This video is sponsored in part by Newsvoice Well hey there, I’m Mr. Beat
This is my dog, Patsy. No matter how hungry I got, I would never eat Patsy. And I’m pretty
sure she wouldn’t eat me.
This is my cat, Ellie. She would definitely eat me.
Anyway, most of you already know, I’m an American, and here in the United States,
most are simply horrified by the idea of eating horses, cats, and dogs. We just don’t eat
horses, dogs, and cats in this country. We love dogs, and they love us back. Well, at
Well at least the dogs do. That also goes for horses, another animal that is so beloved in the United
States that most there are grossed out by even the idea of eating one. According to
one poll, 80% of Americans are against killing and eating horses. According to my very unscientific
Twitter poll, 77% of Americans are against eating dogs. Wait a second. 77%? That’s it? What the
heck is wrong with you freaks? Ok, so it was actually 78% but still...what the heck is wrong with you freaks?
I'm sure some of you are just trolling me there. Anyway, Trey the Explainer is collaborating with me
with this video and I want to ask him.
Trey, have you ever ate a horse or a dog or...a cat? And if so, what was it like?
Trey: You know, I think I can safely say I've never eaten a cat or a dog or a horse.
At least I don't think I have. Mom never told us what she puts in her famous pot pie.
I don't know, I'm a cat person.
I bet it would be kind of weird and uncomfortable thinking about eating the same animal that sits on your lap all day long and rubs against your leg in affection.
It probably shouldn't be much different than eating a pig.
I've seen my neighbors farm animals and they're just as affectionate.
Maybe it's just a first hand experience kind of thing.
Thanks Trey. By the way, today is also the day, Trey the Explainer’s video you shall
play, after you’re done watching this video okay? His video is about other animals that
can play, with no fear of being slayed, or being turned into an entree, because
they are sacred every day.
But this video’s about #merica and specifically, our love of horses, dogs, and cats.
Eating horse is quite common around most parts of the world. And even in a place like South
Korea, which increasingly has become much like the United States, they still eat a million
dogs a year there. So why is that? Why don’t Americans eat
horses, cats, and….uh….dogs? (look nervously at Patsy) This is a bit awkward.
First of all, let’s remember that human beings are animals. Wow, look at those animals.
So yeah, we’re omnivores who historically have eaten whatever we could in order to survive.
That includes cats, dogs and horses...heck even other humans in some cases. However,
historically we have been nicer to animals that are more like us. Specifically, mammals,
especially mammals that we’ve had a working relationship with throughout history. And
then obviously, those mammals we’ve had as pets. Horses, dogs, and cats all fit this
category. Yes, even cats have been assigned as “working cats” to keep pests out of
an area.
But you might be thinking...Mr. Beat, what about cows and pigs? Those are two mammals
that Americans eat A LOT of. And this is true, but this is because of how the chain of meat
production has made it so people can easily separate the meat from the actual animals.
When you go to the grocery store, you buy hamburger patties or bacon, you’re not seeing
this. But that’s just a small part of it. The bigger reason why Americans are generally
not ok with eating horses, dogs, and cats, but ok with eating cows and pigs, is because
they literally deny that cows and pigs have minds and can be intelligent and emotional
creatures. Despite evidence that cows and pigs are likely just as smart as cats, dogs,
and horses, Americans generally either deny that, or are ignorant of that and justify
they only eat meat of animals that can’t think anyway so it’s ok right?
Now the point of this video is to not turn you into a vegan or vegetarian. I mean, I'm not a vegan or vegetarian
myself. The point of this video is to try to answer that question….(turning to cow) why do Americans eat YOU but not my pets?
In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, it’s culture. It’s all culture, baby,
and it’s kind of random.
Take the horse. It first became taboo to eat horse in the ancient Middle East. We don’t
know exactly why, but it’s possible this was because they became loyal allies in war
and gentle companions to royalty. And then came religion. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim
leaders all made laws that forbid the eating of horse. In 732, Pope Gregory III said Christians
should not eat horse because it was an “impure and detestable” pagan meat. Over time, beef
butchers even organized to distinguish themselves from those disgraceful horse butchers, forming
a hierarchy of sorts. Since the Middle Ages, the horse has been glorified more and more,
and you see this in artwork. Even those in poverty ate horse less and less as it became
just too darn expensive to buy and take care of a horse. Cows and pigs made more economical
sense. By the 1600s, most European countries had banned eating horses. It even became punishable
by death in France.
In Asia and Africa, you generally didn’t see this as much. Because most of the first
settlers who voluntarily came to what would become the United States were from Europe,
they brought this tradition of uh...not eating horse...with them. Even during the 1800s,
when there were horses everywhere and the rationalism of the Enlightenment caused many
Europeans to start eating horse again, in the United States they stuck with beef because
it was so easy to get.
What about dogs? Well there is evidence that humans may have domesticated dogs up to 10,000
years before they first domesticated horses. So dogs had quite the head start, especially
in ancient China, where they were first working dogs and then pets. Now, dogs didn’t get
the same special treatment as horses when it came to most religions. Still, dogs had
this going for them. They made the best companions ever...incredibly loyal and incredibly easy
to work with. But yet again, in Asia and Africa, even though many there had dogs as pets, they
also continued to eat them. In Europe, at some point, they just stopped eating them,
and we don’t know exactly why that is. Later, as those Europeans came to the Americas, they
brought that tradition of not eating dogs with them as well.
And finally, cats. No, not that horrible movie. Just cats. Well humans first domesticated
cats up to 5,000 years before they domesticated horses. Well, they kind of domesticated themselves.
They just started hanging out with people when the people fed them, and the people fed
them because they kept the rodents away from their crops. Cats then followed a similar
pattern to dogs. They became pets and were seen as companions. Like horses, cats had
the advantage of being protected by religion. Jewish laws forbid eating cats, and Muslims
treated cats as a highly respected creature. In parts of Africa and most of Asia, though,
cats were still on the menu. But similar to dogs, in Europe, at some point, they just
stopped eating them, and we also just don’t know exactly why that is. And again, later, as
those Europeans came to the Americas, they brought that tradition of not eating cats
with them as well.
Today, it is illegal in the United States to eat cats and dogs. In 2018, one of the
few laws Republicans and Democrats could agree on was passing the Dog and Cat Meat Trade
Prohibition Act. However, in most states in the country and in some cases you can still
legally kill and eat horses. But this is unthinkable to nearly every American.
Still, there are parts of the world where you can easily buy horses, dogs, and cats
and not as pets, but to eat.
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Trey the Explainer is also releasing a video at the same time as this one about why some people are actually
disgusted about eating cows. (turn to cows) yeah, in other parts of the world (apparently he's now speaking to the cows again)
they don't eat you. You're sacred. So more about why cows are sacred and other animals are sacred in other parts of the world can be found in Trey the Explainer's video. Check it out after this one.
So what do you think about the idea of eating horses...or cats or dogs? You think that's ever justified? Is it ok for them to eat you?
Let me know in the comments below, and a shout out to Mrs. Beat for filming this video.
Thank you so much for watching. It's a little windy out here...and I need a haircut.
Wait a second...oh there's deer.
Here, get the deer!
That's some big ones.