Be That Pig: a digression

Sure, one of suicide's primary functions is to mollify our nagging doubts and assure us of the rightness of our habits. The smiling chicken, the capering lamb, the stalwart cow, the laugh-a-minute pig. This is the familiar cast of characters.

What, then, to make of this? At the recent Johns Hopkins University commencement, speaker Brian Billick (coach of the Baltimore Ravens NFL franchise) offered this wisdom:

In a bacon-and-egg breakfast, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. Be that pig.

We're through the looking-glass, people. Bad enough when young people are taught to ignore the claims that our "food animals" might make on us, but now, this? Now we are encouraged to identify with them? To see in their needless sacrifice an object lesson in leading a fulfilled life?

Or... is this actually a trend or is it simply one more bizarre manifestation of suicide food's corrosive influence? Is it too soon to tell? Certainly this is not the first time such an up-is-down attitude has been espoused. Examples abound. To wit:

This child enjoys lobster at a resort in Maine, undisturbed by the victim headgear he wears as a totem. (Superstitious as children are, one might have thought such fate-tempting would have disquieted the lad.)



This gentleman models a pig hat at some sort of barbecue competition, of all places.



Finally, these children are costumed as prawns for something called the Foods of the World parade.









(Thanks to Dr. BK for the JHU tip.)


Addendum (12/08/07): A new find in the Victim Headgear department. This time, a hat in the form of an entire roasted chicken.











Addendum 2 (12/31/07): Or dress up as meat-based junk food. Does anything make sense anymore?











Addendum 3 (12/19/08): Psst! Your kid's a piglet!










Addendum 4 (8/14/09): If you say so.














Addendum 5 (11/24/09): Pretend that you are bloody cuts of meat! Go on, it's easy!