'Being Gordon Ramsay' featuring dead pig!

[paloma7]

Ffs! I'm just watching this Netflix show about Gordon Ramsay and his opening of a new restaurant with amazing views in the city. I'm not interested in him particularly, but thought I might go to this 'Lucky Cat' just for the views over London, if and whenever it opens.

BUT - then there is a scene where he is consulting with his head chef about the menu and there is a whole dead baby suckling pig on a plate. They are talking about making this a restaurant feature, requiring two chefs who carve it at your table.

AIBU to think this is obscene? Yes, I'm vegetarian, but I think even most meat eaters would balk at this?

If I were in his restaurant and that was going at the the next table, I would leave. Wtf is wrong with humans?

Tbh, I'm sympathetic to the OP on this, but see arguments for an against.

In most Western countries, meat (particularly from mammals) is generally presented in abstract form, not recognizable as an animal. A lot of people rely on that in order to be able to compartmentalize a love for animals with eating meat.

For suckling pigs and other juvenile animals in particular, humans are "programmed" on an evolutionary level to feel empathy towards juvenile mammalian features. The vast majority of humans experience that to some extent, but the degree of the reaction varies from person to person.

I personally do find it grotesque, and instinctively find it extremely difficult to understand how anyone could enjoy the "spectacle" of it all.

There is, though, a really good argument for having the reality of what you're eating be entirely upfront, rather than trying to make abstract the act of eating meat - it is, at least, unflinchingly honest.

Not just the incontinence pads causing you issues, is there?

Why is it that so many vegans tend towards the misogynistic phraseology, by the way? Cunts, mouldy mammary secretions, rape, it's all about the female being disgusting.

It's an evolutionary response, not a rational one.

Most humans don't like the thought of eating meat...but enjoy eating meat. Something of a curse for being a species of empathetic, self-aware omnivores. A lot of people rely on a cognitive disassociation between meat and animal. This is particularly the case when the meat is of other mammals.

Studies have repeatedly shown that, even among meat eaters, the less an animal looks like an animal, the more willing they are to eat it.

Even among meat eaters, about 15-20% would feel too empathetic towards, and disgusted at the thought of eating, a headless but otherwise-whole, roast suckling pig. That jumps to 40% to 45% who would refuse if the head was left on. (2016 Kunst and Hohle study, for those numbers, and not an outlier).

Morally, there's no good distinction, but eating an intact, juvinile mammal runs contrary to evolutionary traits which not all humans experience uniformly.

I don't think that it's now terribly common in the UK. Much more common on the Continent, however.

Because Mohammad didn’t like it. Everything he personally didn’t like he banned.

I wish I could ban what I didn’t like 😎

I thought that it was more to do with the dangers of fluke, etc at the time.

Not quite correct.

It is because pork is considered dirty. Because back in the day people genuinely got sick from eating pork due the poor conditions the pigs were in.

Muslims don’t care if anyone else eats pigs or not. They are not going to be offended by seeing a dead pig just because they are Muslim.

Then why are the hounding a restaurant owner who won’t sell halal

So a baby pig? That is disgusting. I am vegetarian and pigs aremy favourite animals.

One thing eating a full grown pig although I would not want to see it's body on a plate or spit but a baby pig is awful

Then don’t go to that restaurant.

No different to eating chicken or lamb.

OP, get a grip. I was vegetarian for most of my life, and even I think you're being insufferable.

I am vegetarian but I'm not going to tell other people what they can or can't eat

Oh, come off it. This thread is an attempt to do just that! You feel this is "unnecessary", "vile", "depraved", "obscene" and all the rest of it, but you know you can't just say "I don't want to see that". Because if you did, people would quite rightly tell you to stick to vegetarian restaurants, then.

All this faux concern about what the average meat eater is comfortable seeing on their plate 🙄. Isn't that their problem? They can deal with their own feelings and start their own Mumsnet threads, if they want. I don't see what any of it has to do with you. Your argument seems to be that you want them to be able to eat meat without thinking too hard about where it comes from. Which is a bit bizarre if you're vegetarian for moral reasons. It's not cruel conditions or the death of the animal you're objecting to - it's purely the presentation.

Are you the sort of "vegetarian" who sneaks a hamburger from time to time and would prefer not to think about where it comes from? Is that why this has touched a nerve? Your business if so, but surely there's a better way to work through your feelings. There's an episode of The Simpsons about this very thing!

I'm starting to wonder if this entire thread is a spoof of "Lisa The Vegetarian", to be honest.

You are not making any sense.

How old do you think most pigs reared for slaughter are?

The typical age that pigs are slaughtered is around 6 months old.

All pigs we eat are “baby” pigs.

@Franpie then why call it "suckling pig"? just the name makes me want to gag.

Is it meant to be some sort of brag for meat eaters that it's not just a pig that got to live for a few months but it's not even off it's mothers' milk yet?

This is why I hate people.

Suckling pig because it’s not been weaned off milk.

Apparently this means that the meat is more tender and contains less fat.

Look, you don’t like eating animals, I get it. But it makes no difference whether we eat a pig that’s a couple of weeks old or a few months old. They have been bred for the slaughterhouse.

@Franpie So a baby animal just exists for a couple weeks and then is ripped away from it's mother and killed (probably very inhumanely) just to give meat eaters a nice taste for a few mins? At least if it was several months old it would feed more people.

A whole pig generally feeds between 50 and 200+ people, depending on the size of the hog and whether it is served as sandwiches or a plated meal. A small 30-40kg hog serves 50-80 guests, while a large 70-80kg hog can feed 150-200+ guests.

Taste Tradition Rare Breed Suckling Pig, 8-12kg (Serves 8-12 people)

What an absolute waste in so many ways.

killed (probably very inhumanely)

Stop being unnecessarily dramatic. You have no idea, do you, how they're slaughtered?

And @Franpie is right. What difference does it make just when an animal is slaughtered for food? Does it make it less cruel to let an animal live for longer? Why is more cruel to kill it earlier in its life?

What a load of rubbish.

The only though i have is that i cant wait to eat it.
Looking like an animal doesnt bother me either.