No “Bones” about it
Last Thursday’s episode of Fox’s “Bones” featured a storyline involving animal rights. The murder victim of the week ran a poultry-processing plant, and the investigation brought up issues about how the chickens are treated. There were images of thousands of chickens crowded into one large room, as well as brief video footage of baby chicks being de-beaked. The episode also included a storyline of one character trying to raise money from her co-workers to save a piglet from being turned into bacon, resulting in some interesting discussions.
I’m fairly certain that star and producer Emily Deschanel had something to do with the conception of the episode, since she is a staunch vegan. And I was thrilled to see a popular, mainstream TV show tackle the issue of animal rights.
By the way, veganism runs in the Deschanel family: Her sister, Zooey, was a guest on an episode of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” in which the chefs had to create a vegan (and also gluten-free) meal for her and her friends. I’m always amused by the horror with which many chefs greet the prospect of meat-free meals and how other chefs fully embrace the concept and relish the challenge (this was also evident in an episode of this season’s “Top Chef”). Generally, the latter tend to be more successful with their dishes, not surprisingly. (Though not always.)
