Thursday, September 25, 2008

Nice cream!

For those of you who haven't heard, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently sent a letter to Ben & Jerry (yes, that Ben & Jerry). Their position is, apparently, that B&J should start making ice cream with human breast milk, instead of with cow's milk.

Don't get me wrong--I'm all for the ethical treatment of animals. I don't like factory farming, and I don't think treating heifers with rBGH is a good idea. I won't eat veal, I try to eat "happy meat", etc., etc. I was once even a PETA member. But I do think it's possible to take a good idea too far (which is why I am no longer a PETA member). Breast milk ice cream? Because, apparently, there's a huge surplus of human breast milk out there?

The Straight Dope Message Board has a rather amusing take on it. They asked their contributors to come up with Ben & Jerry-worthy names for human milk ice cream. There are some clever folks over there. Check it out.

My personal favorites? Butterscotch Nipple, Thanks for the Mammaries, and Titty Fruitti.

(hat tip to Orac over at Respectful Insolence)

2 comments:

Leigh Russell said...

Breast milk ice cream? Is this a serious suggestion? I mean, there's no reason why not, but breast milk ice cream? Maybe the apparent surplus of breast milk could be used in China where babies are dying from contaminated milk supplies. But not used for ice cream! I don't know why the idea is so abhorrent, but it is.

Kate Porter said...

Oh, it's absolutely serious.

I'm not even sure it would work. Human breast milk has a lot less fat and proteins than cow's milk, and it's the fat and proteins that make ice cream creamy. It would probably taste more like what it is: ice milk.