Controversy over pig death on The Island with Bear Grylls

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he latest controversy in the world of reality shows comes not from the Kardashian family or Made in Chelsea, but from The Island, a survival show led by Bear Grylls. It isn’t often that a show like this receives much attention outside its usual viewership, but this time it won a negative reaction from both its viewers and a wider audience.

The event that upset so many people was the slaughter of a pig by contestants. The animal was brought to the location where contestants were residing, precisely for the purpose of being caught and eaten.

Without getting into too much detail about the action, understandably it upset both viewers and animal rights groups. It also raises some questions: where is the line that should not be crossed, in terms of what is acceptable for entertainment? Was The Island too much, and are the reactions justified?

Bear Grylls, famous adventurer and TV presenter. Photo: Flickr / Lwp Kommunikáció

The reaction from animal rights activists seems understandable. They take it as their duty to keep an eye on what’s going on in entertainment, or anywhere else, and draw out attention when animals are hurt or exploited. As no animal should be treated badly, their reaction seems adequate and understandable.

However, what were more troubling were the opinions expressed (mostly on Twitter) by viewers. Many called the slaughter ‘disgraceful’ and ‘horrible’.

I won’t be arguing that it was not – because it was – however, to claim that this event is the worst example of animal exploitation is both naive and hypocritical.

Most of the people who were expressing their horror about the actions taken on The Island must be aware of industrial farming practices, and where the meat that they consume comes from. I’m sure many would agree that the pigs on The Island were almost lucky, compared to other pigs in some farms.

It does not make what happened on The Island justifiable, however I believe that this situation shows the hypocrisy when it comes to animals and their rights

The reaction that The Island received should also be the reaction that the animal produce industry receives. Just because the everyday actions in those farms are not translated on the TV does not make them any less horrible or worth our attention.

Furthermore, this is an exampled of how the line between what is or isn’t acceptable on TV has been getting blurrier and blurrier, especially when it comes to reality shows. When private lives, with marriages, babies, illnesses, and struggles, are projected without shame onto the screen (often with a lot of added drama), it is not difficult to become insensitive and stop seeing these people as actual individuals. This wouldn’t be a huge problem, as people go onto reality shows willingly, and are aware how they will be portrayed, however this insensitiveness creeps into other areas too.

With graphic material readily available on the Internet, we are becoming insensitive to visual triggers

Some cute little black pigs. Photo: Flickr / Lwp Kommunikáció

We are more ready to see what happens on the screen as fiction, even when we are shown something that has actually happened. It’s no wonder that TV shows are able to get away with increasingly risky material. I really doubt that series like Game of Thrones could have aired in the pre-Internet times.

With a lack of connection to reality, the people behind TV productions are left with their conscience alone to decide what is acceptable to broadcast.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways for any viewer to express their opinion about the show they are following, and when enough people are concerned about the same issue, it is possible that they will be heard. Perhaps this feedback on The Island will even shape the production in the future.

I haven’t seen the episode of The Island in which the pig was slaughtered, but I know I would get upset if I did, just as I do whenever I go through the meat section in Tesco. I’m sure there were also many people who didn’t see it as an issue.

Either way, the controversy over The Island has made viewers think about what is, in their opinion, acceptable on screen. This is so important; we can’t expect a change from within the TV industry, but luckily being heard as a TV viewer is easier than ever.