Originally published in Journal for Critical Animal Studies 17(5):3-36 – ISSN 1948-352X. Available: http://journalforcriticalanimalstudies.org/jcas-volume-17-issue-5-october-2020/ ~ 1 ~ Pig-Ignorance: The “Peppa Pig Paradox”: Investigating Contradictory Childhood Consumption Lynda M. Korimboccus 1 1 Independent Scholar, Scotland, UK Abstract Despite Peppa Pig being a billion-pound character favourite of children across the globe, many of those same children regularly consume pig products. Using cognitive dissonance as a starting point, this photo essay aims to investigate how the ‘meat paradox’ (Loughnan, Haslam & Bastian 2010) may be applied at an intra-species level to this phenomenon: The Peppa Pig Paradox. It may be that animals in the Peppa series are simply anthropomorphized versions of ourselves (Mills 2017); that the anthropocentric human-is-animal metaphors we employ maintain negative views of all things porcine (Goatly 2006); or that the socialization process and norm maintenance necessitate dissociative language (Plous 1993) about other animals to maintain a boundary across which we dare not tread. As the 21 st century develops and veganism increases in popularity, perhaps connections will become more explicit as plant-based food becomes more readily available. Increased associations might create a shift in consciousness away from strategic ignorance (Onwezen & van der Weele 2016) to a more conscious, species-inclusive society, where Peppa Pig fans will shun the very notion of consuming pig flesh and demand the same of others. Key terms: cognitive dissonance; meat paradox; dissociation; strategic ignorance; anthropocentrism; anthropomorphism; veganism; Peppa Pig