Elizabeth Roy - Fish heads ftw?

I recently had an interesting experience that relates to what we discussed after we watched Babette’s Feast at the beginning of the year. [On a side note – did you know that conservative Catholic bookstores promote the movie because of its supposedly Eucharistic themes?] I went to my favorite Chinese buffet place in Newport News with my friends. One of them got the head of a fish for sheer entertainment value. It started me thinking about how we discussed the presentation of food in our society and the dissociation between animal and food for us. I realized that, despite my enlightenment on matters of religion and ecology, I still am not at all interested in eating that. It simply does not look appetizing. Ironically, I would definitely try it if the fish was presented in a Western fashion – no skin, cute little garnishes, no head, and certainly no eyes. Even though we might realize that our society norms and reactions are irrational and a little strange, changing them is much easier said than done. And you know, I was going to be brave and try that fish head, but it got thrown away before I could… By the way, if anyone can find me the Far Side cartoon making fun of Babette’s Feast, I will be eternally grateful. I can’t locate it online.