Media student earns University Medal for thesis on cannibalism

An honours thesis examining cannibalism in the movies has earned Desmond Bellamy a University Medal, to be awarded at Southern Cross University’s Coffs Harbour graduation ceremony on Saturday (May 30).

Des, a mature-age student who lives in Byron Bay, will receive a Bachelor of Media with First Class Honours, after completing a thesis titled ‘Having an old friend for dinner: cannibalism goes to the movies’. He will be among 185 graduands attending two ceremonies at the Coffs Harbour campus.

Dr Lisa Milner, who supervised Desmond’s work, said it was a fascinating thesis which received the best examiner’s report she had ever read. She will be on hand on Saturday to see him receive the award, along with his wife and daughter, who is travelling from Melbourne for the occasion.

Des, a special projects coordinator for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Australia), said his thesis was focused on cannibalism, and the relationship of humans and other animals. The topic developed out of a long-held passion for animal rights.

“My question was how can we so readily accept killing animals but be so horrified when we see people killing humans. It involved a study of films about cannibalism – there were about 100 that I found out about but we cut it down to eight films,” he said.

The films covered a variety of themes including primitive cannibalism, depicted in films such as Robinson Crusoe; survival films including Alive, the story of a rugby team who crash in the Andes; and inhuman cannibalism, as depicted in films such as Silence of the Lambs and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

“This thesis examines human cannibalism in the movies: is it gratuitous and included for shock value, or does it cast light onto our most profound cultural and moral assumptions and taboos?" said Des.

“Eating humans is shocking and abject because of our assumed, largely unexamined, Cartesian and humanist beliefs that we are ontologically non-animal.”

Des, who undertook his degree partly on-campus and by distance education and is now considering a PhD, said he was absolutely overwhelmed to be receiving the University Medal.

“I was so impressed with the support I got from my supervisor Dr Milner, she was someone who was willing to give constructive criticism and came up with new strategies for me to look at. The staff at SCU are world-class, they are very knowledgeable and very available.

“The SCU library also never let me down - if they didn’t have a book or article I needed in their comprehensive collection, they would get it from another library in Australia or even overseas."

The first graduation ceremony will be at 10am for the School of Arts and Social Sciences and School of Health and Human Sciences. The Occasional Speaker will be Dr Sue Kehrer, NSW Laboratory Group Manager for Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Coffs Harbour.

The second ceremony will be at 1pm for the Schools of Business and Tourism, Education, Environment, Science and Engineering and Law and Justice. The Occasional Speaker for the second ceremony will be Cr Liz Campbell, Mayor of Kempsey Shire Council.

Awards will be conferred by the Deputy Chancellor Mr John Shanahan.
Desmond’s full thesis can be found at: Having an old friend for dinner: cannibalism goes to the movies

Photo: Desmond Bellamy will receive the University Medal on Saturday.