Researcher Network Member, Lynda Korimboccus, recently published a paper investigating social inconsistencies that produce pig-eating Peppa-Pig fans, most of whom see no connection between their favourite character and their breakfast bacon rolls.
Lynda’s w
ork is based on the ‘meat paradox’ (Loughnan, Haslam & Bastian 2010) – that is, the idea that people say they love animals but also love eating animals. In many cases, people have simply been taught to categorise animals differently: as ‘food’ or as ‘pets’, for example. She aimed to apply this where the same species is considered in two contradictory ways: The Peppa Pig Paradox. She considers whether Peppa Pig simply reflects human society in pig form through anthropomorphism (Mills 2017); whether negative pig metaphors skew our views (Goatly 2006) and our use of the language we learn allows us to distance ourselves (Plous 1993); or whether it simply the application of ‘strategic ignorance’ (Onwezen & van der Weele 2016) that has so far failed to make the connection impossible to ignore.
The social influences upon us are strong and powerful – from family, peers and 
education through media, government and business – and we’d be forgiven for not seeing the obvious up until now. However, animal eating is a normalised practice at risk from an increase in plant-based eating and Lynda encourages vegan parents to become familiar with both moral and nutritional arguments for this in preparation for the inevitable challenges. She encourages non-vegan parents to face their fear of change and embrace the plant-based revolution – not just for their children’s health, but their future environment as well as the lives of millions of non-human animals worldwide.
The Vegan Society, with decades of expertise, is perfectly placed to be part of this social shift and hopefully, all Peppa Pig fans will one day be plant-based. Meantime, campaigners continue to raise awareness and make connections to overcome strategic, or ‘pig’ ignorance. Lynda hopes her work can be part of this movement towards the ‘future normal’.
The full article including references can be found here
Korimboccus, L.M. (2020). ‘Pig-Ignorant: The Peppa Pig Paradox: Investigating Contradictory Childhood Consumpsion.’ Journal for Critical Animal Studies 17(5): 3-33.
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