It does seem rather self evident, doesn't it? But then so does the mamzr one. The libe iz vi putr has me scratching my head.
I've heard it explained on some obscure philological grounds that the roast in question was a pork roast, but I'm not sure I believe the argument. The conclusion makes sense just all by itself; it says that it's OK to break kosher rather than starve. I remember a scene from one of the myriad Entebbe movies that came out after the successful raid in which a young woman was desperately trying to convince her very orthodox grandfather that it said in the Torah that it was OK to eat nonkosher if the alternative was starving to death.
On the other hand, it might just be a response to something like, "I sure don't want to go to that little brat's bar mitzvah. I'd rather just stay at home and watch TV."
On the third hand, that shoyn besr might not be best translated with "I'd rather".
