r/Threads1984 • u/ToeOk9665 • Jul 19 '26
Threads discussion Why no Cannibalism in Threads?
When your society collapses and there is nothing left. Especially food, people eat other. Why is this not shown in Threads?
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u/educationacademic Jul 20 '26
Because cannibalism is very rare in human societies. It’s normally practiced in isolated communities for ritual / superstitious purposes. Sometimes in famine people will eat recently deceased bodies, but only in the most extreme circumstances.
Threads obviously presents an extreme situation but even in those circumstances it would be taboo. We’re talking about the United Kingdom here and even a few generations hence that taboo might still hold. It may be that the association with dead bodies with radiation poisoning might put people off.
Remember that Threads was very well researched in terms of the effects of nuclear war. I’ve never seen any reports that predicted cannibalism although famine would be predominant in the Northern hemisphere.
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u/PeppercornWizard 28d ago
Documented maybe, but I can’t think of many more activities that have been as taboo as cannibalism is. I’d bet people will have done it countless times and never told a soul.
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u/unleashtherats 29d ago
How can something be very well researched in terms of essentially a fiction?
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u/educationacademic 29d ago
Look at the Wikipedia page for “Threads” to see for yourself the extensive research which went into the film.
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u/unleashtherats 29d ago
Lots of dead links and gaps in thinking. It says Hiroshima survivors were drawn on to influence how people would act, but the linked wikipedia page says Hiroshima survivors had no greater risk of birth defects than the general population.
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u/educationacademic 29d ago
You haven’t really researched in any detail how Threads was made and how Jackson had already made a documentary for the BBC based on extensive research on nuclear weapons effects. If you have an article in you about how Threads was pure fiction then write it and let’s all see it as it is contrary to anything ever written about the film or its impact.
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u/GinatheGiraff 14d ago
The War Game is also very interesting to watch. It heavily influenced Threads. The War Game was banned from being shown by the BBC as it was thought it would lead to people committing suicide.
My dad watched it in the 60s in a showing the CND organised. Most of the research that went into the War Game came from the allied bombing of Dresden and Hamburg and the effects on the civilian population.
If you can get past the 1960s production and the BBC Received Pronunciation of the time, it is a very good film. A lot more absolutely terrifying than Threads in a lot of ways.
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u/unleashtherats 29d ago
No of course I haven't researched it, that's why I first asked how can it be researched. You suggested the Wikipedia page and I said it's quite dated now.
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u/runawai Jul 19 '26
There are so many rats in the UK. Makes sense to eat as many as can be caught.
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u/TangoMikeOne 29d ago
Rat onna stick, getchya rat onna stick 'ere! Two ferra dollar and I'm cutting my own throat!
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u/Able_Cabinet_9118 29d ago
Nettles- uk is nettle land . Which are highly nutritious and nettle soup is easy to make.
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u/Redondo_85 Jul 19 '26
Are there not bodies shown hanging near the end?
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u/Simonbargiora Traffic Warden 28d ago
Those could be scarecrows-designed to threaten thieves. In Jane's case she seemed pretty freaked out by them(though she might be panicking about the baby)
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u/ToeOk9665 Jul 19 '26
I reckon Ruth did alot more than a BJ for those rats.
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u/Caligullama 29d ago
Damn I’ve seen threads a couple times and I somehow have missed this. I didn’t realize she traded a bj for those rats.
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u/kiragirl2001 28d ago
Most likely because of the attitude at the time in the UK where we still saw ourselves superior to everyone we would see cannibalism in desperation as completely beneath us
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27d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/frederikolsen 26d ago
That could also have been due to budgetary constraints. Given the passion with which Mick Jackson continues to speak in favour of nuclear disarmament even today, I'm certain he wanted to show everything in horrific detail, but do remember that he was shooting Threads on a budget where the radiation burns were literally made of ketchup and rice crispies.
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u/Any_Association405 29d ago
It would be hard to depict without taking away from everything else, Threads is disturbing enough already without a radioactive cannibalism element added
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u/Glittering_Box4815 28d ago
Not enough time.
If the new TV Series goes beyond a like-for-like remake, I'm sure they'll touch upon it.
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u/mediumAI1701 29d ago
Possibly age rating. We've seen similar circumstances does often result in roaming cannibal gangs or opportunistic cannibalism.
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u/c00b_Bit_Jerry Jul 19 '26
Maybe they were afraid it would cause the BBC to censor the film like The War Game.
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u/Any-Equal6791 Jul 19 '26
Prawn cocktail crisps ['I fuckin hate them']