TCM showed Tarantula today, and it reminded me of all the giant bug movies of the 1950s. Usually some bugs, like ants, spiders, praying mantises, etc., would get exposed to atomic radiation and get all big and stuff, and then they’d go rampaging around eating livestock and people and whatnot. And so naturally, the cops would try to fight the giant beast(s), with some getting eaten in the process (“Mmmm: Tastes like donuts!”), and so the military would be called in to heroically slay the giant menace. (Hey, remember when the military was always the good guy in movies, before the Vietnam War?)
But wow, can you imagine what it would be like if we had a giant bug menace today? Livestock would get eaten, and then farmers would be eaten trying to protect their livestock, and vegans would say it serves them right for eating meat and raising animals for food. And then the military would be called in to fight the giant menace, and animal rights activists would protest in front of the army base, break in and lie down on the runway to stop the air force from dropping bombs on the monster, claiming it’s nature’s revenge for pollution and climate change. And they’d be the heroes, helping the monsters eat everyone and destroy civilization. Oh my, how times have changed.
