In National Geographic’s new show Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, the ubiquitous celebrity chef eats guinea pig, silverside fish, eel, pāua and other animals. But it’s another animal that got his audience’s goat.
In the most recent episode that takes place in New Zealand, instead of simply talking about meat, cooking meat and eating meat, Ramsay himself shoots and kills a goat. That act, as Eater reports, sparked outrage among many viewers.
One tweet reads, “So you don’t want to harm the trees here in NZ but you don’t mind killing one of our wild goats! Get your morals sorted out.” Another reads, simply, “Murderer.” And an apparently longtime viewer tweeted, “I’ve watched you for many years but never again!!!” It makes you wonder where, exactly, these Ramsay fans thought the steaks, burgers and fillets he’s been cooking his entire career came from.
As Eater points out, “The scene includes no blood, guts, or footage of the animal suffering.” Nonetheless, showing the act itself, and Ramsay pulling the trigger, was enough to cause a significant backlash from those watching.
While goats may hold a different status in America, and other countries, Ramsay notes in the episode that when it comes to New Zealand, “… goats are an invasive species and with no natural predators; they’ve caused untold damage to native vegetation.” More to the point, he says they’re considered a pest, as opposed to the “innocent animals” some angry viewers are calling them.
So far, neither Ramsay nor National Geographic has responded to the outcry. They might not have to, as the show has already been renewed for a second season.
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