Jamie Oliver: Slaughtering chickens to raise awareness about slaughtering chickens
I’ve never been much of a fan of cooking shows. The chefs talk, they cook, they even sometimes teach poor food safety. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has taken the typical format of a cooking show and added an extra twist; audience members witness the killing of the chicken used in the meal. Animal rights groups and poultry farmers are outraged over his new television show “Jamie’s Fowl Dinners.”
The show serves up a giant dose of shock and awe as chicks are gassed to death and an adult chicken is killed for the meal. Yet throughout the show Oliver insists that he is trying to raise awareness about how chickens are treated in the poultry industry.
"I don't think it's sensational to show people the reality of how chickens live and die at the moment. It may be upsetting for some people but that's how things are. And if seeing some of the practices helps to change the shopping habits of just 5 per cent of people watching, then it will be worth it.”
Channel 4 factual entertainment boss Andrew Mackenzie said: "Jamie's simple message, in quite an overt way, will be: 'If you know what happens to a chicken before arriving on your plate, would you change the way you think about chicken? Would you still eat it?'"
Oliver had criticized Sainbury’s supermarket over its involvement on his show and has since apologized for it. It appears that his main goal to is encourage people to purchase free-range and organic chicken raised in less intensive facilities. However I found that most of the program depicting the slaughter of chickens seems to push people towards vegetarianism rather than purchasing their chickens from another source. You be the judge.
The show serves up a giant dose of shock and awe as chicks are gassed to death and an adult chicken is killed for the meal. Yet throughout the show Oliver insists that he is trying to raise awareness about how chickens are treated in the poultry industry.
"I don't think it's sensational to show people the reality of how chickens live and die at the moment. It may be upsetting for some people but that's how things are. And if seeing some of the practices helps to change the shopping habits of just 5 per cent of people watching, then it will be worth it.”
Channel 4 factual entertainment boss Andrew Mackenzie said: "Jamie's simple message, in quite an overt way, will be: 'If you know what happens to a chicken before arriving on your plate, would you change the way you think about chicken? Would you still eat it?'"
Oliver had criticized Sainbury’s supermarket over its involvement on his show and has since apologized for it. It appears that his main goal to is encourage people to purchase free-range and organic chicken raised in less intensive facilities. However I found that most of the program depicting the slaughter of chickens seems to push people towards vegetarianism rather than purchasing their chickens from another source. You be the judge.
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Go veg! They're not nuggets!
The shock factor is sometimes the only way to change human behaviour, good on Jaimie for educating consumers, his passion and enthusiasm are infectious and have already changed the eating habits of many UK and other children around the world. All his programs have been interesting and educational, my kids have really enjoyed them (although they didn't watch the chicken one)I say go veg also!!!
I think it's fantastic, and I say that as an omnivore. We owe it to ourselves, each other, and our food to know where it comes from and how it gets to us. If we're not willing to accept the actions of the industry we're a part of - and buying the product certainly makes us a part of it - then we should opt-out.
I think Oliver is bring up-front about his purpose and isn't overtly angling to push anyone to vegetarianism. I suspect he'd say - maybe if he is in one of his less politic moments - that he's perfectly okay with the idea that some people are pushed into giving up meat if they can't stand the reality of how their food comes to be in those little plastic-wrapped foam trays. I just think it would be more accurate that he wants people to be informed and honest with themselves about the reality of their choices.