COULD YOU EAT YOUR PET?

There’s a new British reality TV show called “Meat the Family.” The show asks the question, ‘Can you eat an animal that you raised as a pet?’ (* Oh – they mean ‘farming.’) In the first episodes of “Meat the Family”, families are given either a lamb, a pig, a chicken or a calf to raise. They have to treat the animal like a member of the family for three weeks. Then in the end they have to decide whether they put it in the oven or whether it goes to an animal sanctuary. Producers say the three hour-long shows will confront “the reality of an animal’s journey from field to plate.” Daniela Neumann, executive producer of the show, defended the premise, saying it was taking on “some really timely themes of ethical eating” and well as asking difficult questions like, “Why do we find it acceptable to eat a lamb but we wouldn’t eat our pet dog? Could you go back to meat once you’ve put a name and face to a meal?” She insisted the series also contained some “heart-warming moments”.
* And also some heart-burning moments.
* Sounds interesting, pass the barbecue sauce.
* “Treat the animal like a member of the family for three weeks.” Then when you see what they’ve done to your carpets, you’ll be ready to start warming the oven.
* You want “Meat the Family”? Put a family on a desert island with no food and watch what happens.
* In North Korea, this show plays as a sitcom.