In 1990, as the BSE (‘mad cow disease’) crisis in the UK was unfolding and shortly after scientists had found proof that the disease could indeed cross species, the Agriculture Secretary John Gummer went on national TV to try to force his four-year-old daughter to eat a beef burger for the cameras, to convince the public to keep eating British beef.
Right, I’m not suggesting otherwise. I’m just observing that, for someone who remembers that time, seeing a politician eating for the cameras to prove some food is safe brings to mind this very specific unfortunate example.
For me it brought to mind Thomas Midgley, who did a public stunt where he poured petrol lead additive over his hands and gave himself lead poisoning twice.
In 1990, as the BSE (‘mad cow disease’) crisis in the UK was unfolding and shortly after scientists had found proof that the disease could indeed cross species, the Agriculture Secretary John Gummer went on national TV to try to force his four-year-old daughter to eat a beef burger for the cameras, to convince the public to keep eating British beef.
Several hundred people ended up dying from CJD (the human variant caused by eating infected beef). It remains one of the most widely derided photo ops in British political history.
Right but that isn’t really comparable. Radiation has been studied for over a century while prions were a total unknown at the time.
Just because one person does one dumb thing on camera doesn’t mean that everyone facing a camera does dumb things.
Right, I’m not suggesting otherwise. I’m just observing that, for someone who remembers that time, seeing a politician eating for the cameras to prove some food is safe brings to mind this very specific unfortunate example.
For me it brought to mind Thomas Midgley, who did a public stunt where he poured petrol lead additive over his hands and gave himself lead poisoning twice.
Yikes that is pretty diabolical. Using children to prove a point is horrible.
I mean, at least use someone elses children.
…like Edward Jenner did with the smallpox vaccine.