Episode 18 Mad Butcher Has Cancer, Catcha Cray Returns
Hello and Welcome to the eighteenth episode of Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals. This episode I have two stories, The Mad Butcher Has Cancer, and the Catcha Cray Machines Return.
Most New Zealanders, especially those further north from where I live, have heard of Peter "The Mad Butcher" Leitch. Leitch has made his fortune from his chain of meat shops, although he has now since retired, hes currently 66.
"The Mad Butcher" is one of the most well known and respected New Zealanders, he was granted "The Queens Service Medal", for his donations to charity throughout his life.
Its interesting that he now campaigns for Allergy New Zealand, as his stores sell Meat and Milk.
As a well known New Zealander, The Mad Butcher has been portrayed in Comedy shows, normally focusing on his weight and clothing, and his gruff voice. Here are three examples. In the first, the actual Mad Butcher appears as a "Meat Pimp", driving about in an old 70's car, dressed in a fur coat with a large floppy hat, a pimp's cane and jewellery.
The Mad MAD Butcher was a character on the not very funny Pulp Sport show, where an actor portraying the Mad Butcher would run about crazy, as if he were truly Mad. In this skit he makes a "meat shake" to prove how crazy he is, blending meat with a few litres of cows milk and drinking it from a yard glass.
At the end, he throws up on camera, such is the state of New Zealand television, no doubt partially funded through my taxes.
I was wondering what the heck that butchered, get the pun?, midi soundtrack was, and it hit me, "oh, I get it, hes Mad, so they play a crappy version of Bad, get it?"
I love this bit!, it makes me want to prance about in fake leather and spandex with my gang of professional dancers
A main hobby of The Mad Butchers has been watching sport, hes very closed linked with the Warriors Rugby League team, he often wears their jerseys. This parody song is a rip off from an Eminem Song,
The Mad Butcher is probably one of the most "kiwi" male celebrities, he promotes eating meat and watching sport, and now the Mad Butcher has cancer.
I've commented on news stories about The Mad Butcher, mentioning the well known links between eating meat and other animal byproducts and cancer, although I was always respectful that he is still a normal person with a potentially fatal illness. Many in my family have died from Cancer, and I wouldnt wish it on anyone. I do think its more than fair to point out, while being respectful to Leitch, that there are long known links between consuming animal byproducts and cancer. There have been other well known families related to selling Animal Byproducts which have had early deaths and health problems to do with their own products, John Robbins of Baskin Robbins Ice Cream comes to mind. In New Zealand, we dont have Baskin Robbins, so its not very effective telling people about John Robbins and his book "Diet for a new America" if you have to explain his famous family's business.
The Mad Butcher has long asked men to look after their health, and he went on the Breakfast morning show to talk about his cancer.
I doubt its anything like what chickens suffer before ending up at his stores, to be sold for a "bargain basement" price.
I guess now I can point to Peter, "The Mad Butcher" Leitch while mentioning the links to cancer. Being honest though, I never use any health reasons for being vegan, as its the ethics that matter to me. And I'm certainly not making fun of the Mad Butcher for having cancer, I wouldnt wish it on a...