Consider the Lobster

[calyta]

Thought I'd put this up before the month was over.

Basically this essay was "originally published in Gourmet, this review of the Maine Lobster Festival generated some controversy among the readers of the culinary magazine. While Wallace has stated in interviews his love for gourmet food, the essay is concerned with the ethics of boiling a creature alive in order to enhance the pleasure for the consumer, including a discussion of lobster sensory neurons."

Original and full article here: www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2004/08/consider_the_lobster
Long essay, but well worth the read.

[Hungry Hungry Hippo]

The same thing is done to shrimp too correct?

I thought about this while food shopping. It never even occurred to me that, that's what happens.

I mean, I see them swimming around in the store. I pointed them out. Then my mom goes "Too bad they're going to die."

I mean I should have gotten it. A food store doesn't keep pets. But I guess it never really sank in.

[Javier9101983]

It's horrible the way a lot of things have to die to be made into food.

[domnicksee]

^True. I don't really like reading about how all animals/sea creatures have to die. It makes me feel guilty.

[calyta]

^ and yet we still eat meat/seafood because it's tasty. I find the paradox fascinating.

[steven kozlowski]

I guess people don't really think about it.

Where do we draw the line though. Some pretty horrible things are done to plants too.

We have to eat something.

[calyta]

I guess it comes down to dominance. If we have the power to manipulate a lobster or a cow, plant, etc. than why not use it to advantage ourselves?

But what if humans were inferior to some other creature? Would we have the same ideals?

Additionally, you must consider that it's a subjective idea since some people are not pleased with the idea of killing animals for food so they choose to become vegetarians and "draw the line" in a much different place than someone who chooses to eat meat.

It's terrible how the lobster has to die, but it's pretty damn tasty!

[CrazyAgent]

I've seen videos on what's done to a cow (in worst case scenarios) and I almost stopped eating beef.

Of course I eventually forgot the video and ate what I wanted again.

[calyta]

It's funny how that happens. It's also interesting to consider the lobster because it's not like we have to personally kill a cow when we want to eat beef. I mean, what if something similar to the Maine lobster festival happened at the Wisconsin beef festival? See a cow slaughtered and get a steak from the fresh corpse? Yum yum. What is different about boiling a lobster alive for our gustatory pleasure?

Also, just fyi I'm not trying to accuse, just asking discussion questions.

[Apricky]

^That kind of cow image would stay in my mind forever if I had to see it in person.

[Black Eyed Peas]

Arent there nicer way of putting all these creatures down?

[calyta]

Well you could stab a knife in their head and apparently that severs their central nerve cord but there's no concrete evidence that it actually helps rather than intensify the suffering.

Of course there's cutting its head off and such, but that might lead to cooking problems. And why mangle it if you're going to cook it anyways? Any sort of death seems to be painful, why not boil it to get the freshest tasting lobster?

But whatever floats your boat I guess. You don't have to eat lobster if how it is prepared bothers you so much.

[Hulk]

Why cant they just die and then we eat them?

[calyta]

Oh we certainly can! Lots of people do! But don't you think it's kind if cruel how they have to die? Boiled alive! But lobster sure is delicious and it certainly doesn't stop many people from eating lobster even if they way they die is cruel. It's just an interesting tidbit to think about.

[George WB]

Interesting yes

But I guess I generally assumed they scooped up the dead ones from the ocean and that was that