The Mandalorian fans weren’t sure whether to be amused or disturbed by Baby Yoda eating Frog Lady’s eggs. A Lucasfilm exec lays it all out:
In the latest episode of The Mandalorian, Mando had the task of escorting a character known only as the Frog Lady to a distant planet where she can meet up with her husband and fertilize the cache of eggs she carrying. These eggs are represent the last hope for her species, which has been largely wiped out. Her’s is a journey of survival, and every egg she carries precious.
Most of the eggs were still intact by the end of the episode, no thanks to the Child (aka Baby Yoda, the name he’s been given by the internet whether Disney likes it or not), who scarfed a few down while the group traveled together.
Depending on who you ask, this running gag was either off-putting or hilarious. Like…is it funny that Baby Yoda was innocently committing adorable genocide on this species? The conversation has been loud enough that Lucasfilm creative art manager Phil Szostak weighed in on Twitter:
"For the record, Chapter 10 of The Mandalorian makes it clear that the Frog Lady’s eggs are unfertilized, like the chicken eggs many of us enjoy. But obviously, chickens aren’t sentient beings and the Child eating the eggs is intentionally disturbing, for comedic effect…Fans of horror know that disturbing things make some of us laugh and some of us squirm, or both. Your mileage may vary."
Ultimately, he’s right: whether you find Baby Yoda’s ravenous hunger for endangered lifeforms funny or uncomfortable is up to you. Personally, I’m into it. Baby Yoda shall be the death of many before his journey is over, each kill cuter than the last.
I’m actually more interested in Szostak’s assertion that chickens aren’t “sentient beings.” According to Merriam-Webster, “sentient” means “responsive to or conscious of sense impressions.” That covers chickens, right? I mean, they’re not smart enough to do long division or anything but they still have nerve endings.
So there are two questions on the table here: 1) Is Baby Yoda’s appetite for eggs funny or weird? 2) Are chickens sentient? Discuss.
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