February 17, 2001

1:36 AM

"What is most disturbing about these people is their banality, their normalness... It's the fact that these people are chatting and they are horribly normal, everyday people, yet they are capable of these acts of unimaginable savagery."

Tired of politics and Survivor 2? Let's talk about real cannibalism!
posted by lia (6 comments total)

Or talk about the fact this TV producer has been reading his Hannah Arendt. "their banality... they are horribly normal, everyday people, yet they are capable of these acts of unimaginable savagery." Crikey, I thought we were in for another Nazi discussion.

Of course, having read the article, we could start talking about Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land...
posted by dagnyscott at 5:02 AM on February 17, 2001

The Times (London) FEBRUARY 10 2001:

"A TEAM of scientists trekked into the Colorado Rockies this week to try to shed some new light on the enduring mystery of Alfred Packer, a 19th-century gold prospector who has entered American folklore as the country’s favourite cannibal. "
posted by pracowity at 5:27 AM on February 17, 2001

Alfred Packer, a 19th-century gold prospector who has entered American folklore as the country’s favourite cannibal

I'm disappointed. No mention of Cannibal! The Musical
posted by dagnyscott at 6:48 AM on February 17, 2001

Ah yes, Cannibal! The Musical... where all indians are japanese!! ;-)
posted by muppetboy at 9:34 AM on February 17, 2001

ooh, stranger in a strange land! one of my very favorite books.

i love how there is very little mention of other cultures cannibalizing in this article. the assertion "it may be a normal human impulse" is backed up by pointing out stuff about western cannibals, rather than discussing the far-more-conclusive aboriginal evidence. the final message: "look! white people do it too! it is now a human impulse!" lame.
posted by pikachulolita at 1:49 PM on February 17, 2001

Good catch on the Arendt thing, Dagny.
posted by rodii at 9:41 AM on February 18, 2001