# Dead man's tuna: a moral dilemma? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 16, 2002, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920 "2002-04-16T11:34:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/21 "2002-04-16T22:47:03Z")
What would he do with the tuna (might not even be real tuna, check the can) now? At the Monterey Bay Aquarium we have this big Tuna preservation department & big it is. I could ask them if you should eat it. Rumor has it that when a tuna isn’t performing well, that they dissect it & then BBQ it although the boss guy told me they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/22 "2002-04-17T11:47:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FairyChatMom \* > \*\*Why not? Worst that could happen is he’d come back to haunt you… It’s \*\* Well, the tuna could come back to haunt you.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/23 "2002-04-17T12:00:05Z")
Thanks for your moral guidance, everyone. I wanted you all to know that I just had another sandwich from the can I opened yesterday. It was delicious (I added Philadelphia basil & tomato spread). There’s another can in the cupboard that I am going to eke out until the end of the week, and then my involuntary tuna bequest runs out. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/24 "2002-04-17T12:21:04Z")
the question is What would John West Do? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/25 "2002-04-17T15:30:55Z")
There’s an important piece of information that I’m surprised nobody has asked for yet: Did the dead man leave a will? And was the tuna mentioned in the will? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/26 "2002-04-17T17:44:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > \*\*the question is > > What would John West Do? \*\* Personally, I like to ask myself “What would Brian Boitano do?” ---
**Author:** ![Aleq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@Aleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aleq)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/27 "2002-04-17T18:43:12Z")
Tuna, schmuna–I used to have raging arguments with a boyfriend over the ethicality of drinking the beers people would leave on the graves of their loved ones. He maintained that he was pouring out a libation on the grave for the dead person so it was respectful and okay. I maintained he was just a beer sneak who liked freaking people out by leaving the empties in the same spot… …sometimes with the roaches of the joints they’d leave smoldering on the rim. It was disturbing, I tellya… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/28 "2002-04-18T04:46:10Z")
Maybe the dead friend will haunt you because he’s had a chance to get to know all the tuna net-killed dolphins in heaven. He’ll appear to you like Jacob Marley, only covered in six-pack plastic holders instead of chains. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/29 "2002-04-18T04:52:51Z")
Maybe the dead friend will haunt you because he’s had a chance to get to know all the tuna net-killed dolphins in heaven. He’ll appear to you like Jacob Marley, only covered in six-pack plastic holders instead of chains. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/30 "2002-04-18T05:42:45Z")
I once ate a dead man’s whole pantry. We bought his house ‘as is’ at an estate sale. There was a large cabinet full of things that I would never have bought myself. Orange Marmalade, Apple Jelly, Green Cocktail Olives, Maraschino Cherries, and some canned stew with wine in it. I lived of his stuff for two weeks. I never had any second thoughts about that until now though. ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/31 "2002-04-18T09:35:39Z")
Jjimm, Did the guy leave any clothes behind, perhaps a pair of chinos and a nice shirt, or a business suit. Why stop at tuna? ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/32 "2002-04-18T09:38:56Z")
It just struck me, Did he leave a girlfriend behind? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/33 "2002-04-18T09:43:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pergau \* > **Did he leave a girlfriend behind?** Not in the cupboard, anyway. Actually, joking aside, he did. His funeral was really really tragic. There must have been about five hundred people there. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Kerriensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@Kerriensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kerriensis)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/34 "2002-04-18T10:23:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Creaky \* > \*\* > Anyhow, I got some cool loot: among other things, a long fur cape and a pair of fabulous high-heeled shoes. I had that stuff for years, and we always referred to the items as “Dead Helen’s Shoes” and “Dead Helen’s Cape”, etc. \*\* Reminds me of a custom in rural Ireland which, I understand continued until 30 or 40 years ago, whereby rather than wastefully throwing away a dead person’s good clothes they were given to the less well off… The catch was that the recepient had to wear the dead person’s clothes to church for the following three consecutive Sundays or else face the prospect of the deceased haunting him… Kerriensis ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/35 "2002-04-18T11:54:11Z")
1. You ate the tuna 2. Nothing bad happened 3. Hi, Godot! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/36 "2002-04-18T12:02:17Z")
I’m now halfway through tuna sandwich no. 3 (first half of second can) with: 1. mayo 2. tabasco 3. Hi Estragon 4. Basil & tomato Philadelphia. No haunting to report yet. ---
**Author:** ![Kabbal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Kabbal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kabbal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/37 "2002-04-18T16:59:03Z")
So… if you eat a man’s heart, you get his courage. If you eat a man’s brain, you get his wisdom. What do you get if you eat a man’s tuna? Full? ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/38 "2002-04-19T02:30:04Z")
I don’t normally post things like this but **spooje** that “haunted tuna” line was priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/39 "2002-04-19T02:32:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kerriensis \* > **Reminds me of a custom in rural Ireland… rather than wastefully throwing away a dead person’s good clothes they were given to the less well off… the recepient had to wear the dead person’s clothes to church for the following three consecutive Sundays or else face the prospect of the deceased haunting him…** Oh, my. I suppose I’m lucky that poor old Helen never haunted me, then! (Both shoes and cape were far too fancy for church!) :eek: Actually, our landlady gave us very strict instructions _not_ to say anything about Helen dying in her bedroom to prospective boarders. It was only after one guy rented the room, that my roommate and I told him. Poor Warren. But he stayed, and as far as I know, Helen didn’t haunt Warren, either. And Dead Helen’s Room? By now it’s almost legendary! Talk about being remembered…!😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920/40 "2002-04-19T14:05:18Z")
Day four. The tuna has gone. I eked out the last ration this lunchtime, between two slices of white bread. I hope he would have understood. The wind continues to blow infernally, and the dogs are howling outside. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-mans-tuna-a-moral-dilemma/103920.md?page=3)