Glory, or Gory?

_{(c) 2009 Doris Lin,
licensed to About.com, Inc.}

The first time I saw this billboard, scout's honor, I thought it said, "beefy cheesy gory." Is it just me, or does the photo on this billboard look repulsive?

I know that some vegetarians and vegans don't mind the sight or smell of meat, while others find it completely repulsive and offensive. And for some of us, meat that looks far removed from its animal origins (cold cuts, hot dogs) is not as repulsive as meat that still has skin, bones or a head attached (chicken wings, or a whole fish).

I wonder how many other people look at this billboard and think of the cows who were abused and slaughtered to make that burger - the cow whose flesh is now a burger patty, and the male calf who was taken away from his mother and slaughtered for veal in order for his mother to produce milk for the cheese.

Maybe we need billboards that show the suffering and the slaughter of the animals. But no outdoor advertising company would allow a billboard that gory.

While we're on the subject of fast food advertising, Linda Lowen, the Guide to Women's Issues, has blogged about an offensive Burger King ad, that she dubs the "Porno Sandwich Campaign."

Links:

• The Politics of Eating
  
• What is the solution to factory farming?
  
• Humane Meat, or Humane Myth?
  
• Bacardi and Burger King Ads - Did You Really Think We'd Buy That? from Linda Lowen, Guide to Women's Issues