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Has anyone seen that Burger King commercial, where a couple is out on a date and just getting to know each other (who takes a date out to BURGER KING?), the woman orders a salad (of course), and offers some to the guy, and he says, "No thanks, I'm a meatitarian." She says, "A meatitarian?" The guy says, "Yes, a meatitarian? I eat meat?" Then a pause, and he finishes, "It's a personal choice?"
It's kind of funny, but it's also a mocking thing, clearly meant to make fun of vegetarians, and also, I suspect, women, particularly young women, with the inclusion of the "uptalk" (turning every sentence into a question through tone of voice).
This ad will play to those who value their 'freedom' as well. Healthy lifestyles are placed in the same light as 'socialism,' where ones personal choices are infringed upon by the collective group think. It works the same for any progressive situations, healthy lifestyles, health care, worker benefits, an adequate tax base which could provide for a more equitable society, etc.
I saw the Wendy's commercial, along the same lines, but without the date context.
?
Who puts meat in pancakes?
Both Japanese and Vietnamese pancakes are commonly made with meat items. In Japan, it's just not a pancake without some octopus!
Refuge, that's the commercial! I thought it was Burger King for some reason. But don't you think that seems like a date? Why wouldn't the woman know this about him if it wasn't a date early on in their relationship? :)
Anyhow, hear how they have him doing the "uptalk" thing?
I guess I got the chains mixed up because I was traumatized by this Burger King commercial from a couple of years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGLHlvb8skQ
The first time I saw this one, I was at my dad's place, and we saw this extended version (they started playing the 30 second version after the first little while). My dad, his wife and I were watching it, and it just seemed to go on forever, each scene more ridiculous than the last.
I admit, I laughed all the way through it because it was so stupid it was funny - they just keep topping each over-the-top expression of "manliness" with an even more outrageous expression, culminating in throwing a mini van over a freeway onto a flatbed tractor trailer pulled by a strong man in a harness trying to get a meat-filled burger. I mean, really!!
I guess I didn't assume it was a date because I have been in many situations where I have been sitting across the table eating, drinking etc with someone (man and woman) that I don't know that much about. I meet new people through activism, some through cycling and other sports events (like volleyball) where I don't know to much about them outside of sports, I go camping with friends going with their friends a lot, and with work I know some people professionally but if I go to an event that is going on in the persons life I usually don't know that much about them outside of work. To go along with the work thing as well their dress also made me think of two coworkers who decided to grab lunch together rather than a date. I am something of a loner so I tend to just show up and see what happens and who I meet when I get there. So I have myself been in a lot of non datey situations where two people are having getting to know eachother conversation.
I not only noticed the uptalking of the guy but also the passive female. If it were me I would have pointed out that he was eating a bun so I guess he wasn't a very good meatatarian who only eats meat, beef and bacon. That would have been after I gave him the "should I take you down to 999 Queen now or did you want to finish your burger first?" look.
That's true, they were dressed in business clothes, so maybe they were just out for lunch. How heteronormative of me! :) Thanks for the reality check. :)
"Can a vegan have a relationship with a meat eater?"
I believe it was Isaiah who said: "The lion will lie down with the lamb
but after, there was only one to light up a cigarette."
A friend of mine has been a vegetarian and largely vegan for over 20 years, but she has an even deeper involvement in food security issues. Having dedicated her day-to-day life to grassroots community organizing, she has witnessed a lot of hunger and has frequently experienced it herself. She is also a committed anarchist. Out of that, if my friend is offered a meal that includes meat, she has explained to me that she eats it gratefully. with honour and respect for both the gift and the animal, rather than ever see food go to waste. In fact I once cooked her something vegetarian that contained over half a bottle of Italian wine as well as olives, lemons and herbs from the supermarket, served with brand-name store-bought bread, and although she didn't say anything I realized that she was more offended by that than if I had made something frugal with local ingredients flavoured with meat.
That kind of perspective seems to me to open up some territory for an activist couple who may agree to disagree on meat.
Not that I would know anything about that personally.
Your friend was offended that you cooked for her?
No, never. But in my focus on avoiding animal products, I overlooked the fact that this is only part of her ethics around food. What I prepared cost probably over $35 all told, not including what we drank, just for the two of us, whereas that is more than her own food budget for a week -- she does a lot of dumpster diving and lives and cooks communally. Her household at the time was preparing meals for 15 - 20 homeless people three times a week and not spending anywhere near $40 each time. Add to that the fact that some of my ingredients had been transported halfway around the world, some were from southern California, grown by exploited Mexicans, and I think she was just a bit disappointed that I did not seem to be getting where she was coming from on food.
Closing, long thread.