Viral TikTok of a live turkey next to one in the oven sparks huge backlash

First published in 2021

A TikTok of a live turkey standing next to an oven while one of its own species is being cooked inside in has gone viral, sparking huge backlash and debate.

With Thanksgiving taking place in America yesterday, many families across the country will have been serving up a feast including turkey.

On TikTok, a clip posted by @our10acres has gone viral as a live turkey appeared to be in the kitchen, next to an oven in which a turkey was being cooked.

In the clip, the woman filming can be heard saying, “What you doing bub?” as the turkey looks into the oven at the bird being roasted.

She continued: “It’s okay, you don’t know him.”

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The video has been viewed 37.2 million times and thousands of people have taken to the comments section to give their thoughts.

Some seemed to find the video funny, joking that the turkey would be worried about its own fate next year.

One person wrote: “He’s looking like, that’s it I’m moving out before this time next year.”

However, others thought the whole thing was “mean” and argued that the animal can feel emotion.

Someone commented: “You do know they are sentient right…it literally knows what’s going on. Feels pain and even emotion. Scientifically proven sentient. Damn.”

Another said: “Come on, don’t do that. It’s still kind of sad and mean to be showing him that. I get you wanna be funny but come on even for an animal it’s mean.”

While opinions certainly differed, some people called out the people criticising the video, saying they would probably be eating meat that day.

One person said: “The same people saying that’s wrong and cruel are the same people who gonna be eating turkey and ham later.”

In response to one comment from someone saying it was “kinda sad”, @our10acres replied saying that the turkey was store bought, not from their farm.

They also suggested that the turkey, Big Red, was looking in the oven because it wanted to eat it.

They wrote: “It’s ok to feel that way. If it helps, that’s a store bought turkey and Big Red wanted to eat it.

“Turkeys are curious, but have no concept of ovens.”