Not porpoises but cows

“Gray accent leather on the doors and the top of the instrument panel is called Porpoise, but, like other hides, it comes from land animals and not sea creatures” – from a Car and Driver article about the Bentley Continental GT V-8 S.

Why is it that the thought of someone killing porpoises for our use is more repellant than the thought of someone killing cows for our use?

Flipper.

When I was a kid, Flipper was a TV show about a friendly sea creature that came to the rescue of different people every week. Think Lassie in the sea.

I don’t know of any TV shows about friendly cows.

The quote about Bentley’s choice of an upholstery name made me think of the whole veganism culture and philosophies – one end of the animal rights spectrum. Porpoise killers might be the other end of the spectrum.

And then I thought of my friend who is a cattle rancher in Oklahoma. She loves her cows more than just about anybody I know. And yet she sells them to be slaughtered.

I don’t know how to reconcile all these things.


  • The photo is courtesy of the Bentley website and is used without permission.
  • If there are any modern TV shows starring animals, I wouldn’t know them, since I watch very little mainstream TV.
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4 Replies to “Not porpoises but cows”

  1. I remember a joke from Drew Carey when he was doing stand up (about dolphin safe tuna) where he felt compelled to ask the question, “…but what about the tuna?!”

    1. Totally agree!

      When I lived in England, where the “not test on animals” concept was very popular, I always wanted to put that sticker on items in the meat section.

  2. I’m risking being thought of as highly insensitive here, but a cousin of mine is part of a movement trying to ban people in Asia from eating dogs. While I like dogs and don’t like the idea of eating them, is that so different from us eating cows? After all, to Hindus THAT is horrific! It’s really all in your perspective.

    1. You are right – a lot of this relates to a person’s perspective!

      All I know is that I am always having to reevaluate mine.

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