Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
McAfee Secure sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
Jason English
I heard wrong
by Jason English - October 19, 2006 - 5:56 PM

lobster_scream.jpgWhile I’ve never heard it myself, stories of the high-pitched scream lobsters make when boiled have haunted me for years. But the 15th footnote in the David Foster Wallace essay “Consider the Lobster” does some debunking:

“There’s a relevant populist myth about the high-pitched whistling sound that sometimes issues from a pot of boiling lobster. The sound is really vented steam from the layer of seawater between the lobster’s flesh and its carapace (this is why shedders whistle more than hard-shells), but the pop version has it that the sound is the lobster’s rabbitlike death scream. Lobsters communicate via pheromones in their urine and don’t have anything close to the vocal equipment for screaming, but the myth’s very persistent — which might, once again, point to a low-level cultural unease about the boiling thing.”

Still, not a pleasant sound. I can’t find a link to the story online, but if you’re looking for a collection of essays smarter than you, check out DFW’s latest collection.

« Previous Post   -   Next Post »
Comments (4)

  1. Totally, totally agree with you on the brilliance of DFW — this very essay collection was my official recommended book at the Idea Festival.

    Also, where can I get one of those costumes?

    posted by Mary on 10-19-2006 at 6:39 pm

  2. I have to say the picture reminded me of a scene in “Love Actually” when the young daughter comes home from school all excited about playing the 2nd lobster in the school nativity play.

    posted by KJ on 10-20-2006 at 8:57 am

  3. I’ve actually never heard that myth. Sound’s really creepy though, and it kidn of reminds me of that really annoying skittles commercial with the wierd singing rabbit.

    And that is such a cute kid, is he one of your guys’?

    posted by Heather on 10-20-2006 at 11:30 pm

  4. Nope. After deciding a lobster picture would be too creepy, I did a Google Image Search for “lobster costume.” This anonymous kid was the claws down winner.

    posted by Jason on 10-21-2006 at 7:21 am

Comment

commenting policy