'This is Satanism': New York Times gets skewered for suggesting there is a 'time and place' for cannibalism

The New York Times – the so-called "newspaper of record" – advocated that "cannibalism has a time and a place," and that current media suggests that now is the time to eat your fellow human. The eye-raising article was flayed on Twitter for even suggesting that people eat people, and many commentators reckoned that the New York Times writer put her foot in her mouth.

The piece was written by Alex Beggs – a freelance writer and "regular contributor at Bon Appétit, where she reviews the latest Trader Joe's products, writes the magazine's questionable etiquette column, and regularly covers cookbooks," according to journalist database Muck Rack.

The article titled "A Taste for Cannibalism?" argues that cannibalism is having a moment right now because of "some recent stomach-churning books, and on television and film screens."

However, cannibalism has been featured in entertainment throughout history – including "Soylent Green" (1973), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), "Cannibal Holocaust" (1980), "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), "Silence of the Lambs" (1991), "Alive" (1993), "Ravenous" (1999), "The 13th Warrior" (1999), "American Psycho" (2000), "Sin City" (2005), "The Hills Have Eyes" (2006), and "Jennifer’s Body" (2009), just to name a few.

The article cites cannibalism being a theme in the Showtime TV show "Yellowjackets."

Ashley Lyle – the co-creator of "Yellowjackets" – was unable to bite her own tongue and blamed climate change and school shootings as reasons why people are interested in cannibalism.

"As to what may be fueling the desire for cannibalism stories today, Ms. Lyle, the 'Yellowjackets' co-creator, said, 'I think that we’re obviously in a very strange moment.' She listed the pandemic, climate change, school shootings and years of political cacophony as possible factors."

"I think we’re often drawn to the things that repulse us the most,” Lyle said.

"Yellowjackets" co-creator Bart Nickerson claimed, "But I keep coming back to this idea of, what portion of our revulsion to these things is a fear of the ecstasy of them?”

Twitter reactions to the cannibal article flew in faster than it took Hannibal Lecter to eat the liver of a census taker with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

Writer Emmanuel Rincón: "The New York Times, the progressive media in general and the left, are promoters of all aberrant causes of humanity. Pedophilia, child indoctrination and now cannibalism. Sick."

CEO Zack Kanter: "A zero sum worldview, irrational fear of overpopulation, and hatred of success will inevitably lead NYT journos to the literal conclusion of ‘eat the rich.’"

Author Sankrant Sanu: "Western 'Liberalism' on its next logical step."

Journalist Tom Fitton, "NY Times, taking a break from promoting the mass killing of the unborn through abortion, promotes cannibalism."

Conservative activist Ned Ryun: "Ummm wat?!! The NY Times has become a monumental joke."

CEO Sridhar Vembu: "The NY Times: 'Cannibalism has a time and a place.' The Left is a tragedy that keeps on giving. What would they attempt to normalize next?"

Journalist Mollie Hemingway: "New York Times leaning into that already well-earned 'enemy of the people' moniker way too much and way too literally."

Writer Gabriella Hoffman: "These people tell us eating meat is bad and the world is ending, but give a full-fledged endorsement of cannibalism."

Journalist Sameera Khan: "THIS IS SATANISM."

Columnist Jon Gabriel: "Post-Christian culture seems a lot like pre-Christian culture."

Cultural commentator Tim Pool: "NYT looking hire known cannibal Reza Aslan."

Author Sophie Gonzales: "The apocalypse news headlines look surprisingly how I pictured they’d look."

Columnist Larry Alex Taunton: "Today’s #NYT headline: 'Cannibalism has a time & place…. the time is now.' The Democrat Party is now the Donner Party."

Audio producer Anthony F. Irwin: "Just when I thought the Times couldn't get any Dahmer."

Comedian Tiernan Douieb: "If any NYT journos invite you for dinner, don’t go."

Former congressional candidate David Giglio: "We’ve had a decent run, but it’s over for humanity. Bring on the comet."