated from New York University with a degree in film in 1993. In the 13 years following “Super Size Me,” Spurlock achieved further success with his production company Warrior Poets, producing and directing nearly 70 documentary films and television series. Spurlock’s wide-ranging works have been fueled by tackling controversial and topical topics. His projects have addressed issues such as the US war in Afghanistan (“Whatever Happened to Osama Bin Laden?”, 2008), the minimum wage and immigrant labor (“30 Days”); consumer susceptibility to marketing (“The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”); trophy hunting and body modification (“7 Deadly Sins”); elder care and gambling (“Morgan Spurlock Inside Man”) and the pressures of family farms (“Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!”).
In December 2017, as the #MeToo movement continued to gain traction, Spurlock wrote a lengthy social media post in which he said he was “part of the problem.” In the post he admitted to serial infidelities and said he had resolved a sexual harassment allegation from a former assistant. He also said he was accused of rape in college. The post effectively ended Spurlock’s documentary career, and he resigned from Warrior Poets shortly thereafter.
Spurlock is survived by his two children Laken and Kallen, mother Phyllis Spurlock, father Ben (Iris), brothers Craig (Carolyn) and Barry (Buffy), several nieces and nephews, and ex-wives Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein.
