People
Jeanette Winterson faces Twitter backlash for killing and cooking rabbit
By Stylist Team
Updated 8 years ago
Oranges are not the Only Fruit author Jeanette Winterson faced a huge Twitter backlash for eating a rabbit that ate her parsley - and posting graphic pictures of the evidence.
She then shocked her 33,000 followers by adding: "The skin which includes the head makes a great glove puppet."
Winterson, OBE - who won the 1985 Whitbread Prize for her debut novel - posted this picture of the carcass on a kitchen counter, saying: "Rabbit ate my parsley. I am eating the rabbit."
She then cooked it in cider and herbs, and praised it for the lack of waste, packaging, processing and food miles.
Keeping followers up to date with her progress she posted regular pictures of the process and even uploaded a snap of her cat eating the innards.
Despite insisting she had trapped and killed the rabbit humanely, the writer caused upset among some of her followers for posting the graphic images.
Louise Robertson branded her vile saying: "There's a world of difference between eating rabbit bought in a butcher & killing one and posting the pics online."
Follower Jacqueline Looker said: "Before I unfollow you, you make me sick. I will never again read a word you write. Rest in peace, little rabbit."
User Holly Hox added: "Thing is that most people don’t feel a need to post such a graphic image and joke about it. That’s the difference."
And Arthur Japin said: "How your cat and you have disappointed me. At least the cat has an excuse."
Winterson also uploaded pictures of her cooking the rabbit meat "in cider with rosemary and thyme".
While some on Twitter were outraged, a few were more supportive.
Willy Pongo called her his hero saying: "To my rabbit chasing food hero Jeanette Winterson I send a *Vigourous and extended tail wag*"
Hazel James wrote: "At least it’s fresh, not like the frozen tasteless ones butchers sell."
Annie-Marie Speed said: "Delicious and very eco friendly."
Some even asked for tips. Keith Morton wrote: "Which wine did you have with it?"
Winterson remained defiant in the face of criticism, today tweeting: "Rabbits! At pest level they must be culled. This year is pest level in the countryside. Rabbits are sold @ market. Why not eat what u catch?"
Do you agree? Let us know on Twitter @StylistMagazine or in the comments below.
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