Every Sunday night at 9 p.m. eastern, the hit show “The Walking Dead” airs on AMC. Last night, a bit of a controversial issue occurred throughout the episode. As the group was being surrounded by more and more “walkers,” the leader, Rick, had to sacrifice the piglets he had spent time feeding and raising. It became a matter of sacrificing their future food for their current lives, and that was a risk that he was not willing to take. The piglets were immobilized and then thrown out to the “walkers” to move them away from the groups location. As the piglets squealed in pain and terror, audience members (including myself) were wincing in heartbreak. We all felt bad for the innocent piglets and were nearly drawn to tears because of it.
It’s an unfortunate thing to admit to, but when it comes to television shows and/or movies, most people tend to feel more distraught and upset when an animal is hurt or killed over a human being. This doesn’t necessarily cause anyone to question our character, but rather deepens our thought processes on why that is the case. I still to this day never quite understand why I always feel more upset when an animal is killed. It’s also a bit of a reliever to know that several others can relate to my reactions. I believe that although we interact with humans everyday, this is proof that we feel a more emotional and loving connection with animals over our own kind. This discussion caused a bit of controversy over the latest “Walking Dead” episode, but hasn’t affected the show’s viewings.