Twitter users expressed discomfort and confusion on Twitter Saturday after The New York Times published an article claiming there’s a "time and a place" for "cannibalism."
Users blasted the piece for seemingly "normalizing" the grisly practice of eating human flesh.
The New York Times published the outlandish piece, titled "A Taste for Cannibalism?" in its Style section on Saturday. Written by Alex Beggs, the article provided insight into cannibalism’s growing relevance in pop culture – especially in a "spate of recent stomach-churning books" – and touted one author’s assertion that cannibalism’s "time is now."
Beggs began her piece with a reference to novelist Chelsea G. Summers' story idea of a character eating her deceased boyfriend’s "liver served Tuscan style, on toast." She then observed, "Turns out, cannibalism has a time and a place. In the pages of some recent stomach-churning books, and on television and film screens, Ms. Summers and others suggest that that time is now."
ZELDIN ATTACK USED TO 'ASSAIL' BAIL LAWS, FRETS NEW YORK TIMES; CONSERVATIVES ROAST THE PAPER
The piece provided a showcase for a set of interesting quotes from the creators of Yellowjackets, a Showtime series featuring graphic scenes of cannibalism. Co-creator Ashley Lyle explained her inspiration for the show, saying, "I think we’re often drawn to the things that repulse us the most."
Her creative partner Bart Nickerson added, "But I keep coming back to this idea of, what portion of our revulsion to these things is a fear of the ecstasy of them?"
Beggs’ piece also sought to find out "what may be fueling the desire for cannibalism stories today." According to Lyle, it’s the current "strange moment." She mentioned "the pandemic, climate change, school shootings and years of political cacophony as possible factors."
Lyle explained, "I feel like the unthinkable has become the thinkable and cannibalism is very much squarely in that category of the unthinkable."
In response to the head-turning article, conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong tweeted, "Stop. Normalizing. Cannibalism."
Riochet editor-in-chief John Gabriel tweeted about the pagan undertones he perceived in the Times piece, commenting, "Post-Christian culture seems a lot like pre-Christian culture."
"Ummm wat?!! The NY Times has become a monumental joke," tweeted conservative author Ned Ryun.
Liberal writer Adam Best quipped, "You know society has gotten bad when the NYT is like, ‘we now recommend that you start eating each other.’"
Scientist Dr. David Shiffman lamented that this wasn’t the type of progress he envisioned for humanity, tweeting, "I was promised flying cars."
Conservative commentator David Reaboi tweeted sarcastically, "Oh good, we’re here now."
The Hill reporter Zach Budryk commented, "This is specifically about depictions in fiction but it rules that this framing just makes it sound like a trend piece about the concept of cannibalism."
