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Filmmaker Anne Lewis discusses her film "Fast Food Women" Saturday night in Coleman Auditorium. Lewis spoke as apart of the Central Illinois Feminist Film Festival. (Nora Maberry| The Daily Eastern News)

Fast Food Feminists

By: Ashley Mefford/Senior Campus Reporter

Posted: 3/31/08

Women fast food workers inspired Anne Lewis so much that she decided to make a documentary.

She saw many women working in fast food restaurants and wanted to know why.

"These women are not real employees," Lewis said. "They have no benefits and low wages."

She gave a presentation of the documentary "Fast Food Women," and a lecture on Saturday night in the Coleman Auditorium as part of the Central Illinois Feminist Film Festival. Lewis also showed clips of her other films.

Lewis, a senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, said she interviewed women who worked at these restaurants and began hearing their stories.

She found that two-thirds of fast-food workers were women.

Although she made the documentary in the 1990s, Lewis said the same economic situation is going on today.

"Fast food workers are the largest low-paid workers in the country," Lewis said.

She said the majority of the people she met while making the film were middle-aged women and had been working in the fast food industry for years.

Lewis looked at national franchises such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

She felt she had to make the film because it is not something the media would neglect, Lewis said.

"The media should play a role in society past entertainment," Lewis said.

Lewis raised the question of feminism in regards to "Fast Food Women."

She wondered if the women in the documentary were not feminists because they did not seem to stand up to their harsh working conditions.

But by willing to tell their stories, Lewis said they had somewhat of a feminist spirit.

"In a way, they were (feminists)," Lewis said. "The courage it took to help make this film will produce change."

Lewis showed a clip of her movie "Shelter," as well.

"Shelter" takes place in West Virginia and focuses on women involved with domestic violence situations.

Lewis also showed clips of her movie about Anne Braden, an influential feminist and civil rights activist.

Social inequality for women can be pinpointed to one question, Lewis said.

"It's the question of a just society," Lewis said. "Class, gender, race and sexual orientation are all included in that. We need to honor those principles of leadership and inclusion."

Lewis gave the example of professors at University of Texas to illustrate inclusion.

At the University of Texas, 80 percent of the professors are male. Lewis has seen three highly qualified women be denied tenure and has not seen this happen to any male professors.

"There needs to be a concentration on human rights," Lewis said.

Ashley Mefford can be reached at 581-7942 or at almefford@eiu.edu.