Bob Blecher's Virtue Ethical Analysis

Bob Blecher is ecstatic to find that his burger joint is about to make its ceremonial preparation of its 100,000th burger, until controversial animal activist documenter Randy Watkins introduces bob to Moolisa, a steer with a blonde wig that will be used to make his 100,00th burger stating “We’ll see what your conscience tells you when you’re looking your burger right in the eye” (Bob’s Burgers). Randy challenges bob with an ultimatum will he admit to everyone that he is a hypocrite and save Moolisa from the slaughter house or let Moolisa become his 100,00th burger? He must make his decision within five days on camera of Randy’s documentary. Within this time span Bob takes in the animal as family, and also save Moolisa from vandals, only to

it only makes sense to see Bob as an ethical egoist, throughout the episode Bob never considered to save Moolisa if it meant jeopardizing his business. Bobs egoist ethics prevent him from saving Moolisa from slaughter for obvious reasons such as maintaining an image of his business, supporting his family and also the most crucial proving that he isn’t a hypocrite. There is a scene where the cow is left outside in the rain while Bob is sleeping and having a nightmare of Moolisa’s head accusing him of murder, in result he takes Moolisa into his house. The next morning his wife Linda questions his motive and he states “what was I supposed to do? I had a crazy dream, it was raining” (Bob’s Burgers). If a ethical egoist were to dissect this they would see that the reason Bob let the cow in wasn’t because it was in his character but more to benefit himself. Bob could not get a good night’s rest because the thought of her suffering in the rain, although others would say it is because Moolisa is going to get slaughtered not simply because she is in the rain. if that were true then why is it when bob shelter Moolisa all the dreams

Because he is so reliant of his emotions and in some occasions asking himself “what kind of person I should be” this episode could fall into a virtue ethicist theory. A virtue ethicist may say that the dream of the dead cow that bob had was the cause of bob acting out of his character traits. Meaning his emotions such as stress and anxiety produced the dead Moolisa dream as a warning that he was acting out of character. It is true that the dream that bob had Moolisa seems to be a great point towards the ethical egoism theory, but if a viewer pays attention to other pieces of dialogue they may think otherwise. When Moolisa tries to persuade bob to make her into his 100,000th burger he replies with “no way” (Bob’s Burgers). and continues to refuse with “making burgers makes me feel like a horrible person” (Bob’s Burgers). Bob made this point because he is aware that making burgers does not make him a virtuous person and to him that it’s the “proper course of action” (Strickland) .If this theory is true it would mean that a character trait that Bob possess would be understanding or compassionate, but he has not necessarily shown those traits in the episode. In the beginning of the episode when Randy is expressing his hatred of Bobs Burgers, Bob rebuttals with “its not a crime to make burgers! There’s no blood on our hands” (Bob’s Burgers). He fails to understand Randys argument that