ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996 TAG: 9603250006
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Dispatches from Rye Hollow
SOURCE: STEVE KARK
The last year has been a good one for pig stories.
First were the stories about those folks in Vinton who asked the town to amend its ordinances to allow Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs.
And now there's all this hubbub over "Babe," the movie with a little Yorkshire piglet in the title role. It's been nominated for no less than seven Academy Awards, including best supporting actor, director and film.
Hollywood hasn't generated this much interest in farm animals since Mr. Ed wisecracked his way out of the barn and Arnold the pig hogged the sofa on "Green Acres."
I haven't seen the movie yet, so I'm not qualified to review it here.
On the other hand, Delbert and Johanna Jones, who live near Blacksburg, have seen it. You might even say they're more than qualified to review it because they know pigs. After all, they live with two of them.
One, which they've identified as "the pink fury," lives in your typical pigpen and has been banned from the house for reasons too sordid to get into here. Suffice it to say you'd be better off inviting a motorcycle gang to party in your house.
The other, a 70-pound miniature Vietnamese pig named Destiny, is completely housebroken and has the run of their home. She sleeps on her own sleeping bag laid across a living-room lounge chair and, according to the Joneses, makes an excellent pet.
I ask them what they think about the movie. Both agree that it's worthwhile and innovative.
"However," adds Johanna, "I'm also afraid that it might give people an unrealistic view of pig behavior. They aren't quite as eager to please as the one in the movie."
She goes on to explain how the movie is about this little pig won by a sheep farmer at a fair. He doesn't know what to do with it, but takes it home anyway.
Once there, the pig is informed, by a duck, that every animal on the farm has its own job to do. Without a job, the duck tells the pig, you'll end up on the dinner table.
The long and the short of it is that the little pig decides to herd sheep, like a sheepdog.
"He has to look for gainful employment," Johanna says. "Ours are too lazy. They wouldn't want to work."
Delbert jumps to Destiny's defense. "They're finicky," he says. "They're more like cats. They come to you when they want to. If not, there's nothing you can do to make them."
"If you ask me," he says, "they should have nominated the pig for best actor. I mean, does it make sense? Best picture. Best director. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR. Why not best actor for the pig?
"Pigs aren't normally as ambitious as the pig in the movie, so that was a tough acting job on the part of the pig."
Standing in the kitchen, Delbert coaxes Destiny with a piece of dried apple. She stands on her hind legs to receive the treat.
Johanna points at a blue ribbon on the refrigerator door. It reads "Best Pet 'Other,' Price's Fork Fair."
Despite the minor criticisms, "Babe" earns a thumbs up from the Joneses.
Who said you couldn't make a silk purse from a sow's ear?
LENGTH: Medium: 64 linesby CNB