When people say they are veg*n but really aren't.
My mom was visiting the other day, and we were talking with my roommate, and my mom asked her, "So, are you vegan too?" And my roommate said no, she eats meat. My mom replied, "Oh yeah, me neither. I am vegetarian but I can't do the vegan thing. I need my eggs and dairy for protein."
WTF? First of all, my mom is in NO WAY a vegetarian. Just the other day she made a stir fry with chicken using the General Tao's recipe from here. Why do people say they are vegetarian when they aren't?
And of course, she exhibits the typical omni sentiment that vegans don't get enough protein. I swear, she knows better! But that's beside the point.
I don't know, I just got frustrated and confused in that she was looking for a non-vegan ally right in front of my face. And that she claimed to be vegetarian. ???
i met a girl at college who said she was vegan and we talked about how great it was and how good we felt blah blah blah. a couple days later i see her eating turkey at the cafeteria! i said. uh. i thought you were vegan. she said. i am, i'm just trying to get my protein. laksjdflakjsdf!
i wonder why your mom said that shes vegetarian. maybe she just decided to stop eating meat or something. haha. and that protein thing bothers me SOOO much too. yeah. like you really need eggs and milk for protein. they arent even that good of sources of protein. what a crock of bull that is. heh.
Yeah, I had a friend who was similar as well. Me and the girl in one of my classes who just went vegan (I talked about her on another thread) were chatting about it and this third girl came over and said, "Hey, I'm vegetarian! And I hardly ever drink milk or eat eggs so I'm practically vegan!" But she totally comes into class all the time with a variety of pastries and sandwiches, and she definitely eats meat. I'm not about forming an elite group of veg*ns at all--any move toward using fewer animal products is great!--but please don't call yourself vegan. It confuses people. And it confuses me.
What would be wonderful is if people who are on the cusp of veg*nism said, "Well, I try to eat less meat / use fewer animal products." Because that presents a great message and it's totally true.
and it gives us a bad rep. like other people will see this "vegan" eating meat and animal products and think, vegans are hypocrites and veganism seems impossible since this "vegan" cant even do it.
that kind of stuff makes me mad... and then i look over to the side bar of this website to see a blackforest mousse pie and now im happy again. hehe.
what a crock of bull that is. heh.
That's not vegan at all!
and it gives us a bad rep. like other people will see this "vegan" eating meat and animal products and think, vegans are hypocrites and veganism seems impossible since this "vegan" cant even do it.
that kind of stuff makes me mad... and then i look over to the side bar of this website to see a blackforest mousse pie and now im happy again. hehe.
Yes! Exactly! My mom tells me all the time that I shouldn't worry so much about ingredients and that it's OK to eat "a little meat" once in awhile becasue all vegans give in and do it! WHAT THE FU*K!?!?!? NO! My body is a fracking temple, I don't want that sh*t in me or even near me!!!! And I don't need the added pressure of people think I'm a hypocrite or a phoney because they know "veg*ns" who do do that! GRRRRRR whole thing makes me so extra cranky!
Sorry for all the swearing--but yeah--people who claim to be veg*n piss me off and people who bash vegans piss me off too >:(
annoying.
rolls eyes...
My mom had been a "vegetarian" for a while. She actually went vegetarian when she was 13, but fell off the wagon (so to speak) somewhere along the line... when I was little she would say she was vegetarian, but would eat meat occasionally (chicken or fish, of course, 'cause they don't count), apparently because she was cooking for my dad because he's omni. But now (parents divorced) she still eats meat occasionally, but since going vegan I've got her to stop saying she's vegetarian.
I mean, of course I appreciate that she doesn't eat as many animals as most people, and I've got her to partially convert to soy ice cream, but again, it sends a confusing message to omnis when people who aren't veg say they are (probably partly where they get the idea that we eat fish/chicken/etc).
When I worked at TJs one of the ... (um, I forget the TJs term for it... let's just say managers) said he was vegan too (found out during the job interview! hehe...). We chatted about how-could-this-not-be-vegan and the amazing vegan cookies we had, blah blah blah. And then a few months later I found out he ate fish. It was a comfortable enough relationship that I told him, "what the hell! fish don't grow up from the ground! now i'm alone..."(sad puppy face). He said he was a "pesco-vegan," and I know there are "pescovegetarians"(I kind of understand that from the Catholic point of view that fish isn't meat, as untrue as that is), but pescovegan? He also ate honey, but that was sort of irrelevant at this point anyway.
Being the resident vegan at my school, I've heard a number of people mention they were vegetarian. Unfortunate for them, I serve dinner at the dining commons one day a week, and almost all of them get the chicken. Umm? Is my night of work just your meat night of the week, or do you eat chicken all the time? And last week, when posed with the choice of: pasta, barbecue chicken, and salisbury steak, a 'vegetarian' chose... salisbury steak. Well, if you think vegetarian means you like vegetables, then yes, the steak contained the most vegetables.
:D
My mom had been a "vegetarian" for a while. She actually went vegetarian when she was 13, but fell off the wagon (so to speak) somewhere along the line... when I was little she would say she was vegetarian, but would eat meat occasionally (chicken or fish, of course, 'cause they don't count), apparently because she was cooking for my dad because he's omni. But now (parents divorced) she still eats meat occasionally, but since going vegan I've got her to stop saying she's vegetarian.
I mean, of course I appreciate that she doesn't eat as many animals as most people, and I've got her to partially convert to soy ice cream, but again, it sends a confusing message to omnis when people who aren't veg say they are (probably partly where they get the idea that we eat fish/chicken/etc).
When I worked at TJs one of the ... (um, I forget the TJs term for it... let's just say managers) said he was vegan too (found out during the job interview! hehe...). We chatted about how-could-this-not-be-vegan and the amazing vegan cookies we had, blah blah blah. And then a few months later I found out he ate fish. It was a comfortable enough relationship that I told him, "what the hell! fish don't grow up from the ground! now i'm alone..."(sad puppy face). He said he was a "pesco-vegan," and I know there are "pescovegetarians"(I kind of understand that from the Catholic point of view that fish isn't meat, as untrue as that is), but pescovegan? He also ate honey, but that was sort of irrelevant at this point anyway.
Being the resident vegan at my school, I've heard a number of people mention they were vegetarian. Unfortunate for them, I serve dinner at the dining commons one day a week, and almost all of them get the chicken. Umm? Is my night of work just your meat night of the week, or do you eat chicken all the time? And last week, when posed with the choice of: pasta, barbecue chicken, and salisbury steak, a 'vegetarian' chose... salisbury steak. Well, if you think vegetarian means you like vegetables, then yes, the steak contained the most vegetables.
:D
pesco vegan just sounds so ridiculously funny. .... unless... someone is pesca vegetarian for animal rights reasons and then has an intollerance to dairy and eggs.... then it would make sense... sort of... i guess.
I think part of it is also that it's somewhat trendy to be vegetarian, especially if you consider yourself somewhat of a rebel or an environmentalist. So people like to say they are, but they don't really practice it.
But then, when it comes to sitting down for a meal, many people find it way easier to conform to what everyone else is eating and not bother makign a fuss. So, it's really a big social and psychological thing in many ways.
I talked a little on some other thread about the "pesco vegan" I know. She likes to fish, and she likes to eat fish, but she is repulsed by the idea of dairy, and also doesn't wear fur, etc. She doesn't call herself vegan though. She says, "Yeah, there really isn't a term for it." Which is good. No, there ISN'T a term for it--or at least this term doesn't contain the word "vegan." She did, however, mention that she got too skinny as a vegan. ::)
I think sometimes people do like to brag, or be seen as different or special, so they call themselves vegetarian or vegan without practicing it. I do really think it's important to really be what you are calling yourself, however , becouse of the message it sends to others. I myself would never be so bold as to call myself a vegan even though I practice veganism when Im out and about, becouse I would never touch an egg or anything with eggs in it outside of my home, I only eat the eggs my chickens lay. (alas no eggs in the winter, so tofu scrambles on the weekends) BUT the fact is I do eat eggs, so I am NOT a vegan! I don't know people do funny things, so who knows why your mom called herself vegetarian, maybe she was just trying to impress you.
I think sometimes people do like to brag, or be seen as different or special, so they call themselves vegetarian or vegan without practicing it. I do really think it's important to really be what you are calling yourself, however , becouse of the message it sends to others. I myself would never be so bold as to call myself a vegan even though I practice veganism when Im out and about, becouse I would never touch an egg or anything with eggs in it outside of my home, I only eat the eggs my chickens lay. (alas no eggs in the winter, so tofu scrambles on the weekends) BUT the fact is I do eat eggs, so I am NOT a vegan! I don't know people do funny things, so who knows why your mom called herself vegetarian, maybe she was just trying to impress you.
this is going to sound silly. but my boyfriend and i decided that if we ever adopt chickens, that we would use their eggs. after thinking about this, i realized that i wouldnt be able to call myself a vegan anymore and it made me sad. i guess i feel like the people who say they are vegan when they are not, i just like saying "i'm vegan" it makes me feel awesome... the only difference is that i actually practice it. but. you know.
I think sometimes people do like to brag, or be seen as different or special, so they call themselves vegetarian or vegan without practicing it. I do really think it's important to really be what you are calling yourself, however , becouse of the message it sends to others. I myself would never be so bold as to call myself a vegan even though I practice veganism when Im out and about, becouse I would never touch an egg or anything with eggs in it outside of my home, I only eat the eggs my chickens lay. (alas no eggs in the winter, so tofu scrambles on the weekends) BUT the fact is I do eat eggs, so I am NOT a vegan! I don't know people do funny things, so who knows why your mom called herself vegetarian, maybe she was just trying to impress you.
this is going to sound silly. but my boyfriend and i decided that if we ever adopt chickens, that we would use their eggs. after thinking about this, i realized that i wouldnt be able to call myself a vegan anymore and it made me sad. i guess i feel like the people who say they are vegan when they are not, i just like saying "i'm vegan" it makes me feel awesome... the only difference is that i actually practice it. but. you know.
It's not silly at all. I would love to keep happy chickens some day, they're such useful garden helpers. And I wouldn't want their eggs to go to waste. I also want to keep bees some day when I have the time and space and garden for them. It will be sad to not be able to call myself vegan, but I'll be satisfied having avoided harming animals for a long time, and I'll treat my own animals as well as I know how, in line with their own natures. *shrug*
I picked up a Publix (grocery chain) cooking magazine thing today because the cover article was something to the effect of "5 great meals for part-time vegetarians" and I found that amusing. Part-time vegetarians? I've never heard that one before. Inside the actual article one main section was "flexitarianism is in!" It talked about how eating meatless is becoming trendy these days though the number of adult vegetarians is remaining the same. I think it's just weird the way people label themselves these days.
I understand the whole labelling thing. While I think it would be cool to tell people I'm vegan, I'm not. Someone in my English class told me that it's cool that I'm the first vegan they know. So I corrected her. Not meanly. I just explained the difference. I hate misconceptions; they suck.
i have a friend who loves sushi, sashimi and other types of fish, wears leather and wool and claims to be vegetarian and actually believes he's saving lives and the world. i watched good morning america one day or something to that extent and were talking about making a recipe vegetarian, the suggested substitutions for chicken were tofu orfish wtf?
Not trying to flame here, but I have to wonder out loud that...what if...bear with me here...what if we (as the vegetarian community) were to embrace any effort by the 'status quo' to eat less animal products and not judge or correct any effort to move in our direction. Understanding that in our western society meat and animal feasting is the norm. So what if we encouraged instead of corrected any attempt to eat less animal? What would be the harm in that? Would it lessen our beliefs at all? Would it cheapen our commitments? Would it in any way make our dedication to a vegetarian lifestyle less effective? I have said a hundred times that I would rather all of my friends eat less meat than 10% eat no meat. The impact would be far greater.
I understand that this is a v*gan board and we go here for support in a way that we can't on other boards or to our friends, but I think it is very important to maintain perspective in this...ummm...fight?
I think that any time your mother says "I'm a vegetarian" is an attempt at trying and whether or not that is true, she got a point across to another and that can never be a bad thing. Also, (from a psychological perspective) it sounds like she is seeking acceptance from you, which is another thing altogether.
My two cents...
Not trying to flame here, but I have to wonder out loud that...what if...bear with me here...what if we (as the vegetarian community) were to embrace any effort by the 'status quo' to eat less animal products and not judge or correct any effort to move in our direction. Understanding that in our western society meat and animal feasting is the norm. So what if we encouraged instead of corrected any attempt to eat less animal? What would be the harm in that? Would it lessen our beliefs at all? Would it cheapen our commitments? Would it in any way make our dedication to a vegetarian lifestyle less effective? I have said a hundred times that I would rather all of my friends eat less meat than 10% eat no meat. The impact would be far greater.
I understand that this is a v*gan board and we go here for support in a way that we can't on other boards or to our friends, but I think it is very important to maintain perspective in this...ummm...fight?
I think that any time your mother says "I'm a vegetarian" is an attempt at trying and whether or not that is true, she got a point across to another and that can never be a bad thing. Also, (from a psychological perspective) it sounds like she is seeking acceptance from you, which is another thing altogether.
My two cents...
I think the whole issue here isn't that we think eliminating meat should be the only option. I think we'll all agree that eating less meat is a step in the right direction. I believe that the issue here is that we don't like people declaring themselves are vegetarians or vegans when they eat meat because it cheapens the term for those of us who are strict about what we eat. If someone calls themself a vegetarian and chows down on a hamburger, the people that they are with will assume that all vegetarians eat hamburgers, and might think it's an acceptable thing to serve at dinner to their veg friends. That just leads to a whole mess of problems.
Not trying to flame here, but I have to wonder out loud that...what if...bear with me here...what if we (as the vegetarian community) were to embrace any effort by the 'status quo' to eat less animal products and not judge or correct any effort to move in our direction. Understanding that in our western society meat and animal feasting is the norm. So what if we encouraged instead of corrected any attempt to eat less animal? What would be the harm in that? Would it lessen our beliefs at all? Would it cheapen our commitments? Would it in any way make our dedication to a vegetarian lifestyle less effective? I have said a hundred times that I would rather all of my friends eat less meat than 10% eat no meat. The impact would be far greater.
I understand that this is a v*gan board and we go here for support in a way that we can't on other boards or to our friends, but I think it is very important to maintain perspective in this...ummm...fight?
I think that any time your mother says "I'm a vegetarian" is an attempt at trying and whether or not that is true, she got a point across to another and that can never be a bad thing. Also, (from a psychological perspective) it sounds like she is seeking acceptance from you, which is another thing altogether.
My two cents...
I disagree. I do not think we should blindly embrace any effort that is in keeping with a particular movement. It is important to question the tactics and images that are used to advance a certain goal. It does cheapen the efforts of veg*ns when a person claims to be vegetarian and then eats meat. It sends a number of messages which might turn others away from the idea that life without meat is attainable--it makes veganism seem unfounded and without basis. It belittles a compassionate way of life. It shows a sort of cognitive dissonance which is troubling to me.
It would be equally detrimental to discourage a person from their efforts toward consuming fewer animal products. I would never do anything of the sort. It makes me very happy to meet compassionate people, from vegans to vegetarians to pescatarians to pesco-vegans and so on. And had it been the appropriate time to do so (i.e., without others present), I might have asked my mother why she felt compelled to call herself vegetarian when she wasn't, asked her where she was having trouble if she was struggling with moving in that direction, and offered her advice or shared my positive experiences with veganism (which she's really heard many times before).
Like I said, I think it is very unwise and very dangerous to support any and all efforts that align with veganism. If people want to eat less meat, that's absolutely wonderful. And they should say it, too! "I am trying to eat less meat!" But choosing not to judge or correct any behavior that moves toward the direction of some goal is a cult, not a movement.
Also, this particular meat-eating friend of mine from class that I mentioned who goes around saying she is vegetarian--and perhaps even thinking she is vegetarian--may think she is doing some good when in truth her diet, from my observations during our breakfasts and lunches (which happened during class), is identical to the pre-packaged SAD every other student partakes in. In this case, claiming to be vegetarian when she really isn't is a sign that perhaps she doesn't understand the truth about her actions--she thinks she is (or should be) doing the right thing, but she isn't making a difference at all. Clearly, there is some kind of misinformation or some kind of block there that needs to be addressed. It would be ineffective to say, "Well, if she says she cares about animals, then she must be doing good, so I'll let it go." Veganism is all about breaking through ignorance and misinformation, and calling yourself veg*n when you are not is a sign that this might be needed.
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