Aug31
'Save the Whales' Controversy Inspires Chef
Posted at 03:36 PM | Permalink
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Comments (11)
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There's been a big stink in the news lately. The animal activist group PETA posted a billboard in Florida with a photo of an obese woman in a bikini with the tag line, "Save the Whales, Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian." A lot of overweight people were offended. I'm a fat person, and I thought it was funny. If I had my choice, I'd rather see PETA's scantily clad model campaign, but I don't mind a good chuckle at the expense of a fellow fat person.
I wasn't offended, though I was intrigued by the premise. Could I lose the blubber by going veggie? It sounded like a challenge to me, so I'm going to take the challenge.
Yep, for 30 days the meat-loving columnist will forgo the bacon and buffalo wings, which means that some pigs and chickens will be spared from winding up on his plate.
Our advice to Mr. St. John? Stay away from dairy foods too. Seriously, you could gain 2 pounds just by looking at cheese fries.
Posted by Karin Bennett
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Now WHY did I see a billboard in Jacksonville Fl from Chik-Fill-A
Saying “SAVE THE WHALES EAT MORE CHICKEN”
With a fat woman on both sides of it …. Ok so PETA can’t put a
Billboard up that could actually save lives, but a chicken slaughtering
Company can put up a billboard that causes clogged arteries and heart
Diseases …
Posted by: Star808 | August 31, 2009 04:05 PM
Where is the outrage at the Jayson Williams current trial over his killing his dog over a bet at his house? And this wasn't allowed to be brought into his first trial for manslaughter? It appears he killed his dog with a shotgun nearly blowing off its head and then pointing his shotgun at his friend who dragged Williams dog out of the house onto the porch where Williams shot the dog twice with a shotgun. This senseless act needs to get published now while Williams "latest" trial is underway.
Posted by: Bill Reynolds | August 31, 2009 04:13 PM
The billboard is down now. There is no need for more of these articles praising the (few) positive results of the billboard. The word "ethical" is in PETA's name, and should be the primary tactic in PETA campaigns.
Posted by: Edward | August 31, 2009 04:59 PM
Good for him for trying veg. I think when you are surrounded by animal products and your profession (heck, your whole persona) is around making animals into food, the pressure to NOT be a veggie is enormous. People like Anthony Bourdain constantly put down the veg lifestyle. If you want to make a change...change chefs. Part of my going veg was seeing the massive waste of animal products that go into baked goods...like 24 eggs in one cake. Think of what that means if you have 30 baking students making the same rich cake...flats and flats of eggs coming from some factory egg producer. It boggles the mind. Don't get me started on butter.
Posted by: sasha | August 31, 2009 07:23 PM
I've been a vegetarian for thirty years and an overweight vegetarian for nine of those years. Pasta, bread, potatoes, white rice and other tasty, cruelty-free foods are also fattening. Another danger for all people is psychiatric drugs. Many of them cause massive weight gain. We should not be judgemental regarding peoples weight(Most athletes eat meat.) We can condemn the cruel profitters and criminals who slaughter, hunt, snare, fish, torment and torture innocent and sentient animal species.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | August 31, 2009 08:43 PM
being overweight is unhealthy- plain and simple. Quit trying to justify your gluttony.
Posted by: randall | September 1, 2009 04:31 PM
I agree that you can be fat on a veg diet but if a person is living on a animal fat rich, red meat diet they probably will drop weight just from eliminating those things.
It's important to remember that when you are spreading an idea, you have to meet people where they are willing to be met. Many people turn away from the images of animal suffering that otherwise could open hearts.
Weight loss is a national obsession. If a person can take one step for their waistline, maybe they will hear the rest of the message. People often come to new ideas in stages, frequently imperfectly.
Posted by: sasha | September 1, 2009 04:34 PM
I LOVE WHALES!!!
Stop killing themmm D;
Please?
Posted by: Dana | September 3, 2009 09:00 AM
"I agree that you can be fat on a veg diet but if a person is living on a animal fat rich, red meat diet they probably will drop weight just from eliminating those things."
If someone is only eating fruits and veggies then it is easy to see how they could be thin, considering the fact that it's hard to eat enough calories in order to gain weight, but people who eat all meat diets and do so for an extended period of time are also thin. Nutritionally void carbs mixed with oils and fats are the main factors for obesity, not meat.
If you really want people to support a vegetarian lifestyle it should be based on compassion, not weight loss because meat doesn't make people fat.
Posted by: CJ | September 16, 2009 01:16 PM
Hi there, look -- I love animals and whales too. I submitted a comment about this campaign and PETA's other recent campaigns which exploit female sexuality in order to appeal to "the masses". I really do feel this is an unfortunate approach because I see it as a divisive approach. As I said in my email to Ingrid Newkirk, Diet for a New America and Diet for a Small Planet did not require this sort of approach. As someone who has experienced and witnessed all sorts of prejudice since coming to this country in '91, I object to that approach of ridicule towards females who don't fit into your Superbowl commercial. Are you so shortsighted you don't know how to reach the mainstream any other way? thank you.
Posted by: anna | September 16, 2009 02:01 PM
Fat is a class issue. People see fat, they see a stupid, red-meat and Cheetos-eating person with no willpower...who is also probably poor. And look how they dress! And they probably beat their dogs.
Right?
The "Whales" billboard is in bad taste. Period.
Posted by: Melissa Dollman | September 22, 2009 12:22 PM