I wondered whether Peppa was a pig to promote the idea of pigs as lovable pets rather than delicacies. It turns out that it wasn't the case.
However, that led me wondering if there is any evidence that such personification of animals in fictional media leads to a change in the outlook of individuals and/or societies towards those animals?
I would be grateful if the experts here could please enlighten.
I was watching Schindlers' List a few days back. Looking back at what people are capable of doing to their fellow humans if society allows it. I don't have much hope about anthropomorphized cartoons preventing people from doing what they want to do. Here we are talking about suppressing one of the strongest things that drive a human, eating. Plus, the fulfilment of this biological urge has zero social consequences. I vote, cartoons are not going to do anything.
What will however prevent people from eating an animal is if they identify it as a unique living creature that has a personality and form an emotional bond with it. Then they will be willing to kill and die before they eat that thing.
So I guess, if the animal is in the in-group of the person then its sort of naturally blasphemous to eat the animal but otherwise its fair game.
