The line in the Ohio prison pork case,
Pork is not one of the necessities of life.
reminded me of a post from several years ago connecting The Simpsons (minus Homer’s sarcasm) and Pliny:
Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79), Natural History 8:209:
Pig
There is no animal who furnishes more variety to the tongue:
its meat provides nearly fifty flavors,
but that of the other animals only one.The Simpsons, “Lisa the Vegetarian”:
Homer: Wait a minute wait a minute wait a minute. Lisa honey, are you saying you’re never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [Chuckles] Yeah, right Lisa. A wonderful, “magical” animal.Well, after all, he is called Homer.