# Spam and cannibalism

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-and-cannibalism/1203>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 10, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-and-cannibalism/1203 "2000-04-10T19:07:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cryinghavoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@cryinghavoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryinghavoc)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-and-cannibalism/1203/1 "2000-04-10T19:07:00Z")

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In today’s letters to the editor section of The Wall Street Journal there is a letter which takes very seriously anthropologist Paul Theroux’s essay about the link between Spam and cannibals’ food preferences.

Obviously neither the letter writer nor the the people at WSJ are familiar with The Straight Dope. Cecil covered this two years ago (June 19, 1998) and in answer Mr. Theroux stated that it was meant to be a joke.

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-and-cannibalism/1203/2 "2000-04-10T19:15:00Z")

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Cryinghavoc, Please post a link to the columns so everyone can be caught up. Simply type in the page address and it will automatically link. There is a handy search engine off the main page to help find those old columns.

**Do Pacific islanders love Spam because it tastes like … people?** [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980619.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980619.html)

\*\*Is there really a race of blue people? Tasty treats (cont’d) \*\* [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980724.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980724.html)

\*\*What is actually in Spam luncheon meat? \*\* [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980501.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/980501.html)

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**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-and-cannibalism/1203/3 "2000-04-10T19:32:00Z")

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Speaking of blue people.  
National Geographic had an article on a group of african nomads who were similarly described at one time due to their habit of wearing indigo dyed clothes which stained their skin blue.  
I’ll have to dig it up tonight, now that I see Cecil covered this.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-and-cannibalism/1203/4 "2000-04-11T12:48:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by Irishman:  
> **Simply type in the page address and it will automatically link.**

I always use copy-and-paste with the address up in the address line (window) myself. Saves having to type out the wretched thing.

## 🙂

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen

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**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-and-cannibalism/1203/5 "2000-04-11T16:43:00Z")

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Cryinghavoc wrote: “Obviously neither the letter writer nor the the people at WSJ are familiar with The Straight Dope”

In fact, I became a Straight Dope fan after reading a glowing, Page 1 article about it in the WSJ several years ago.