What’s up, Doc? How a cartoon character taught us to believe a lie

By Daniel Francis

Did you know that rabbits don’t really eat carrots? They will eat carrots if you give them, but carrots are not a main part of their diet. Apparently, carrots are too high in sugar and, if eaten frequently, can lead to obesity.

So, rabbits don’t really eat the number of carrots we think. I always believed that in the wild, they would seek out carrots because it was the main food item in their diet.

I believe this perception developed because of Bugs Bunny. Think about it. He’s an iconic character, and in most of his portrayals, he is shown eating a carrot. I don’t know about you, but I grew up watching Bugs Bunny. But let’s say even if you did not grow up watching Bugs Bunny, you may still believe that rabbits mainly eat carrots because someone you know was influenced by Bugs Bunny and implanted that belief into you.

The creators of Bugs Bunny only depicted him eating a carrot to reference a famous old movie scene played by the actor Clark Gable in which he is seen eating a carrot. They did not even animate the famous rabbit because they believed rabbits ate carrots, yet here we are in the present, heavily influenced by this cartoon so that we accept something as truth when it is not.

Media can have such a great effect on what we believe that we accept certain things without questioning. These ideas become enmeshed in our normal understanding of the world, which is scary when you think about it. Because many of these ideas can be incorrect and not only incorrect, but detrimental, especially when they go against what our faith teaches us. The carrot myth emerged through repetition—so can misconceptions about Catholicism take root.

You now walk around with a bias against Catholicism, which can be difficult to change. Imagine if I did not tell you this carrot myth and I randomly told you that rabbits don’t actually like carrots. You would fight back because you believe the opposite, even if you don’t really know where that belief came from or if it is a reputable piece of information.

We’ve heard the many caricatures of faith: “faith is just rules”; “the Church is outdated”; “God only loves the perfect”; “judgemental priests”; and “hypocritical believers”.

These replace the living truth of Christ’s love. When you read the Bible, you see the truth of how God wants us to live, and it is completely opposite to these caricatures of faith. What can we do to fight these misconceptions?

I believe a true invitation to meet the real Church, not the one drawn by culture, is necessary.

I remember Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon spoke about what we should be aiming for as Catholics: true discipleship. Through that journey of discipleship, we inevitably rediscover what’s real, not what’s repeated in culture.

When your mission becomes truly learning about your faith and the message of Christ, you will have irrefutable, tangible guidance on what is true and what is fake. “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32).

Seek out the truth, question your held beliefs that run counter to your religious beliefs, and be open to changing your point of view.

Just like the myth of the carrot, dispel the misconceptions that you or those around you may have by seeking the way, the truth, and the love of God.

Daniel Francis is a millennial helping other millennials. He is a two-time author of the books The Millennial Mind and The Millennial Experience, and an entrepreneur. Over the past four years, he has served as a Personal Development Coach whose work targets Millennials and helps them tap into their full potential. He is also a self-publishing coach and has guided hundreds on self-publishing their book successfully.

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