4 Comments
Last week, we ran a story about a restaurant that was pressured to take lion meat off their menu, which sparked a spirited barrage of differing opinions in our comments section.

It was the classic Internet argument -- full of bluster, death threats and spelling that was more enthusiastic than correct. But beneath the histrionics, the underlying debate was a fascinating one. Why do some of us recoil at the thought of eating an animal like a lion, but salivate at the thought of devouring fried pig flesh?

Our readers ended up coming out at around two to one against any kind of Simba stew. We've summarized some of the better arguments for and against eating lion and have given you the opportunity to express your opinion by voting after the jump.

The aesthetic argument: Lions are beautiful, regal creatures. Slaughtering one for food is a tragedy, and doing so will turn your soul as ugly as the chickens you should be eating instead.

Counter: Would you argue a model with a kidney problem should get a donor organ before your sick uncle Mort?

The food chain argument: Humans tend not to lunch on other meat eaters. Let alone the King of the Jungle.

Counter: Does anyone think mutual membership in the carnivore club would have Leo thinking twice about eating you?

The slippery slope argument: Today it's lions, but what happens when the hotshot chef looking for the new flavor serves up something really shocking, like people?

Counter: Eh, the planet is getting too crowded anyway.

The extinction argument: Lions are an endangered species, so you might as well pair your feline meat with a bald eagle egg souffle and wine made from polar bear blood.

Counter: While certain breeds of lions are endangered, as a species they are not. Anyway, the meat served was grown in captivity.

The blame America argument: Americans are fat slobs who would surely eat their arms if they didn't realize they were attached to their bodies. It's no surprise a nation with no culinary self-control is now eating lions.

Counter: They eat monkey brains in China, and dog in Korea. Where does that put those nations on the scale of fat slobs with no self-control?

The vegetarian argument: A-ha! Why is this any different from eating beef? Meat is murder!

Counter: Vegetarians smell of stale broccoli and urinate green slime.

The appeal to the most basic senses argument: A commenter named Desi wrote, "That pic of the dish looked like poo!"

Counter: Dr. John argued, "BEST MEAT I EVER TASTED AND I'M NOT LION."

We think commenter Dr. John might be lion, but in the land of hysterics and ad hominem attacks, the man with the pun gets the last word.