A young female fan of French poetry in the
1950s paying hommage to her hero Nerval
In urban slang, apparently, walking the lobster means to take a risk; to cross the line; to go too far ...
And, arguably, that's exactly what French Romantic poet and eccentric 19th-century dandy Gérard de Nerval did when he literally took his pet lobster, called Thibault, for a stroll round the Jardin du Palais-Royal on a leash made of bright blue ribbon.
Or at least that's what his friend and fellow poet Théophile Gautier would have us believe - and, who knows, perhaps it's true: I think I'd like it to be true ...
Though even if the author of Les Filles du feu (1854) - who would later have a significant influence on André Breton and the Surrealists - didn't in fact walk his lobster, he was nevertheless prepared to defend his choice of pet and right to exercise the creature:
'Why should a lobster be any more ridiculous than a dog? Or a cat, or a
gazelle, or a lion, or any other animal that one chooses to take for a
walk? I have a liking for lobsters. They are peaceful, serious
creatures. They know the secrets of the sea, they don’t bark, and they
don’t gobble up your monadic privacy like dogs do.' [1]
It's a perfectly reasonable defence and I'm surprised that more people haven't opted to keep crustaceans rather than canines on the basis of this.
In recent times, however, the only person I can recall having a pet lobster and taking him for a walk is Homer Simpson who, unfortunately, ends up having to tearfully eat poor Pinchy after accidently cooking him in a hot bath [2].
Pass the butter ...
Homer and Marge walking Pinchy
the lobster on the beach
Notes
[1] Quoted by Théophile Gautier, in Portraits et Souvenirs Littéraires (1875).
[2] The Simpsons, 'Lisa Gets an "A"', S10/E7, (dir. Bob Anderson). First broadcast in November 1998. To watch the (distressing yet hilarious) scene described above, click here.
Thanks to David Brock for reminding me of Nerval and his lobster - and also for reminding me of the terrible suffering experienced by these intelligent, fascinating creatures when they are captured, traded, cooked, and consumed as part of the global food industry. Readers interested in knowing more about this and perhaps getting involved in the fight to afford lobsters (as well as crabs, prawns and crayfish) greater protection, should visit the Crustacean Compassion website: click here.
