# No maggots were harmed in the making of this film **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 14, 2001, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933 "2001-04-14T07:37:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/1 "2001-04-14T07:37:27Z")
Lately I’ve been saying that the stupidest thing I’ve ever heared is the case of a woman who bought a used car that didn’t come with an airbag and then sued because it didn’t come with an airbag. But an item, originally from _The Wall Street Joural_ has become a serious contender for stupidest-thing-I’ve-ever heared: > [@](#): > > Hollywood may be full of snakes and sharks, but they wouldn’t hurt a fly. > … > Not even very young flies. In _L.A. Confidential_, a detective discovers a reeking corpse under a house, covered in maggots. Because real maggots were used in filming, an [American Humane Association] observer was on hand to make sure they weren’t being mistreated. Glad to see some folks have got their priorities straight. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/2 "2001-04-14T08:13:01Z")
Wait one second. You mean to tell me they protected unborn FLIES? Pro-choice people, take that! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/3 "2001-04-14T08:51:42Z")
The only reason they weren’t allowed to mistreat the maggots was because, after filming was completed, the maggots were ground down into meat for McDonald’s hamburgers… and it just wouldn’t do to have an unhappy maggot go into a Happy Meal! ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/4 "2001-04-14T12:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE Bo Diddly \* > \*\*The only reason they weren’t allowed to mistreat the maggots was because, after filming was completed, the maggots were ground down into meat for McDonald’s hamburgers… and it just wouldn’t do to have an unhappy maggot go into a Happy Meal! \*\* Hey!! How dare you suggest that McDonalds uses maggots for their meat! That’s the grossest thing I’ve ever heard! You should be ashamed of yourself. Besides, EVERYONE knows it’s made of rats! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/5 "2001-04-14T13:21:32Z")
Bullshit. It’s made of WORMS. Get it straight, people. Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/6 "2001-04-14T14:39:15Z")
On a more serious note - I think you guys are mistaking some union power games with a real isssue. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/7 "2001-04-14T18:01:24Z")
**Kangaroo meat!** ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2001, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-maggots-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film/61933/8 "2001-04-16T16:28:08Z")
According to the imdb, at least, maggots have gotten the same treatment on the set of [The Shawshank Redemption](http://us.imdb.com/Trivia?0111161). –sublight. “No animals were harmed in filming this movie. For all scenes involving risk to an animal, student interns were substituted.”