Photo Courtesy Alphaila.comI don’t think there’s anyone out there who honestly believes that the burger (or taco) they’re going to get at the drive-thru is going to look much like the burgers (or tacos) they see on TV. Any savy consumer (or, really, anyone whose ever eaten at a McDonald’s before) knows all about the food-world fluffers and art directors who get in there under the lights and make the product in front of the camera look as appetizing as possible.But really, I’ve always thought that there was some kind of social contract between us and the purveyors of quick-serve crap that the foods they show on TV must bear some passing resemblance to the foods we’re going to be served. It might be the most idealized form of the Big Mac that makes it into prime time, but it’s still a Big Mac, right?Right?Wrong. For an exhaustively documented look at reality and fantasy in the fast food universe, you just have to check out “Fast Foods–Ads vs. Reality” by Dario D. at alphaila.com (a website I never would’ve found had it not been for the convenient guidepost planted by eater.com). Dario was apparently a bit miffed at the advertising geniuses who put these photos together, saying, “People around the world know fast food as one of the most reliable distributors of disappointment ever produced by the business world. We know that if we ever feel the need to complain about something, we can just grab a page out of a coupon booklet, adorned in pictures of juicy burgers, then go have a party. Why, the fast food places themselves usually plaster their walls with pictures of juicy burgers – often hanging right over your table – so that you need only open your eyes to find something to compare your food with, while you eat it. Needless to say, the results of my little project were unsurprising… which shouldn’t be a surprise.”Photo Courtesy Alphaila.comHe then went on to document exactly what he was talking about, using nothing more than a home photography studio, several computers, lights, a green screen and lots of technical know-how. He did his best to accurately recreate the lighting and angles used by the food stylists, then just started snapping away at actual Big Macs, Whoppers and Taco Bell tacos, putting the glamour shots and the actual products side-by-side (as in the snap at the top of this post). As he said, the basic results shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, but what really is shocking is how far from reality the advertising images are.To check out the entire article (and attendant photos) click on through to Dario’s alphaila blog post right here.