Saturday 16 January 2010

Squiddly

This one is about poor little squids.


Look at this little guy, the bobtail squid. Wouldn't harm anyone (as far as I know).

This is because I was watching Michael Palin's Sahara for the second, possibly third, time. I don't know if I missed it before or if I have changed and a new wee bit of brain has been created, but I never saw the squid. This time, when I saw the squid, it hurt me. Basically Palin is on a boat with a bunch of guys from Africa of which country there I can't remember, and they are squid fishing. They put these cosy wee pots into the sea which are prefect squid size and then the bad fishermen bring the pots up. Bring them up, and then they scoop out the squiddies. Squid comes out like what the hell and they scoop him and throw him into a wee tray on the deck. Worse that this, squid is making for escape by squirming across the boat in a way that only a squid could - which looks like a mutated human head with legs having a seizure - and the guys grab him again, by the head I think, and wallop him back in the tray. It is devestating.

I say it is devestating as it is to me. I do not know why. I dislike animal cruelty but I am aware that I am deeply hypocritical in that I eat meat, much meat, tonnes and of every variety. I don't feel bad about it, it's evolution, but that is a bit too contraversial for today, I am still ill. I am not at all squeemish and soppy but it was something in the way the squid was pointlessly squishing its way across the deck that got to me. There was no way it would every get away. It reminded me of Aidriana getting killed in the Sopranos, she is crawling, knowing that it's over, but she needs to crawl away. She could have ran, with the same knowledge, but she crawls. She crawled, the squid crawled, in it's way. It was so sad, it made me want to cry. Even Palin threw the squid, and I think they laughed.

Prior to this I thought squid were odd creatures which freaked me out a bit and didn't appeal at all, but now they seem tragic. I eat squid. Especially at Tapas. Will I still do it? Probably yes. I'm not like that...I just like to attach human meaning to the animal world to make myself feel sad and validate the sadness in my own life. I also do it with inanimate objects. You'll never catch me throwing away anything that still has a use. And if you do I probably kissed it before I did. And don't even start me about Pingin.

1 comment:

  1. That is the cutest squid I ever did see. I'm a hypocrite too, I like meat but I'm for animal rights. Which according to PETA is a big no no.

    Don't look into how we treat sea animals before they become seafood. It's quite horrible, as if they have no feelings etc (which I fully believe they do have!)

    But yes, it's all evolution, even as a nature loving pagan hippie, I still see the necessity in eating meat. I won't stop because our ancestors have done it for thousands of years before us. Thats why we have Canines, for meat. Our stomachs developed to digest it. Its why I'm not hopping about a field with pretty long ears and a little fluffy tail.

    I feel all sorry for the squid now. Poor little things :(

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