It seems as though I was one step ahead of the New York Times yesterday when I posted about the image of Vegetarianism and Veganism throughout the country. Today's article, The Carrot Some Vegans Deplore, is about just that.
The article starts by discussing a vegan strip club in Portland, Oregon. The owner, a male vegan (or vegetarian... forgive me for not getting the facts perfect), decided to combine these two interests. He claimed that combining a very masculine place like a strip club with vegan food was a great way to introduce men to this healthy, conscientious lifestyle. Whether spreading veganism was actually his objective is unclear, but apparently the association between animal rights and women's rights is not a new one. The article referenced many other examples of women's bodies being exploited to highlight animal rights, or on the other side, women leading a vegetarian lifestyle in order to highlight their personal struggle. The article did mention and have quotes from the authors of Skinny Bitch, and discussed the ways in which this and other popular vegan items contributed to the gender discussion around this lifestyle.
Overall, I'm not sure the article gave many answers to the questions that I brought up in my post. It did, however, say a lot of the same things. Exposure, even if it comes in the form of extreme ranting or attached to sexually attractive women, is a good thing. If you buy into that, you could argue that the vegan lifestyle gets a disproportionally high level of exposure for the very small percentage of Americans who actually call themselves vegan. On the other hand, many of these issues of fairness and appropriate treatment (whether for men, women, people of color, or animals) should be closely linked in our minds, shouldn't they? Should PETA really sell their message by attaching it to a picture of an attractive, half naked woman?
At least now the NY Times has weighed in on the subject.
Showing posts with label Vegetarianism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarianism. Show all posts
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Skinny Bitch
I've had Skinny Bitch on my Amazon wish list for a little while now. I knew that this was a "diet" book that ultimately argued the value of the vegan lifestyle. I knew that the authors wrote the book in a very harsh, "stop eating shit, fat-ass" type of tone... but I was looking for some solid philosophical reasons to give up all animal products. I didn't buy the book but I did spend a very enjoyable afternoon at Border's as I was playing hooky this week. I picked a sunny seat by the window, got some tea and read a big chunk of Skinny Bitch. I have to say, I'm glad I didn't spend the $13 to actually own a copy of this book.
I have read a number of blog entries that address the way vegetarianism and veganism are perceived among the omnivores of the world. These slightly extreme subsets of the population can be stereotyped as radical, throw red paint on fur coats, scoff at diners who partake in meat, type of people. Obviously, this is not the case and can lead to the general population to having a negative impression of a healthy, conscientious lifestyle. I felt like the book, Skinny Bitch, through exaggerations, a very harsh tone, and detailed descriptions of animal cruelty, contributed to the negative image of vegetarianism and veganism instead of aiding the cause. Does it really serve a purpose to tell people they're stupid for eating cheese? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to discuss the issues?
I'm sure a number of people are reading this and thinking, "You just don't get it," so lets look at the other side. This is a book about veganism that is hugely popular. Awesome. That's definitely something. Additionally, how many picked up this witty, comedic book and read it because of the entertaining tone... even though they might have been scared by the content had it been presented in a different manner? I'm sure there are A LOT of readers who fall into this category, meaning the tone of the book reached more people than my boring philosophical discussion ever would. I suppose we could refer to this as the Michael Moore presentation advantage, yes? Obviously this book has some positive things to offer the food/health community... I'm just not totally convinced that the net effect is a positive one.
I have read a number of blog entries that address the way vegetarianism and veganism are perceived among the omnivores of the world. These slightly extreme subsets of the population can be stereotyped as radical, throw red paint on fur coats, scoff at diners who partake in meat, type of people. Obviously, this is not the case and can lead to the general population to having a negative impression of a healthy, conscientious lifestyle. I felt like the book, Skinny Bitch, through exaggerations, a very harsh tone, and detailed descriptions of animal cruelty, contributed to the negative image of vegetarianism and veganism instead of aiding the cause. Does it really serve a purpose to tell people they're stupid for eating cheese? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to discuss the issues?
I'm sure a number of people are reading this and thinking, "You just don't get it," so lets look at the other side. This is a book about veganism that is hugely popular. Awesome. That's definitely something. Additionally, how many picked up this witty, comedic book and read it because of the entertaining tone... even though they might have been scared by the content had it been presented in a different manner? I'm sure there are A LOT of readers who fall into this category, meaning the tone of the book reached more people than my boring philosophical discussion ever would. I suppose we could refer to this as the Michael Moore presentation advantage, yes? Obviously this book has some positive things to offer the food/health community... I'm just not totally convinced that the net effect is a positive one.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Acceptance of food restrictions
A woman with celiac's disease goes into a restaurant to eat and explains that she needs a gluten free meal. She orders a salad without crutons and explains how sensitive she is to food that is cross contaminated with gluten... but the overworked, slightly annoyed waiter with tired feet just goes back to the kitchen and picks up a pre-made salad, tossing the crutons into the trash on the way back to the table. The woman eats this "gluton free" salad and breaks out in a rash later that night.
A man who has chosen to follow a strictly vegan diet because of his political and moral beliefs is invited to celebrate his grandfather's birthday at a local steak house. The man calls ahead, explains his dietary preferences, and asks the restaurant if they can accommodate him. The restaurant understands and wanting to increase business agrees to do what they can. The night of the celebration the vegan man arrives, introduces himself to the waitress and is greeted with annoyance and irritation. The chef had to go out of her way and the waitress is bothered by "picky" customers. The man is served cold food and treated poorly because he was "difficult."
In both of these situations the diner has a difficult time eating in a restaurant, and the restaurant staff is annoyed by the specific requests and added hassle of meeting the diner's needs. The difference is that the first situation involves an innate dietary restriction while the second one is a chosen lifestyle. The question is... is there a difference? Should people who choose to restrict their diet based on different belief systems have a harder time doing that than people who are required to eat differently than the majority of the population?
Personal anecdotes:
I ate at my favorite brewery recently and I wanted to share the chili cheese fries with my brother who was visiting from out of town (for all you non-New Mexicans - chili cheese fries out here have a green chili pepper sauce on them, not the red bean and beef sauce that other parts of the country call chili). I know that most places make their chili sauce with a little bit of pork so I asked if the brewery had any vegetarian chili sauces. They didn't, but the waitress was super friendly, talked to the kitchen, and came back with a few suggestions that worked out very nicely. The vegetarian "chili" fries were quite tasty. Even though my dietary restrictions are voluntary, in this case I felt they were respected.
On the other hand... I was recently invited to an Easter dinner with a close friend and his family. I made sure that my friend let his family know that I was a vegetarian in advance and I offered to bring something to contribute to the meal. The situation seemed ok, but I received an email about the menu where my friend felt the need to inform me that the meat was really going to be very high quality, free range, natural meat. When I replied saying that I was indeed going to be eating vegetarian, he seemed surprised. I don't tell this story to pick on my friend or insinuate that he was being insensitive - I know he had valid reasons for giving me this information and questioning what I would do - but this situation does make it clear that there is a difference between how chosen diets are perceived versus compulsory ones. My friend never would have asked his uncle, who has a gluten allergy, if he was absolutely sure he didn't want any of the delicious bread.
The question becomes, should there be a difference in how dietary restrictions are accepted and respected? Does it make a difference if it is chosen versus innate? Am I more responsible for the inconvenience my vegetarianism causes because I chose it... or should my choice be respected as a black and white, no-meat type of issue?
I'm sure that we can think of some parallels to draw in this situation. We'll come back to these questions.
A man who has chosen to follow a strictly vegan diet because of his political and moral beliefs is invited to celebrate his grandfather's birthday at a local steak house. The man calls ahead, explains his dietary preferences, and asks the restaurant if they can accommodate him. The restaurant understands and wanting to increase business agrees to do what they can. The night of the celebration the vegan man arrives, introduces himself to the waitress and is greeted with annoyance and irritation. The chef had to go out of her way and the waitress is bothered by "picky" customers. The man is served cold food and treated poorly because he was "difficult."
In both of these situations the diner has a difficult time eating in a restaurant, and the restaurant staff is annoyed by the specific requests and added hassle of meeting the diner's needs. The difference is that the first situation involves an innate dietary restriction while the second one is a chosen lifestyle. The question is... is there a difference? Should people who choose to restrict their diet based on different belief systems have a harder time doing that than people who are required to eat differently than the majority of the population?
Personal anecdotes:
I ate at my favorite brewery recently and I wanted to share the chili cheese fries with my brother who was visiting from out of town (for all you non-New Mexicans - chili cheese fries out here have a green chili pepper sauce on them, not the red bean and beef sauce that other parts of the country call chili). I know that most places make their chili sauce with a little bit of pork so I asked if the brewery had any vegetarian chili sauces. They didn't, but the waitress was super friendly, talked to the kitchen, and came back with a few suggestions that worked out very nicely. The vegetarian "chili" fries were quite tasty. Even though my dietary restrictions are voluntary, in this case I felt they were respected.
On the other hand... I was recently invited to an Easter dinner with a close friend and his family. I made sure that my friend let his family know that I was a vegetarian in advance and I offered to bring something to contribute to the meal. The situation seemed ok, but I received an email about the menu where my friend felt the need to inform me that the meat was really going to be very high quality, free range, natural meat. When I replied saying that I was indeed going to be eating vegetarian, he seemed surprised. I don't tell this story to pick on my friend or insinuate that he was being insensitive - I know he had valid reasons for giving me this information and questioning what I would do - but this situation does make it clear that there is a difference between how chosen diets are perceived versus compulsory ones. My friend never would have asked his uncle, who has a gluten allergy, if he was absolutely sure he didn't want any of the delicious bread.
The question becomes, should there be a difference in how dietary restrictions are accepted and respected? Does it make a difference if it is chosen versus innate? Am I more responsible for the inconvenience my vegetarianism causes because I chose it... or should my choice be respected as a black and white, no-meat type of issue?
I'm sure that we can think of some parallels to draw in this situation. We'll come back to these questions.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Opting Out
I have been slowly telling my friends and my family about my decision to become a vegetarian. Reactions have not been out of the ordinary, but one conversation did leave me with something to think about. A friend of mine reacted by talking about how radical being a vegetarian seems in the context of American society. He views vegetarians as individuals who are very separate from the mainstream. The concept of vegetarianism has never been a foreign one to me and I have been surrounded by a handful of vegetarian friends for as long as I can remember. I am well aware of the fact that a typical American meal contains at least one large chunk of animal protein, but I would never have classified vegetarianism as "extreme" or "radical."
My vegetarian days are still very limited, but I am already starting to see how making this dietary decision places me on the very edge of mainstream culture. My students (most of whom are Navajo and butcher their own sheep) do not understand what a diet without meat consists of. Fast food restaurants (with the exception of Burger King) do not have vegetarian options. Other restaurants may have a few vegetarian options, but in the state of New Mexico everything is covered with chili and the chili is generally made with pork. As a meat eater, these are things that I may not have noticed before. Eating vegetarian is a conscious decision that takes some work and forethought to do successfully because the world is not always set up to accommodate this choice.
While avoiding meat is a very clear example of "opting out" of American food culture, there are many others as well. Thinking about Michael Pollan's prescriptions for eating healthier, all of them would entail "opting out" of food culture to an extent. Avoid processed foods with five or more ingredients - I don't know a single student who would turn down a bag of hot Cheeto's for that reason. Learn to cook - For many, cooking is a special occasion, it's not a daily occurrence. Convenience trumps the process of preparing food for most people. If one chooses to follow either of these two rules, they will be required to opt out of mainstream culture. This is radical. This is extreme. It doesn't take a vegetarian diet to cross over to the rebellious side of American food culture.
The question this leads me to is this: what does it take for people to opt out of a harmful food culture? Do they learn it at home? Do they learn it from coworkers and peers? Do they stumble across an article or a book that will change their mind? Or, will opting out always be simply a radical and extreme action... meaning in order to improve the general American's diet we'll have to change the food culture? If so, how in the world do we do that?
My vegetarian days are still very limited, but I am already starting to see how making this dietary decision places me on the very edge of mainstream culture. My students (most of whom are Navajo and butcher their own sheep) do not understand what a diet without meat consists of. Fast food restaurants (with the exception of Burger King) do not have vegetarian options. Other restaurants may have a few vegetarian options, but in the state of New Mexico everything is covered with chili and the chili is generally made with pork. As a meat eater, these are things that I may not have noticed before. Eating vegetarian is a conscious decision that takes some work and forethought to do successfully because the world is not always set up to accommodate this choice.
While avoiding meat is a very clear example of "opting out" of American food culture, there are many others as well. Thinking about Michael Pollan's prescriptions for eating healthier, all of them would entail "opting out" of food culture to an extent. Avoid processed foods with five or more ingredients - I don't know a single student who would turn down a bag of hot Cheeto's for that reason. Learn to cook - For many, cooking is a special occasion, it's not a daily occurrence. Convenience trumps the process of preparing food for most people. If one chooses to follow either of these two rules, they will be required to opt out of mainstream culture. This is radical. This is extreme. It doesn't take a vegetarian diet to cross over to the rebellious side of American food culture.
The question this leads me to is this: what does it take for people to opt out of a harmful food culture? Do they learn it at home? Do they learn it from coworkers and peers? Do they stumble across an article or a book that will change their mind? Or, will opting out always be simply a radical and extreme action... meaning in order to improve the general American's diet we'll have to change the food culture? If so, how in the world do we do that?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Vegetarianism
This is my official announcement. As of Saturday, February 16th, 2008, I am officially a vegetarian. My last bite of meat was half of a Carl's Jr. burger on Friday night. I put all of the meat in my house in a bag and in the back corner of my freezer... I will probably be gifting it to my neighbor quite soon. I have two reasons for making this decision, and while I don't think it will be a permanent change, I am 100% committed to it.
First, I don't want to put bad food in my body. The animals used to produce this meat are not raised in a natural or a humane way, creating a situation where they are not only fed a disgusting diet, but they are medicated to prevent them from getting sick on that diet. I think this situation is wrong, but more so, I don't want to put the meat that results from these CAFOs into my body. If I lived in a place where I had more access to a local cattle farm or something similar I might be making a different decision, but vegetarianism works for now.
Second, I'm fascinated by food culture in the United States. I am currently choosing to opt out of US food culture in many ways (ex. eating a generally healthy diet with only a few Carl's Jr. exceptions). But, I am curious as to how difficult it will be to opt out more dramatically. How difficult is it to eat out if you're a vegetarian, how difficult is it to participate in other social eating situations as a vegetarian? What will my students say?
This is going to be a great experiment. I'm hoping to do this for at least six months... and then I'll reevaluate. I will keep everyone updated!
First, I don't want to put bad food in my body. The animals used to produce this meat are not raised in a natural or a humane way, creating a situation where they are not only fed a disgusting diet, but they are medicated to prevent them from getting sick on that diet. I think this situation is wrong, but more so, I don't want to put the meat that results from these CAFOs into my body. If I lived in a place where I had more access to a local cattle farm or something similar I might be making a different decision, but vegetarianism works for now.
Second, I'm fascinated by food culture in the United States. I am currently choosing to opt out of US food culture in many ways (ex. eating a generally healthy diet with only a few Carl's Jr. exceptions). But, I am curious as to how difficult it will be to opt out more dramatically. How difficult is it to eat out if you're a vegetarian, how difficult is it to participate in other social eating situations as a vegetarian? What will my students say?
This is going to be a great experiment. I'm hoping to do this for at least six months... and then I'll reevaluate. I will keep everyone updated!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Deal breakers
I have been thinking a lot about vegetarianism lately. I am appalled by the way meat is produced in this country. My disgust does not come from that "touchy feely" place that I have despised for so long as a reason for not eating meat, but it comes from a respect for what I put into my body and a belief that the current state of the meat industry is no where close to how things are supposed to work. I ultimately believe that it is ok for humans to kill animals in order to feed ourselves. Maybe it's ignorant, but I don't see a problem with that. I do, however, think it's wrong for humans to modify the natural order of life in order to make meat cheaper or more profitable. I also find the meat industry environmentally careless and don't have a desire to feed my body with a substance that has been so adulterated.
After some reading, I figured out my beliefs (explained above) but couldn't figure out why I hadn't thrown my hat into the vegetarian ring yet. I really enjoy tofu, beans, veggies, soy products, and other vegetarian fair so giving up my occasional burger or grilled chicken would not kill me. I found a passage that really helped me answer this question in The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan talks about the experience of eating communally and being a vegetarian. He explains how a chosen dietary restriction can separate an individual from other diners and create awkward situations filled with different guilts and obligations. This explanation makes a lot of sense to me. I want to be able to enjoy communal meals with others; I can eat and cook however I want in my own home, but while dining with others I want to participate in that community fully.
There is an article the The New York Times today that also dwells on the power food can have in social relationships. They discuss romantic relationship, the successes and failures, between people who have different diets. I Love You, but You Love Meat. They allude many times to the connection people feel when sharing a meal together. The problem, however, is that there are many people who don't consciously value food in the same way... or they value foods like Big Mac's and Sonic burritos... and that gets in the way of romantic relationships. The article makes a great point. I could date a vegetarian, a vegan, someone who was kosher, or someone who had a dietary restriction, but I could not date someone who didn't derive enjoyment from the process of cooking and eating, or who didn't respect what they were putting into their body.
Vegetarian or not... I like sharing the enjoyment of food with others. I guess I will have to add this idea to my list of dating deal breakers in the future.
After some reading, I figured out my beliefs (explained above) but couldn't figure out why I hadn't thrown my hat into the vegetarian ring yet. I really enjoy tofu, beans, veggies, soy products, and other vegetarian fair so giving up my occasional burger or grilled chicken would not kill me. I found a passage that really helped me answer this question in The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pollan talks about the experience of eating communally and being a vegetarian. He explains how a chosen dietary restriction can separate an individual from other diners and create awkward situations filled with different guilts and obligations. This explanation makes a lot of sense to me. I want to be able to enjoy communal meals with others; I can eat and cook however I want in my own home, but while dining with others I want to participate in that community fully.
There is an article the The New York Times today that also dwells on the power food can have in social relationships. They discuss romantic relationship, the successes and failures, between people who have different diets. I Love You, but You Love Meat. They allude many times to the connection people feel when sharing a meal together. The problem, however, is that there are many people who don't consciously value food in the same way... or they value foods like Big Mac's and Sonic burritos... and that gets in the way of romantic relationships. The article makes a great point. I could date a vegetarian, a vegan, someone who was kosher, or someone who had a dietary restriction, but I could not date someone who didn't derive enjoyment from the process of cooking and eating, or who didn't respect what they were putting into their body.
Vegetarian or not... I like sharing the enjoyment of food with others. I guess I will have to add this idea to my list of dating deal breakers in the future.
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