Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Goldfish Are Pets (And Crackers Too)
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 18, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 18, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Village Voice tackles a very controversial subject: The virtues of having fish as pets. Sloane Crosley believes that fish might be just like New Yorkers ("I am told the reason it's not cruel to put fish in a bowl (or, say, a twentysomething in a studio apartment) is because they are saved from trauma by a three-second memory"), and thus a perfect pet. Besides, you don't need to walk in the biting cold (Gothamist has been noticing more than the usual amount of dog poo on the sidewalks; people, just because it'll freeze doesn't mean it's right!). However, the ultimate Gothamist lithmus test for pets is "If you can't hug it, it's not a pet," so perhaps any future goldfish purchase will be a feng shui object.
Do you prefer the company of fish? There's a site, The Goldish Sanctuary, that's dedicated to the "humane treatment of golfish everywhere." Here's another goldfish care site, plus here's fish supply stuff from Petco. Gothamist is not totally down with multi-color Goldfish crackers or the sunglasses-wearing Goldfish - they are crackers, not people! And Troy McClure had a thing for fish.
Tagged
animals
gothamist
new yorkers
people
pets
the village
The Village Voice
troy
troy mcclure
village voice
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .