TV programme on meat production on BBC3

[veggiesosage]

There was a programme on earlier and its being repeated at 1am. Its called 'Kill it, cook it, eat it' and shows a cow being slaughtered with a live studio audience (behind windows) watching, then they cook it and serve it to them.

it shows the cow still kicking and struggling after the captive bold and having its throat cut, which the vet doing the commentary reassures us is just 'muscle contractions'.

Very odd and clearly sanitised although not 100% successfully, many of the audience seem visibly upset but they only screen positive comments at the end.

[veggiesosage]

I've just sent this into the BBC's complaints thing about the programme;

'The thing I found most disturbing about this programme was that the cow was clearly still alive and kicking and struggling after both the captive bolt and the throat being cut. However this was accepted uncritically by the presenter (and in my view presented dishonestly by the vet providing the commentary)as involuntary 'contractions'.

I simply do not accept this. The cow was not moving immediately after the captive bolt, suggesting it was initially stunned, but clearly started struggling when it was tied and winched up. Again, the movement after the throat being slit was clearly a struggle and a response to the throat slitting.

I don't accept that the vet is in any position to claim that these are 'involuntary contractions' while unconscious, its not as if anyone's in a position to ask the cow. This should have been looked at much more critically as it is a central claim by the meat industry that slaughtered animals do not 'suffer' and my view from seeing the programme was that they clearly do. '

[paul]

i havent seen it,but heres a link if anyone whants to know more about the programe or/and clips of the programe if you want(some not very nice pics)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/programmes/kill_it/index.shtml

and complaints to the bbc at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/

:rollingpin: :grumble: :tantrum: :biff:

[Oracl]

Good response, veggiesosage. :agree:

Thanks for the links, paul. :) Don't think I'll look at the pics. :no:

[Gliondrach]

Yes, a very good response. I didn't see it as I don't have BBC3. The only way to really know if a stunned animal is conscious is to monitor its brainwaves. Captive-bolt stunning can fail to work properly if the equipment is poorly maintained - especially compressed air systems - and the slaughterman's aim is poor.

Whether or not this poor devil was properly stunned the fact remains that the slaughter industry thinks it is acceptable if 5% are not properly stunned. They think they are doing well if at least 95% are stunned properly. What's 5% of many millions? The studio spectators only saw one animal being slaughtered. This was in ideal conditions in which the slaughterman could take his time and attend to all necessary details. It is very different in a slaughterhouse which is run on a conveyor belt system. The killers have to hurry to keep up with the time constraints, where the most important consideration is to get the job done as quickly as possible. Time is money. The people in the studio didn't see the floor running with blood, they didn't hear the bellows of cattle waiting their turn, nor would they have had their nostrils assailed with the smell of blood and internal organs. If they had experienced all that there would have been more cases of the spectators being more than visibly upset.

[Gliondrach]

I'll have a look at those links later, Paul. I'm too angry to look just now.

[Blueshark]

I love the premise of the show, perhaps they wouldn't need to be so blatantly barbaric, but I guess they may have been following the pEta example.

[VeganD]

Oh man i watched it so F**ked up

What scum bags most of the people still was more then happy to eat it after waching it

[Blueshark]

I caught half of today's experiment regarding immature sheep slaughter.

What I noticed, and found rather disconcerting, was that there was only a sole vegetarian (healthy-looking, brave young woman) surrounded by committed meat-eaters.

The presenter seemed to give quite a balanced viewpoint, considering that vegetarianism is still very much a minority life choice.

I am more intrigued as to the actual motivations and aim of the production:
1. Was it intended to seek the behavioural reactions and responses of the interactive studio audience? I think so - but then why not a fairer cross-section of dieters.
2. Was it for educational purposes, in the belief that some don't make the connection of lamb and the sheep animal? Hopefully not.
3. Was it intended to be as brutal as possible, as almost an ethical reaction test? I suspect so, but I do not give credence to this, since scientific studies are honest from the start as to their goal.
4. Was it entertainment? Sadly I suspect this as the main driver.

Besides, it is another 'artform' of the collective values of British society.