For as macabre of a topic as it is, cannibalism has become quite prevalent in modern media and pop culture. The usage of cannibalism as a plot device, an extension of eroticism, or metaphor within stories has increased significantly over the past 30 years. From Hannibal Lecter’s poignant character in Silence of the Lambs (1991) to Taylor Russell eating Timothée Chalamet in Bones and All (2022), cannibalism has become less and less of a scarce subject in media. Despite how it evokes a skin-crawling feeling in many audiences, it draws people in, and creatives capitalize on that.

Unsurprisingly, what doesn’t accompany the uptick in depiction of cannibals and cannibalism is a true understanding of how cannibalism has been commodified—its origins, or proper and nuanced discussions about its visualization in media made from primarily white, non-ethnic lenses.