Fans Accuse ‘Hot Ones’ of Promoting Cannibalism Following Donald Duck Booking

Sean Evans and the show with hot questions and even hotter wings are in hot water after animal-lovers objected to Disney character Donald Duck's upcoming appearance on Hot Ones where fans worry that he will support cannibalism and cousin-eating. 

Now, that sentence may seem absurd and asinine, and that’s because it is. After all, Donald Duck is a cartoon character animated by human beings and voiced by one, too, and Hot Ones has yet to debut their Soylent Green-style wings. Nevertheless, as soon as First We Feast announced that they were partnering with Disney to help celebrate the 90th anniversary of the first cartoon featuring the entertainment megacorporation’s most beloved billed character, the internet quickly launched into a debate over the ethics of a duck eating chicken wings, even if said duck is animated, speaks English and wears a sailor’s jacket with no pants or underwear.

Right now, the most prominent and vocal philosophers, biologists and chefs of the YouTube comment section are at each other’s throats discussing what constitutes cannibalism and whether we, as live-action humans, have any right to question the food chain of the natural cartoon world.

First, an obvious point — Donald Duck is not a duck. He is a cartoon. And, if the fear of the outraged Hot Ones and Disney fans is that his appearance on the omnivorous talk show will encourage ducks to be cannibals, I promise them that no real ducks will be watching the online interview. The only web they know about is between their toes. 

Then, equally obviously, ducks are not chickens. They are not the same species. They are not in the same family, they aren't even in the same order. The numerous species of waterfowl known as ducks and the domesticated chicken are all apart of the class Aves, a grouping that is also known in some circles as “birds.” A duck eating a chicken wing would be no more cannibalistic than a human eating a cheeseburger — though I’m sure some of the PETA people complaining about the Hot Ones episode on Twitter would claim that us mammals are all brothers and sisters or some shit like that.

Finally, Hot Ones has hosted numerous vegan celebrities over the years and offered their A-list, animal-loving guests plant-based wing alternatives doused in Da Bomb and other noxious sauces. And, as you can see in the above promo, the light, rounded chunks of fried food in front of Donald look a hell of a lot more like cauliflower than his cousin.

But ultimately, it’s not like the internet to let facts and critical thinking get in the way of a good controversy. Although, I admit that I will be a little disappointed if Evans and Donald don’t get in some kind of Foghorn Leghorn joke before the Last Dab.