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Pigs in Pop Culture
Pigs have been one of the most ubiquitous animals in popular culture. From serious commentaries to kiddie comedies, these rotund creatures have been used for endless metaphors, jokes, stinging insults, and slick one-liners. They've been featured in classic literature and mythology, marked as unclean in various religions, portrayed as cuddly and cute in wholesome movies, and painted as symbols of gluttony and filth in social criticisms.
It's not hard to figure out why were so fascinated with pigs. This animal has been closely associated with the human race since the hunting-and-foraging era of our early ancestors. We eat them, breed them, adopt them as pets, and give them starring roles in movies
Sure we're still very much in love with our dogs and cats but pigs are on a class of their own. As Winston Churchill once said, “Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
So it is safe to say that our fascination with pigs is rooted from the perception that we are just like them? After all pigs are found to be smart animals that get bored easily. They're also very much into the hierarchy system. Put pigs in a litter and there will automatically be a competition on who gets to be the top hog. They scramble and fight and can be very aggressive.
Contrary to the popular notion though, pigs are not inherently filthy creatures. They love to roll in the mud because it's their way of cooling off. Mud also serves as a sunscreen since pigs are susceptible to sunburn. Pigs don't have functional sweat glands so the phrase “sweating like a pig” is grossly inaccurate.