# Was Bush's turkey fake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707 "2003-12-08T06:17:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![capnfutile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@capnfutile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capnfutile)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/1 "2003-12-08T06:17:41Z")
I saw an article on the UK Guardian website claiming the turkey Bush was holding in his recent Iraq photo-op was a plastic fake. I Googled for an American news source to back this up but could find none. Can anyone point to a news story confirming or denying this? Not that I doubt the Guardian - they’re usually pretty straight shooting - but this seems a little, well, beyond. It’s also the only place I’ve seen this and I want to make sure it’s not an urban legend. Capn ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/2 "2003-12-08T06:21:56Z")
How hard did you look: [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2001806972\_bushturkey04.html](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2001806972_bushturkey04.html) ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/3 "2003-12-08T07:50:54Z")
Here’s another cite, from Newsweek: > **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. > [@](#): > > BUSH’S BIRD is big and luscious, golden brown and generously garnished. But, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, the bird was just a prop. Soldiers were actually served from steam trays; the White House said the turkey in the photograph was simply on hand to prettify the chow line. > > ``` > The revelation is the latest in a series of stagecrafted moments designed to shine an impossibly perfect light on the president. Turkeygate unfolded merely one day after British Airways announced that none of its pilots made contact with President Bush’s plane during its secret flight to Baghdad, despite White House claims of a dramatic midair exchange that nearly prompted Bush to call off his trip. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/4 "2003-12-08T18:17:38Z")
Turkeygate indeed! It was a one-of-a-kind “trophy turkey” according to the linked article – but a real one nonetheless, not a plastic one. What’s the big deal here? Do people who see snapshots of the president (or the town mayor, or some movie star, etc.) shoveling a scoop of dirt at some grand groundbreaking actually believe that after the photographers go home he rolls up his sleeves and keeps digging the rest of the foundation? What upsets some people is just absurd. ---
**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 8, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/5 "2003-12-08T18:31:07Z")
I’ve always wondered what happened to those trophy/prop food items (that are actual food, and not plastic). Do they often get eaten, or thrown out, or what. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/6 "2003-12-08T19:11:07Z")
From what I understand, it wasn’t even staged - the President grabbed the turkey to pose with a couple of soldiers for snapshots and a press photographer was in the right place at the right time. “Stagecraft” indeed. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/7 "2003-12-08T19:41:00Z")
From what I understand it wasn’t fully cooked and the contractor had used a blow torch to give the bird a juicy, burnished effect. Course one journalist used this fact to assert that the president was dangling a “poisoned” meal in front of the troops. This was one of the worst abuses of making a story out of nothing I’ve been witness to in awhile. There’s nothing here folks… move along. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/8 "2003-12-08T20:51:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > There’s nothing here folks… move along. Nothing, other than a FAKE TURKEY, which _was_ what the OP asked about. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/9 "2003-12-08T20:58:42Z")
It wasn’t fake, it was a real turkey, but not fully cooked and not intended to be eaten. I seriously doubt the event was planned beforehand, as it’s highly unlikely that the cooks and decoraters knew that the President was coming. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/10 "2003-12-08T21:09:11Z")
Just like the “Mission accomplished” banner on the _Lincoln?_😉 Given how much media control this Administration has shown, I would not be surprised if someone was told ahead of time to make sure a fully-dressed turkey was available in the mess line. They might not have needed to spell out the President’s arrival, but the idea that the photo was a fortuitous coincidence goes against how this Administration works. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/11 "2003-12-08T21:44:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > It wasn’t fake, it was a real turkey, but not fully cooked and not intended to be eaten. It seems to me that the old adage [The proof of the pudding is in the eating](http://www.bartleby.com/59/3/proofofthepu.html) might be a good standard to apply to thanksgiving turkeys. There’s also a truly awful joke waiting to be coined about the worth of a bird in Bush’s hand, but that sort of thing is probably more appropriate to MPSIMS than GQ. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/12 "2003-12-08T21:45:43Z")
Let’s just get this out of the way beforehand… When Bush’s picture turns up next week standing next to a Christmas tree, THE TREE WAS BROUGHT IN FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE AND DIDN’T ACTUALLY GROW RIGHT THERE! Some will, I’m starting to realize, look at every freakin’ event as an intent to deceive. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/13 "2003-12-08T21:45:48Z")
**rjung** : if there’s so much media control, how did the story of the “fake” turkey ever get reported? From the Washington Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A33090-2003Dec3?language=printer](http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A33090-2003Dec3?language=printer) (my emphasis) > [@](#): > > Officials said they did not know the turkey would be there or that Bush would pick it up. A contractor had roasted and primped the turkey to adorn the buffet line, while the 600 soldiers were served from cafeteria-style steam trays, the officials said. **They said the bird was not placed there in anticipation of Bush’s stealthy visit, and military sources said a trophy turkey is a standard feature of holiday chow lines.** Mathew Gross on Howard Dean’s official blog [http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/002517.html](http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/002517.html) said this was > [@](#): > > the latest scandal to hit the stage-propped presidency of George W. Bush :rolleyes: Can you say “grasping at straws?” I knew you could. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/14 "2003-12-08T21:57:50Z")
Was there an expectation that a single turkey was going to feed everyone present?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/15 "2003-12-08T21:58:54Z")
Huh? I lost half my post. Any members of the First Family standing next to said transported Christmas tree are not trying to imply the tree suddenly sprung up right where you see it or that the ornaments truly were made by elves. It will be a photo op, they will take advantage of it for political means but doing so doesn’t mean that they’d rather be off Bonsaiing kittens. It’s gonna happen. Don’t get riled. Every administration previous and all those to follow will do the same darn thing. Seriously, what else would anyone expect? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/16 "2003-12-09T01:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > It wasn’t fake, it was a real turkey, but not fully cooked and not intended to be eaten. It might not be a “fake turkey,” but it’s something very close. And I don’t for a moment believe that it just happened to be there. Now having said that: Is this some major big scandal? No. It was just a PR stunt. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/17 "2003-12-09T02:01:28Z")
I seem to recall in my long-ago days in the (American) Army that this is pretty well standard procedure. Even in the US, in peacetime, our mess hall had one real bird for decoration, the food was from some industrial source. Still, Thanksgiving is always a fine meal. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/18 "2003-12-09T02:59:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kilt-wearin’ man \* > From what I understand, it wasn’t even staged - the President grabbed the turkey to pose with a couple of soldiers for snapshots and a press photographer was in the right place at the right time. “Stagecraft” indeed. 1. Cite? 2. A glance at the photo shows no visible soldiers posing with him, although two soldier with their shoulders to the camera are facing him. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33090-2003Dec3.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33090-2003Dec3.html) 3. Few are calling this a scandal: oh and sorry a guy posting 4 different news stories to a blog, the last of which refers to the faux turkey, hardly counts as trumpeting the issue. 4. It’s just PR. An example of a scandal might involve an administration that stages ample photo ops but few press conferances. Hypothetically of course. 5. I’m just wondering what the heck GWB was doing when he grabbed the turkey. It certainly looked like he was serving dinner, at first glance. Ah, he was probably clowning around a little - that’s my WAG anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/19 "2003-12-09T03:04:37Z")
(Oops. The administration provides plenty of press conferences. The current POTUS is another matter.) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707/20 "2003-12-09T03:25:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diceman \* > It might not be a “fake turkey,” but it’s something very close. Does cooking a fake turkey make it real? No. This was nothing “close” to a fake turkey in any way. It was real, made out of real dead turkey meat. It once had feathers and walked around gobbling and pecking at dirt. > [@](#): > > And I don’t for a moment believe that it just happened to be there. Of course it didn’t just happen to be there. God doesn’t make turkeys already dead and browned with all the trimmings. Someone, get this, _ **put it there** _. Such display turkeys are standard fare for mass Thanksgiving meals, in and out of the military. I know - I helped prepare one once. It looked delicious. GWB saw this thing, thought “boy this is a great photo-op” and he was right. That’s all there is to it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-bushs-turkey-fake/217707.md?page=2)