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The octopus scene - food or animal abuse ?

Juniko

This video of the BTS of the eating live octopus scene shows you that he had to kill 4 octopus in a really, REALLY painful-looking manner (eating them alive by tearing them apart as they struggle in his hand)

So, do you think the movie went too far with this scene, or that these octopuses should just be regarded as sea-food? 

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naccu
What's so different about them killing the octopus and every other fisherman around the world who kills them for food?
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Juniko
I don't know exactly, that's why I have this dilemna.

Basically I feel there is a ton of hypocrisy in the industry. We all know animals are slaughtered and tortured to feed us or to test the newest cometic products...but when it's shown on screen that's not okay? The entertainment industry that promote a glamorous life full of animal tested cosmetics is shocked if an animal is harmed during a movie...

But it's not like we're suddenly going to be ok with on-screen brutal animal abuse just because a lot worse is happening while we're not looking...I mean, there are still countries that consider bullfight to be of cultural importance and who then decide to overlook the animal abuse issue, but slaughter a bull in a movie and you have hundreds of associations on your back, and for good reason I believe...

So my real question is : where do you draw the line ? Personally, what would you find okay, and what would shock you ?
I recently started to ask myself that same question, and I will be interested to see how you would aswer





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femmedesneiges
"where do you draw the line ? Personally, what would you find okay, and what would shock you ?"

Okay: A long-established cultural tradition. Bullfighting, dolphin hunting, live seafood etc. I find it distasteful but I don't think I have the right to criticise a culture I have 0 connection to. Change has to come from within.  It's quite common to see people eating live seafood on Japanese variety shows. At first I thought it was borderline immoral (I'm a vegetarian who eats fish and seafood), but I've got used to the idea of it. I guess live seafood is like how people from my country are squeamish about eating horse. 

Shocking: Cruelty for the sake of cruelty. Human pleasure from the sight of animal suffering. I don't know. Like kids pulling the legs off of spiders, or how every year around Bonfire Night there are stories of fireworks being tied to cats tails. 
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prettytin
i guess, for some it's not abuse if you kill them for food since they didn't die brutally? but isn't it still abuse killing them? 
we just didn't hear the pigs crying when they're killed (which you can hear if you're there) for us to have our yummy pork dishes.
i remember going to Tsukiji market in Japan and seeing how they kill the fish, promise it's not a good sight. but still we eat sushi afterwards. 

i still do eat meat and fish, and when i remember what i saw in Tsukiji, honestly i feel like i'm a bad person
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MiMi
As someone who has killed food to eat before, this video still kind of disturbs me. I'm not sure why, but somehow, wringing a chickens neck does not seem as bad as that. Maybe it's because the chicken died instantly, but the octopus died slowly? Having said that, I would like to explain how chickens are killed commercially (excluding chickens for Asian food butchers which still have their heads). First, they are held upside down by their feet with a small electrical current to paralyze them, then their heads are cut off by a machine. Now, I'm sure most of you know that it can take up to a day for chickens to die when their heads are chopped off. So, if you eat chicken, I guess you have no reason to feel any better about the you eat. Also, don't think that cows, swine, sheep or goats are killed any more humanly.

I personally still eat meat, however, I absolutely cannot eat pork due to the conditions that pigs are kept in. I'm sure if you all knew about it, you would never eat bacon again.

I guess my overall point is, is that although I find it disturbing, I really have no right to judge as I, myself, eat meat products, regardless of the fact that I know how they died.
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Sapir
I know that some people in Korea consider eating an alive octopus as a good dish, if I'm not wrong, it's called "sannakji". So, maybe you think of it as an animal abuse because of the cultural differences (indeed, I also thought that it was terrible) , but the way he ate it was so shocking, that other people who watch the movie (and also people who enjoy eating it alive, ) will feel how much it was cruel and wrong-maybe also for you to question the question you've just asked.
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Hessa Volunteer Staff
I am torn on this question. From what I know, "Fish do not feel pain the way humans do, according to a team of neurobiologists, behavioral ecologists, and fishery scientists. The researchers conclude that fish do not have the neuro-physiological capacity for a conscious awareness of pain."
I think octopuses are the same, not sure though. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Personally, I would prefer killing it then eating it even if it feels no pain.
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StefAnd

Octopus is one of the most intelligent animal or fish in this matter in the world. Remember the score predictor in World Cup Germany? So the nerve-wracking eating is surely gets to the octopus alright. Nevertheless, eating fishes coming from sea raw is not the same as eating ground meats alive. They are much more savvy and hygienic dish as long as they are fresh. 

That if you can bear to swallow the moving organs alive. Me myself cannot eat anything alive or not cooked well. It is not animal abuse, you would not eat anything from animals' meat again should you see it as an animal abuse act. Any meat served on table comes from the slaughter house.

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