in defense of my friends, the veges and vegans

[hiddenmuse]

I saw this, and just shook my head in disbelief. Not just at the fact that UPN, a network that already scrapes the bottom of the barrel for its programming would deign to having such a program as Amish In The City, but that they would have this 'character' come in to be one of the 'secular roommates':

Ariel, a Los Angeles waitress and vegan who seems to be channeling Jessica Simpson, confronts her housemates about their eating habits. Eggs are "chicken abortions," she informs them, dairy products are "cow pus" (my italics) and cattle likely are space aliens.

All I can think is that someone like Ariel is possibly a reason that vegans sometimes have such a less-than-favorable reputation with omnivores. Telling people things like that about what they're putting into their bodies would not exactly be the best way to win friends and influence people to consider even *trying* a vegetarian meal. Instead, they're looking at you, thinking that you've lost it a long, long, long time ago - and there's no chance that you'd ever get it back. And you've also risked affecting how that person looks at vegetarians and vegans - now they'll be intimidated, worried that the next person they meet that follows such a diet and lifestyle will be as off the deep end as her.

Anyways ... thoughts, opinions - anyone?

Comments

[full4zaccordion.livejournal.com]

I think of vegetarianism/veganism as being similar to a religion. Most of the people who practice it are normal, but unfortuantely, there are some wackjob extremists(*coughpetacough*) who give the whole practice a bad name. Vegetarianism/veganism is fine for other people, but not for me. I like meat too much to give it up ;) And, I don't like the "evangelicals" who go around telling people to stop eating meat. I don't force my weird food habits on other people, so they shouldn't force their food habits on me ;)

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

I agree - I don't see anything wrong in sharing your ideas (about food, religion, what have you) with others, so long as you're not trying to coerce them into having the exact beliefs as you.

And extremism doesn't help matters at all. It just perpetuates a bad image and reputation, which never helps a cause!

[violentdoll.livejournal.com]

What a freak. Vegans have always confused me because I don't see why they're doing what they're doing, honestly. Cows have to give milk; chickens have to lay eggs. Why did God make them that way?? But the screaming psycho vegans are always the most interesting...because they're usually misinformed.
"Chicken abortions"...that's something. How are eggs chicken abortions?? They lay them whether they're fertilized or not. As far as "cow pus" goes, that's just gross.

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

The screaming anybodies always crack me up, to be honest. Whether its food, religion, sex or politics ... anyone getting on their high horse and turning into a prattling militant usually just gets my pity.

I think that the vegan girl was trying to squick people out with the "chicken abortions" and "cow pus" comments - playing on their religious sensibilities and possible vulnerabilities. That's never cool, IMO.

[violentdoll.livejournal.com]

Well I can see where she'd try to use scare tactics and other such absurd things to get people on her side (pro-lifer's do that, too, with their pictures of aborted fetuses; is that really neccasary?); but a generally intelligent person can say, simply, "No, eggs are not chicken abortions."
If we follow her train of thought, every time a girl gets her period, she's having an abortion. It's the same thing, basically. We can't help releasing our eggs anymore than chickens can help releasing theirs.

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

True - and G*d only knows where Crazy Ariel will end up going from there!

I just wonder if one of the housemates would have the sense to challenge her on that asinine comment.

[mace-acme.livejournal.com]

Mother of Pearl, my sordid past.

Back in 89 when I worked for PETA, of all places (ugh!) I was more nutty than I am now. I was unreasonable sometimes, though I mainly waited until asked. And THEN I was really unreasonable.

I got to a place later in my life where I realized that by being a bitchy whore I was not only NOT going to change anyone, but I was going to turn people seriously off.

Now, I live my beliefs. I don't knock people for what they eat, and I still will discuss things, but only after feeling situations out and making sure they don't feel threatened, and have an equal say. And actually, more often than not, I don't bring up my beliefs because I just want to live how I wish the world would, so to speak. If I influence someone in some way, that's great. I will never, ever, ever, ever be like that again, and I think organizations like PeTa are more capable of turning people off than on to good things.

Be the change you hope to see in the world. Ghandi said that. And I live by it, if possible. I'm by no means a model person, not whatsoever. If each of us tries to be as cool as we can to one another and the planet, we might have a fighting chance. Maybe.

Thanks for bringing up an interesting discussion!

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing your perspective, as a PETA alum/survivor (hehe) and vegan (I'm assuming that you're vegan - correct me if I'm wrong!). I know that personally, I'd always found PETA's methods and tactics to be more of a turn-off than an attraction.

Personally, I am against animal testing for most reasons - except in medicine, and that's for many reasons - especially reasons close to home. I no longer eat red meat, pretty much don't eat pork - I'm down to fish and fowl, and I'll try to eat vegetarian when possible, because it's healthier.

I love hearing the perspectives of others, and their experiences. Thanks for sharing yours! :-)

[acadeczombie.livejournal.com]

Came to your journal because of your Good Eats icons, stayed for the content...

As a ovo-lacto vegetarian for the past 4 years, I've never forced my beliefs upon other people. Yet, once some people learn I don't eat meat, they can't wait to condemn me. I'm either dismissed as not being a "true vegetarian" because I eat eggs and drink milk, even though I don't eat fish or chicken in addition to avoiding all other meats (whereas some 'vegetarians' say that chicken or fish is okay...), or because I cook meat for the rest of the family's dinner when it becomes apparent that nobody else will be home in time. I get people who think I'm going to yell at them if they take another bite of their steak, and become extremely defensive. I have to reassure them that I'm not one of "those" vegetarians before we can get on with dinner.

And the best reaction? People shoving their hamburgers into my face, trying to "lure" (their words, not mine) me back. WTF?

If omnivores want me to respect their decision to eat something that, not too long ago, was a living, breathing, thinking entity, they should respect my decision to refrain.


Sorry for the rant. UPN has had me upset for awhile over the content of most of their programing, this stereotypical Blonde California Bimbo (I can say that, I'm Californian myself!) is just icing on the cake.

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

Well, thanks for the compliments on the icons - I'd borrwed them from a few of the very creative minds at the goodeats community! I like yours as well - very cool and funny. :)

My partner is a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and has been for almost 2 years now. She doesn't come down on me for ordering chicken or fish at dinner, nor does she make me feel like I have to eat vegetarian every time we have a meal together. My choice to start eating vegetarian was just that, a choice. I don't call myself a vegetarian in the least - I just say that I'm eating healthier, because I could technically still be considered omnivorous.

No worries about the rant - UPN programming is good for rankling anyone's sensibilities! Their specialty is Lowest-Common-Denominator TV, and they're certainly living up to it, that's all I can say.

[hiddenmuse.livejournal.com]

Correction ... the community is actually good_eats.

That's what I get for blogging at work! :-/

[cyndal.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend is a mostly practicing vegetarian. He does it more for the health reasons than the killing reasons (he has a weakness for bacon and chicken wings) He always tells me (jokingly) that salmonella, trichinosis, e.coli, et.al is god's punishment for eating his babies. I told him he's more evil than me for eating eggs b/c they are aborted babies. ;) I figure the best thing you can do to any fundamentalist is laugh at them. They are powerless to stop you.