It's not just a meme anymore … Mainstream media really does want us to eat bugs. Cicadas specifically seem to be the insect of choice for journalists such as Brianna Keilar and Tucker Carlson. CNN, CBS, The Washington Post, Fox News, and the New York Post have all decided that they are going to investigate this topic in a very interactive way. Journalists have admitted that these creatures are “a special staple” and some even attended “Brood X banquets.”
This year there has been an overload of news articles highlighting all kinds of cicada recipes including cicada sushi, popcorn, and fondue. Those living on the east coast have been dealing with Brood X cicadas for weeks now, and they are anything but “delicious.”
CNN had co-anchor Brianna Keilar try out a recipe for cicada rolls during a segment earlier this month. Chef Bun Lai joined Keilar on the broadcast, and said that “not only do cicadas taste good,” but the idea “of eating insects is based on sustainability” and eventually “we’re going to have to change the way we eat animals.” Cicadas have a more “rudimentary” nervous system according to Lai, so they “do not feel pain in the way that mammals or other vertebrates do. So ethically it makes sense.” Try convincing the ranchers and millions of steak lovers out there that we should all eat bugs because it’s just more “ethical.” That’s the same argument that the left uses for everything.
Ben Cost of the New York Post convinced cicada chef and founder of Brooklyn Bugs, Joseph Yoon, to host a “Brood X banquet” at his apartment. “He treated us to a customized eight-course periodical cicada sampler,” Cost explained. “A far cry from the scorpion lollipops sold at museum gift shops, these intricate eats seemed like they could be served at a Michelin-starred restaurant.” According to Yoon, the motivation behind his work is producing sustainable protein for the growing population. He also used scare tactics to suggest that this is the only way to save our planet. Yet, America is consistently developing more sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.
John Kelly of The Washington Post has also been thinking about bugs lately. On May 25, the columnist published an article discussing why entomologists are in favor of eating insects. Well, they study bugs for a living so obviously they’re in favor of anything that benefits their career. But, even the entomologist from the 1800s that is mentioned in this story had enough sense to call out the media for their “desire to make a sensation out of everything.”
CBS’s Li Cohen also published an article on the same day with the title “The cicadas are coming - and foodies are getting ready to feast.” Cohen went on to discuss how many other countries (most of them third world) eat insects already and “billions of people consider the short-lived insect a special staple.” However, according to professor Jessica Fanzo, “the exact nutritional content of cicadas is not known.” All she knows is that eating these bugs is “good for the environment.”
Unfortunately, Tucker Carlson has also hopped on the Cicada bandwagon, trying snacks made with the creepy crawlers during his show on June 4.
Bug-eating is “humane,” "sustainable" and good for the environment. I'll have a steak instead.
