Getting Paid & Staying Paid

random question from the past

Question #520 – Meats

The other day I was listening to an old radiolab podcast. It was this one about zoos.

In it a woman was talking about how in some rural places people are used to the real life/death that happens in order for us to get meat for dinner. In the US, she continued, we are normally pretty distanced from it when we buy meat from the meat counter. The thing that got me thinking though was that she then said something like:

“However, studies have shown that a more peaceful society exists when people have enough compassion for animals to be disturbed when they see them killed.”

Even if they ate meat was the implication.

One (among many) of the reasons I like Anthony Bourdain is because he exhibits, without apology, this hypocrisy: For all his talk about hating vegetarians etc. when he is confronted with having to chose the baby camel he is going to have slaughtered to eat, for example, he can’t do it. He still eats a baby camel, but has to get one already killed and frozen.

So my question is: Is society better off having a layer of abstraction between its food and living animals, or should we have to see the animals we consume be killed?

[Edit: In an attempt to curb any more illicit editing of my post I am removing any taunts directed toward our Oberwebseitemeister]

(7 answers)

future internet chat

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chris : Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers, Study Finds ... «link»
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Joe : MADBALL 357
phil : Tarbot what's your opinion of Rory?
phil : I like the way Amy Pond dresses and how they try to explain it within the story. I never saw the ones with Rose Tyler though.
beth : Rose's horsey face is funny though. And she doesn't whine as much. Amy pond has prettier hair and nail beds though.
tarbot : @beth...you don't like amy pond? i hate rose tyler and her stupid ugly face
beth : oh! I just saw the tire banner - niiiice!
beth : I like this one: «link»
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beth : @ phil yes...and a spangly bra
phil : in the episode where she was "dressed for Rio" she wasn't really dressed for Rio. More like a moderately sunny day in the Brighton. "Dressed for Rio" means no shoes, a grass skirt over a thong and a showgirls headpiece, doesn't it?
beth : she is *always* dressed for Rio.
phil : yes but the miniskirts make up for it.
beth : Dr. Who (this season) with Rose (first season - played by Billie Piper). No one likes Amy Pond and her terrible acting.
beth : robotic seals and puppies
Stace : *well I know it doesn't but the new ones could!
Stace : The Brave Little Toaster use to give me anxiety issues probably still does. I hope your banners don't. But you should have an otter because they're awesome.
phil : I'm going to make new banner images. My favorite is the one with jason mann, the brave little toaster and the topless wonder woman. What should the new ones have in them?