# Artist to eat stillborn dead baby as performance art- Why is this even legal to show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725 "2002-12-30T18:52:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/21 "2002-12-30T19:52:26Z")
Um, why is everyone believing that the story is true? Just becasue you have a picture or videotape seeming to show a person eating a baby that doesn’t mean that it actually occured. These could very easily be faked, and the “art” being created isn’t the eating of a dead baby, but the creation of a media firestorm. ---
**Author:** ![Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dc4da7/32.png) [@Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/22 "2002-12-30T19:52:27Z")
“let’s try to keep our emotions in check in this forum. Let’s limit ourselves to discussing the facts”. Is this standard procedure? I think a little levity is only natural when encountering such atrocities. I wasn’t inciting anyone to violence, merely making a feeble attempt at irony. “Sticking to the facts” makes me feel like I’m taking to the stand in a court case. My emotions are in check and I stand corrected, however. ---
**Author:** ![Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dc4da7/32.png) [@Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/23 "2002-12-30T19:54:02Z")
Sorry…“Sticking to the facts” was an incorrect quote…but you get my drift. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/24 "2002-12-30T19:56:46Z")
> [@](#): > > _from the article_ > “Eating foetuses is a traditional Chinese medicine deeply founded in folklore.” First of all, I would like to state that I don’t think that I would ever, ever be able to eat human flesh. However, if this is Chinese culture, then who are we to criticize it? We may find this revolting, but that doesn’t give us the right to condemn it as an evil practice. I’m sure other cultures think that Americans are evil because of some of our customs. It all depends on your point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/25 "2002-12-30T19:59:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arden Ranger \* > \*\*Er, [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/cannibal/fetus.htm) has something to say about this “artist” and this particular piece of “art”. \*\* God bless Snopes! There’s nothing “performance artists” crave more than publicity, **any publicity** , and it looks like Zhu Yu is a master in it. I just hope Channel 4 aren’t as gullible as they’re pretending to be. ---
**Author:** ![Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dc4da7/32.png) [@Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/26 "2002-12-30T20:01:39Z")
“However, if this is Chinese culture, then who are we to criticize it?” So the African “culture” of circumcising young females by removing their clitoris is acceptable to you? Culture is not a byword for righteousness, and should be criticized if barbaric. It’s not some giant petting zoo out there, it’s a cruel world. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/27 "2002-12-30T20:03:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Giant **WOOSHING** sound fills the air as a large man is carried up into the clouds by a mighty, whirling tornado of credulity. > > “But, but… it was in the papers” he cried “and on the internet” as his voice slowly faded into the distance. \*\* My work here is done. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/28 "2002-12-30T20:04:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by monica \* > \*\*First of all, I would like to state that I don’t think that I would ever, ever be able to eat human flesh. However, if this is Chinese culture, then who are we to criticize it? We may find this revolting, but that doesn’t give us the right to condemn it as an evil practice. I’m sure other cultures think that Americans are evil because of some of our customs. It all depends on your point of view. \*\* Well…I don’t know. Somehow I think the eating of human flesh would be a bit of a deal breaker when it comes to the limits of cultural relativism. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/29 "2002-12-30T20:07:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > Giant **WOOSHING** sound fills the air as a large man is carried up into the clouds by a mighty, whirling tornado of credulity. > > “But, but… it was in the papers” he cried “and on the internet” as his voice slowly faded into the distance. Ok…fair 'nuff. We’ve all seen by now how the media doesn’t exactly bend over backwards to give the whole truth. Still, I think we still have _some_ presumption of truth allowable to us. If the Guardian is reporting this and quoting governmental sources talking about it I don’t think we, as the public, have taken leave of our senses to believe just any old thing. Heck, even the Chinese Embassy in London didn’t specifically call into question the claimed ‘facts’. They just condemmed its showing. One would hope that either the people making the show, C4 or the Guardian would haev verified…even just a little bit…the claims being made in the show. The message i am getting here is that I can mock-up any old thing, film it and pass it off to these folks as truth and get it aired and fire-up a media storm. It’s not as if any of these organizations don’t have resources to check these things. [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com) managed it…why no one else? The real shit storm now should descend on the person furthest up the food chain at these organizations who knew of the fraud and let it continue. If no one knew then the shit storm should seek the person(s) whose job it is to guarantee at least some modicum of truth behind what they want to pass off to the public. Are there any laws (in the UK or US) that dictate the level to which media organizations are responsible for discerning the truth? I imagine if there are laws they are likely hard to apply but maybe a good once through in the court system, win or lose, will goose these organizations into trying just a bit harder. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/30 "2002-12-30T20:18:20Z")
I can see why this is considered gross (understatement), but I’m not sure why many seem to think it is so evil and the guy deserves to be beaten and such (if it were actually true that he ate a stillborn, that is). It’s not like he killed the kid. ---
**Author:** ![Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dc4da7/32.png) [@Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/31 "2002-12-30T20:21:25Z")
Well…which do you find more distasteful…a public brawl or a public consumption of a still born child? I was just making a comparison, not a call to arms. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/32 "2002-12-30T20:22:19Z")
I thought I was reading an old thread when I opened this until I saw the date. This has been done and debunked here well over a year ago, I’m surprised alot of you regulars didn’t remember it. Of course I realize not everybody can read every thread. It seems like there were at least 2 or 3 threads on the subject at one time though. Well, anyway, you can sleep tonight :). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/33 "2002-12-30T20:23:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*I can see why this is considered gross (understatement), but I’m not sure why many seem to think it is so evil and the guy deserves to be beaten and such (if it were actually true that he ate a stillborn, that is). It’s not like he killed the kid. \*\* Bad enough that he actually eats the fetus. That he calls in the media to have it filmed and covers his actions under the mantle of ‘art’ now affects me. For this he deserves a good once over. If he merely hoaxed the whole thing then he also derserves a thrashing. Nothing permanent or overly violent…just a good smack with the “Get A Clue” stick. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/34 "2002-12-30T20:28:58Z")
So calling in the media to cover a gross publicity stunt disguised as art deserves a beating? Sorry, still not convinced. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/35 "2002-12-30T20:31:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*So calling in the media to cover a gross publicity stunt disguised as art deserves a beating? Sorry, still not convinced. \*\* Ok, ok…maybe not literally. I think people are just venting a bit. In short the guy deserves a good dose of Bad Karma…I’ll let the Universe take its payment from there. ---
**Author:** ![Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dc4da7/32.png) [@Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/36 "2002-12-30T20:32:05Z")
Although I’m being drawn in here…Depends on the stunt. What if you found that he’d procured the stillborn infant from the hospital where your wife had just lost her child? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/37 "2002-12-30T21:04:33Z")
If he had stolen the stillborn without permission from the parents, then I agree that a whuppin’ is _very_ appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dc4da7/32.png) [@Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rider)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/38 "2002-12-30T21:07:17Z")
ok, great. So shall we all go for a drink now and chat about other stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/39 "2002-12-30T21:14:06Z")
Deal. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725/40 "2002-12-30T22:04:25Z")
Purely on the issue of the limits of British TV, there is the near precident of the show where the cookery writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall showed the preparation and eating of a human placenta (as a risotto, IIRC). This led to some tabloid controversy in advance, but as far as I know none of the standards bodies called the programme to account. Personally, I had no problems in watching it - but then a ex used them in her Ph.D. research and I’m pretty unsquemish about placentas as a result. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artist-to-eat-stillborn-dead-baby-as-performance-art-why-is-this-even-legal-to-show/145725.md?page=3)