Attacking the Clones

by Damon Gambuto     Department: Science & Society

Just when you thought the champion bulls that challenge the celebrated Spanish toreadors would only live on as namesakes for Italian sports cars, the biotech company ViaGen has stepped in to promise the "preserving and multiplying" of these superior genetic specimens for generations of bullfighters to come (and kill).

You might remember ViaGen from our fantastic piece "Got Clones" produced by the meticulous and curious June Molgaard and hosted by the most accented WIRED Science correspondent Sarah Backhouse. (Of course my poking fun is just a way of dealing with my crush.)

June and I cut the teeth off our working relationship chewing on this story.  Not familiar with her canny mind, I was worried that June might be thrown by the scare word 'clone.'  People often react negatively to words like 'clone' because of the negative connotations.  I know Boba Fett put Han Solo into carbon freeze, but not all clones grow up to be evil bounty hunters.  Cloning biotechnologies have become a regular part of modern life in ways that are opaque to the public, but certainly have added value to our society.  So I was delighted to hear that June's take on the story included a healthy amount of disdain for people who don't understand what the word actually means.  Of course, seeing my chance to charm her with my humor, I jumped in with:

"I know, it's ridiculous.  We live amongst clones everyday.  We call them 'twins'."

June turned an eyebrow up at me and said: "Well, identical twins."

I tried to explain that I understood the difference, but that the word 'identical' didn't feel like a 'comedy word' so I decided to elide it and... well... The eyebrow didn't budge.  Damn you, comedic impulses!

June had the story arc of her piece all figured out, thus transforming my job from story producer into dedicated cheerleader.  Happy to oblige, I gave her my huzzah, went back to my desk and struggled with my body dysmorphic disorder. 

June's piece was a success although she was a little miffed that the correspondent chosen to join her in the field doesn't eat meat.  (No correspondent-eating-cloned-steak money shot possible).  

Today the New York Times reports that bull breeder Victoriano del Río has decided that it's in his financial interest to clone his champion studs.  Call me delicate, but I'm not bullish on the idea of cloning animals so as to heighten our spectatorial pleasure of their torture and death.  I'd prefer the science used to shape a beautiful future rather than preserve an unattractive past.  The legacy of the bulls can be left to the car-naming habits of Lamborghini.

Tags: behind the scenes, bullfighting, clones, cloning, ViaGen

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