Apr16
TMZ Tackles the Nuances of Animal Rights Philosophy
Posted at 02:35 PM | Permalink
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Comments (16)
First of all, let me say that I’m a big fan of TMZ. They're a hell of a lot of fun to read, and (most importantly), they cover stories about PETA whenever we do something awesome—which is a lot. But a blog they posted today, entitled “PETA - hypocrisy, table for one,” is kind of begging for a response—especially since it raises an issue that causes some confusion even within the animal rights movement. Their theory, if I understand it correctly, is that ethical vegetarians are hypocrites if they even step inside a restaurant that sells meat. I get where the idea is coming from, but it’s so fundamentally opposite to the way we actually need to do things if we want to make progress with animal rights that I feel like I should spell it out here.
As much as we’d like it to, Progress ain’t gonna come if we just sit here and wish with all our hearts that all the steakhouses go out of business. When progress does come, it comes in the form of steakhouses adding a veggie option or two to their menus. And then a couple more. And then, when they see that they’re big sellers, keeping them there, and in the process showing some of their regular customers that there are actually a whole lot of really tasty alternatives to meat. But that’s not going to happen if all the vegetarians in the world turn up their noses and refuse to eat at any restaurants that also sell animal products. Same deal with grocery stores—no one’s doing anyone any favors by refusing to shop at supermarkets that aren’t 100 percent vegan. The smart thing to do is to vote with your dollars, because if businesses don’t even know that there’s a big market for vegetarian options, they’re not going to have a whole lot of incentive for providing them.
One last thing on this—I’ve talked about the positive-reinforcement technique, but for every carrot, there’s also a stick, and that’s why PETA and other animal groups apply pressure to specific companies that are the absolute worst of the worst in the way they treat the animals they use, by calling for an all-out boycott until certain improvements are made. It’s a tried-and-true technique, and we’re going to keep using it. But it doesn’t mean that you should avoid going to a fast-food restaurant with your family and ordering the veggie burger. Because that would just be dumb.
Update: This whole thing started when TMZ reported that Morrissey was seen inside a steakhouse. Turns out they actually misreported it after all. My point still stands though.
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Comments
We (vegetarians/vegans) should avoid going to fast-food restaurants with our families, friends, or anyone. By giving them our money, we support their leveling of rainforests and driving species to extinction to mass produce/spread meat products in this country. I would never go to a fast-food place to order a veggie burger, because it is giving them economic support to destroy rainforests and therefore destroy the homes of the members of the animal kingdom we are trying to help.
I would never, NEVER, set food in a steak house. However, I can understand if a group of friends asked a vegetarian to go, and the vegetarian went, stood up for one's beliefs, and did not sink their teeth into animal flesh.
It is hard to consistently only go to vegetarian resturaunts, but we definitely should never give our money to fast food places and their ceaseless role in the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, for example.
(Two major causes for Amazon deforestation are 1) clearing land for cattle grazing to export beef and the US imports 7% from Brazil, of which much ends up in fast food, 2) clearing land for crops, especially soy, to export livestock feed.)
Posted by: Lancelot | April 16, 2008 03:16 PM
Well they're allowed to be neutral with you people right?
Posted by: Dr.Breen | April 16, 2008 03:17 PM
"The smart thing to do is to vote with your dollars, because if businesses don’t even know that there’s a big market for vegetarian options, they’re not going to have a whole lot of incentive for providing them."
While I understand that supporting veggie menu options sends a message, it also seems that supporting places like steakhouses (which typically have only one or two non-meat/dairy options, if any) in any regard supports them overall. While these restaurants might eventually realize that some legitimate, if small, percentage of their business comes from selling non-meat/dairy items, they will still be getting the business. If a large enough group of people stopped eating there altogether, the restaurants eventually would get the same message and without taking in as much money overall. If enough people stopped eating at non-veggie restaurants, it would be noticed, and then instead of settling for one item on the menu at hundreds of restaurants, there could be a market for bigger menus at a few purely veg restaurants per city.
There does seem to be something hypocritical about refusing to eat meat/dairy yourself but giving your money to a place that predominantly serves meat/dairy. It allows that place to stay in business.
Posted by: ashes | April 16, 2008 04:34 PM
I've never even heard of an all-vegan grocery store. So for me, it's either shop for veg products in an omnivore store or starve.
Posted by: friendly | April 16, 2008 07:01 PM
To those of you who say it's unethical to even eat at a steakhouse or fast-food joint, do you shop for food at supermarkets and stores that sell meat? Do you shop for clothes at stores carrying leather? Do you fly on airlines that serve other passengers meals containing meat? I suspect most of us do, just as one may shop at Body Shop, buy Tom's of Maine, or other brands even though they're owned by companies that conduct animal testing or sell non-veg products. Therefore, I do agree with PETA's stance on this. It's more about what you yourself purchase rather than where you do it.
Posted by: Deemer76 | April 16, 2008 07:29 PM
Prior to reading this, I would've argued that we should avoid places like steakhouses. But you make a strong case, Jack. Choosing vegan options in a steakhouse may have an impact on the management, waiting staff, and chefs.
Posted by: lynda downie | April 17, 2008 12:53 AM
The bottom line is: we can't change things overnight. However I'm not going to stop eating at my fave restaurants just because they serve meat cause they all have awesome vegie options too. We all ate meat once remember? Who are we to judge who we once were. Yes don't eat at KFC, that is definetly hypocrisy. But for gods sake it's simply ridiculous to say we should only shop/eat at strictly vegie places. It's impossible these days unfortunately. All we can do for now is simply make more humane choices when were out and about.
Posted by: Aus Veg | April 17, 2008 05:10 AM
Thank you thank you thank you. My boyfriend and I had this EXACT conversation last night after seeing this on TMZ TV.
We like going to burger restaurants and getting veggie burgers, it always gives us a chance to talk to the waitress/waiter about being vegetarian(and we both love veggie burgers).
Posted by: wil | April 17, 2008 09:03 AM
Thank you lynda, Deemer76, and Aus Veg.
In an ideal world we would not have to spend our dollars at restaurants and grocery stores that sell meat, as others have suggested above, but since the ideal world does not exist at this time, we just have to keep "voting" with our dollars. The demand for veg options pressures companies/restaurants to provide tasty choices, instead of forcing us to be limited to a boring garden salad every time we eat out with our non-veg friends. It also means that more and more people are starting to think about animal rights issues, so it's always a step in the right direction.
Personally, I don't think I could eat at a steakhouse just because the smell of burning flesh would be too strong in a place like that. But roadhouse-type restaurants don't bother me that way, and when I am with non-veg friends and they hear me inquiring about the ingredients of a particular meal, it also makes THEM more aware of vegetarianism/veganism.
Posted by: Michele | April 17, 2008 09:59 AM
Just wanted to say anyone who hasn't viewed the PETA video 'Testing...One, Two, Three' (top right of home page—rabbit face) should do so. It is excellent.
Posted by: Mike Quinoa | April 17, 2008 10:16 AM
I don't consider myself a hypocrite for eating at non-exclusively-vegan restaurants, but I don't consider it a positive act either.
What these restaurants learn when vegetarians patronize them, as PETA recommends, is that they can have it all: they can continue to profit from murder, and they don't even have to lose out on the vegetarian dollar as long as they provide a few "options." Whereas if the vegetarian restaurant down the street is doing better than you are, you'll think twice about your own menu.
Posted by: David | April 17, 2008 11:10 AM
Make a deal with your omni friends that sometimes you eat at an omni restaurant (with veg options), and then sometimes at a strictly veg locale.
Here in Toronto, the spiciest Indian food is genearally veg, while they usually tone down the meat dishes.
Apparently, at Toronto's Le Commensal (strict veg), they have more omnivores than vegetarians as customers—of course, there are fewer veggies population-wise.
I do feel we should try to support veg-only venues, but certainly not exclusively.
Posted by: Mike Quinoa | April 17, 2008 01:18 PM
I'm so tired of the gotcha game animal-haters keep trying to play, always looking for some way to call veggies hypocrits. When an environmentalist drives a hybrid, people don't call him a hypocrite for driving a car that still uses gas. Likewise, animal-supports should neither expect of ourselves nor put up with others' pseudo-expectations of purity. Everything one does that helps alleviate animal suffering should be applauded. If someone goes vegitarian just one day a week, I don't condemn him for the other 6 days, I applaud him for reducing his meat-eating.
When some unappologetic meat-eater shames vegitarians for not going far enough in helping animals, fuck him! Jesus did not let the devil tell Him how to be a better Christian. Likewise I say to the gotcha animal-haters, Get thee behind me.
Posted by: Bill | April 17, 2008 05:15 PM
I'd like to say, I don't fully agree with Peta. Yet, I would love to see more vegetarian menus in fast-food and other restaurants. I might not be a vegetarian, but I do try to limit the meat product I consume; Furthermore, I will admit the story on TMZ was hilarious and Morrissey's music is fantastic.
Posted by: Adam | April 17, 2008 05:20 PM
Thats a ok Michele. I totaly agree that we should definitely 'vote with our dollars'. My family don't even buy meat anymore thanks to my stance against it. Even my 21st was totaly vegetarian. And you know what? Everyone loved it!
It's amazing when you give people vegetarian food how much they like it and how they often say how much better it tastes. My Dad even said the other day about meat 'I don't miss it'. I was so pleased! So at your next social gathering, make your friends some awesome vego food and I swear you'll convert them!
Peace out!
Posted by: Aus Veg | April 18, 2008 07:31 AM
Whenever I try to convert my frends and family to vegeterianism, they get super pissed at me, and talk about 'minding my own business' and 'their choice'. Well, it was my choice to go vegeterian. Why can't they respect that?
My brother LIVES on meat, but whenever I kick up a racket, my parents yell at me and tell me off.
It's very depressing. But I'm still standing. I am VERY stubborn.
Posted by: Lotus | April 26, 2008 10:02 AM