I came across an article today much like the other 100 articles I peruse each day in search of all things Ento for you, and it was filled with something I see quite a bit of, although many people may not be actually aware of it going on, and so I’m coining a phrase right now:
“Built-In Bug-Bias” (I believe I’ll start using that more and more).
That’s what it is. See if you can spot it in this article. This is nothing against the writer Matthew Kelly. Probably a great guy, btw, nothing against him personally, he is merely a representation of most Westerners. I’m just using his article as an example of a widespread issue, and edible insect’s greatest challenge: overcoming the Yuck Factor.
Because the yuck factor is experienced to a higher degree in most Westerners than say, the other two billion non-Western people who eat bugs daily, that means that many in the Western media will be full of the Yuck Factor (some call it the “Ick Factor” but it’s all the same thing, a negative thought pattern).
It is entitled “Insect Ice Cream is Here to Creep You Out”. Great start, that’ll hook the Goth crowd and Marilyn Manson fans, what about everyone else?
The yuck factor is evident in the undercurrent of this article right from the start. What I’m talking about is not some theory of mine, but very real. We can see that the author and media outlet Yahoo7 Be have a genuine desire to bring the story to the public for obvious reasons (it’s a hot topic and will be for some time) yet underneath it all is the usual “Um, I don’t think so…”
There it is…
I don’t think so.
Denoting a thought pattern, a way of thinking. Well, I’m here to tell you that thought patterns can be changed.
Here at Ento Nation, part of our message is that we are all about changing the general Western Public’s thought pattern on edible insects from: “Eat bugs? I don’t think so.” to “Eat bugs? Absolutely!”
I have no doubt we will eventually succeed.
After that appetizing title they start off with…
Let me introduce you to the dish where the bugs are a sought-after garnish rather than a horror find #notkidding.
Followed by this mouth watering GIF:
Oh, great subtext, nice way to lay a foundation for the rest of the piece…a GIF like that will really whet the appetite and put people in the mood for trying edible insects.
Followed with more:
I bet you’re thinking why the hell are people consuming bugs voluntarily?
and then:
The publication predicts that by the end of the century, traditional farming practices won’t be able to meet the world’s demand for food; leaving people with no choice but to eat bugs.
Not only that, but they get a statistic completely wrong. Off by about 1.8 billion…
Some brave folks have already jumped on the bandwagon, with over two-million people consuming bugs as a part of their daily diet.
The actual number of people who “consume bugs as part of their daily diet” is 2 Billion with a “B“.
I want to restate that I’m sure their intentions were good and that the writer is a good writer. And as PT Barnum once said “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”…don’t know how true that is exactly, but I do know that edible insects have swarmed onto the scene and aren’t going anywhere.
There are all kinds of examples of built-in bug bias in the media, and if I feel a notion to do so, will point it out again when I see it.
Anyway, off my soapbox. 🙂 ~Cricket Man
