Topic: Entomophagy

The practice of entomophagy, or eating insects, is explored through a review of the "Can I Bug You?" podcast from UC Riverside. The segment highlights FDA regulations that allow certain amounts of insect parts in food products like chocolate and hops. The promotion of "Acheta powder" (cricket flour) is linked to broader climate change narratives regarding sustainable protein sources.

Noon whistle Brewery in Lombard, Illinois, has released a "cicada-infused" version of the bitter liqueur Malort, harvesting the insects locally. This trend is linked to broader efforts to normalize the consumption of insects as a sustainable food source. Public reaction to the beverage has been polarized, ranging from curiosity to disgust.

Bitcoin has surged past $34,000, while the hosts observe a cultural shift toward "slave foods" like mac and cheese and the rising trend of entomophagy (eating insects). They note that mac and cheese is being normalized through luxury shops, while bug consumption is being marketed as a sustainable "functional food" for the future.

A retrospective look at a 2010 United Nations initiative reveals early institutional pushes for insect consumption to combat global warming and famine. The hosts revisit No Agenda episode 225 to show that the "eat the bugs" narrative originated with the UN and the Codex Alimentarius. The segment explores the transition from "global warming" to "climate change" and eventually "scorched earth" terminology.

Anthropologist Julie Lesnik argues that the Western aversion to eating insects is a learned behavior rooted in European colonial history. Lesnik suggests that early colonists avoided indigenous foods like bugs to maintain a sense of "civilized" identity and avoid becoming "savages." The hosts critique the concept of "othering" insects as a social justice framework applied to diet.

PBS Learning Media is promoting the environmental benefits of eating insects as a sustainable alternative to traditional livestock. The curriculum argues that insect physiology is more efficient at converting feed into protein than mammals like cattle. Critics argue these narratives rely on false equivalencies between beef and corn production and are funded by organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to shift global dietary habits.

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson attended the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, where guests were served dishes covered in ants. The event is cited as an example of the elite-driven push to normalize eating insects as a sustainable protein source, a key pillar of the World Economic Forum's proposed dietary shifts.

The emergence of the "Brood X" cicadas has led to a surge in media articles encouraging people to cook and eat the insects. Chefs in Richmond, Virginia, are promoting recipes for "cicada and monkfish sausage" and "blackened cicadas," which critics view as an attempt to normalize the consumption of bugs.

Brood 10 cicadas are emerging across the Eastern Seaboard and Indiana after a 17-year dormancy cycle. Speculation arises regarding mainstream media outlets like CNN promoting the consumption of insects as a sustainable protein source during the infestation. The hosts note the predictable nature of these biological patterns and the potential for "reptilian" media narratives to normalize bug-eating.

The "Freakonomics" podcast explored the business of edible insects, suggesting that 20% insect flour could be snuck into cookies or introduced via dog food to acclimate consumers. Kraft Heinz sensory managers are researching how to make insects "hidden" or "happy" on packaging. The segment also mentions "cricket cream cheese" and the Japanese term "conchu" as potential marketing angles for bug-based proteins.

The European Food Safety Agency has approved yellow mealworms as safe for human consumption, labeling them a "delicacy" and a sustainable, low-carbon protein source. The hosts mock the push for insect-based diets, jokingly attributing the trend to "reptilians" or "lizards."

Science educator Hank Green is promoting entomophagy (eating insects) on TikTok as a sustainable protein source. The hosts mock the push to normalize bug-eating, which is supported by celebrities like Angelina Jolie. They identify Green as the "new Bill Nye" and play a clip of him encouraging people to "want to want to eat bugs."

A prank is played where a host pretends to eat a deep-fried locust received in the mail from an "Eat The Bugs" program in Berkeley. The sound effects of the crunching are revealed to be the host eating Corn Nuts rather than an actual insect.

A visit to a new upscale Mexican restaurant in Austin called Comedor reveals a menu featuring insects. The experience included consuming ants on dessert and small grasshoppers, though the presentation was noted as underwhelming compared to authentic bug dishes in Mexico City.

The New York Times Magazine featured a story on the "insect apocalypse," noting a significant decline in bug populations worldwide. The hosts point out a contradiction in environmental narratives: while scientists warn of the dangers of losing insects to global warming, there is a simultaneous push for humans to adopt insects as a primary food source.

A clip from another podcast features an earnest advertisement for ExoProtein bars made from crickets. The advertiser claims crickets are more efficient than cattle and produce fewer greenhouse gases. The hosts find the concept of eating bugs "disgusting" and use it as an example of the insincere nonsense found in traditional podcast advertising.

Vanity Fair released a video of actress Nicole Kidman eating various insects, including live hornworms, mealworms, and fried grasshoppers. The hosts describe her technique with chopsticks and her "reptilian" demeanor, noting the sound of the insects being crushed in her mouth as she promotes "micro livestock" as a food source.

Administrators at Whitehaven Elementary ate insects, including chocolate-covered crickets and barbecue mealworms, to teach students about protein sources in other cultures. The hosts mock the event as an attempt to "normalize" bug-eating.

Angelina Jolie appeared in a video from Cambodia showing her children how to cook and eat crickets, scorpions, and tarantulas. The hosts mock Jolie's "imperialistic" English accent and her use of the phrase "in country." The segment suggests a "reptilian" agenda to normalize the consumption of insects as a primary food source for the masses.

The 9th annual Austin Bug-Eating Festival is taking place, promoting the consumption of insects as a future food source. One of the hosts plans to attend and sample various bugs, including crickets and potentially cockroaches, to report back on the experience.