New Yorker writer Emily Nussbaum in a review of the TV show Hannibal once made reference to the conspicuous consumption of meat.
One scene was so outlandish that Nussbaum said it served as a stark contrast to the viewer’s sensibilities.
It also felt like a reminder of the show’s own double consciousness about what it means to watch from a distance, to admit that we’re voyeurs who enjoy foie gras and veal. (There are moments when one suspects the show is sponsored by PETA.)
Hannibal’s creator Bryan Fuller, a pescatarian, has fulfilled that prophecy with an ad by PETA starring one of the show’s star, Gillian Anderson.
The short 30 second clip is a message, geared in time for American Thanksgiving about not eating meat.
It’s a bit gruesome but that’s because everything is in your imagination. The reality is what you see plays a trick on you with music, words and framing.
Still, you should watch this on an empty stomach and with the lights on.