Meat and Fashion
“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months” - Oscar Wilde
It was a Saturday night, and I was sitting at the dinner table eating a meal with my family. This is a number of years ago now - I was perhaps 12 at the time - but I still to this day remember this meal very clearly.
We were eating steak for dinner, but I mustn’t have been hungry as I was messing around and doing stupid things with the food in front of me. My dad got visibly annoyed and told me to stop messing around, but I ignored him. When he got annoyed at me again, I retorted with the question that is a part of every child’s arsenal: “WHY?”.
My dad went on to explain that an animal had died so that we could eat the meal in front of us, and that because of this we should at the very least be respectful of the food on our plate. To this day, this small piece of wisdom has stuck in my head.
This explains why, then, I was disgusted to see a bunch of models covering themselves in meat and posing for the camera in the most recent episode of America’s Next Top Model (the obvious question is how do I know this? Kathryn was watching it and I was just walking past… I swear! ).
Now, I know most of these girls could use a bit more meat on their bones, but this is crosses a line. We have people around the world who can’t find enough to eat, but then we have these people serving up this crap and trying to pass itself off as “art” and “entertainment”. Sorry, but I’m not buying it. In my opinion, it is just a pile of garbage totally lacking in any respect whatsoever.
I don’t really think I’m asking for much here - this post is barely scratching the surface of what is a much bigger topic. All I’m saying is that if you choose to eat meat (like I do), approach and handle your food with a level of respect that recognizes the fact an animal has given its life in the process.
Image by Peter Duhon.
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21 Comments
March 13th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Well with all respect, who are you to decide that it is not art?
Just because someone else does not have the same respect for an item does not make their use of it any less important to that person.
Sure this photographer used the meat in a way that seems a waste to you, but compare the two:
* The meat that you eat provides a means of living for you (through digesting the food and living off it), and the photographer was able to put food on their table through the use of the meat.
* The meat in the photographs will be seen (and thus enjoyed by some) a great number of times even after it has been thrown away whereas the meat you ate will just be digested, turned to waste, and flushed.
The meat served the purpose for which it was purchased. The animal did not die for the specific reason of feeding us. The farmer that raised the animal raised it to make money from it. Do you think the farmer cares what gets done to the animal after they have been paid?
And if we look to the moral of the act, I think we get to the same point: an animal was killed so its meat can be used.
Out of curiosity, (and without trying to rude in the asking) do you get angry when you see people wearing leather? Or upset that pet stores sell pig’s ears as dogs’ chew toys?
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March 13th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I have been a vegetarian for 31 years (am now 34) and a vegan now for 1.5 years. I recall the conversation when i was 3 and went up to the dinner table and asked my mum, “could that thing have been my pet” (it was chicken) - and she said “yes”. Since that moment, i have not eaten meat.
That conversation has stuck in my head and impacted my life deeply. Should it have ended there though… being a vegetarian, or should i always be diligent and work to better myself. A years and a half ago, i decided to evaluate my decision in more depth and turned a vegan. I have never felt healthier or better both physically or mentally, but that is another topic.
I also vigilantly don’t wear leather or buy animal products. However, i have no doubt there are numerous things i do (knowingly or unknowingly that make me a hypocrite) - but hypocrisy is something that embodies all of us - life is not about being or not being a hypocrite, but about always wanting to improve every moment of our lives.
With the animals being used for food… i thing we can sit on our high horses and say that we can treat them with respect when they on our plates, but seriously, if we are serious about the issue, we will not ignore how they are treated when they are alive - and they are treated very very badly indeed. Also, who are we to take a life and assume its okay to do that. I know we can get into arguments about life in vegetables etc, but like i said, its not about hypocrisy but about constant improvement - and we need to take the next step even when we don’t know what the final goal might be.
Think about it peter… i can tell you one thing for you… i can gurantee you this - “your thought process itself will improve and you will become a much more (even more than you might be now) balanced person” if you become a vegetarian. I also an gurantee you that physically you will feel stronger and healthier and fitter.
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March 14th, 2008 at 12:07 am
Sorry, this is the first time I dislike one of your posts. It did not motivate to even think about the subject…Depressing
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March 14th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Peter, the obvious question is how do you not get angry about all of this. People covering their flesh, with flesh? Happens every day.
Why not go read some literature on the matter?
Why not do some thinking time on the subject?
Scratch the surface a little more!
Go on I DARE you to take 30 days to try out something new. Try being a vegetarian, even if it is just for 30 days.
http://getactive.peta.org/camp.....gpledgegen
Need more encouragement? 30 reasons to go veg… http://goveg.com/feat/chewonthis/index.asp
Think about your little boy.
Perhaps do a blog (or series of blogs) on it. It would fit either ’self improvement’ or ‘making a difference’ or ’stories of change’ or ’success & habits’ or ‘health and fitness’ or ‘wellbeing’… basically any of your categories - that is if you do take some time to read, think about the topic and really contribute to The Change.
Give it a shot - 30 days…
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March 14th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Peter,
Your last comment, regarding self-awareness, is wise. You infer that following your own path can never be wrong. Just keep doing what you feel is “right.”
I have found that saying something that provokes thought will attract challenges to your ideas from readers. Any person with an average or better education can form a good argument for or against anything. Opinions are never wrong. The “truth” is only within ourselves…
Thanks for the post…
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March 14th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
This is an interesting post and it’s nice to see you stepping outside of the norm of what you usually write about. I never saw this episode of America’s Next Top Model, so I can’t comment on it. I’m curious as to what the purpose their wearing meat was?
Perhaps it was to show that we too are “made of meat” just like all other animals. I think there’s a big chance that this was done to raise the awareness of realizing that when you’re eating meat, you’re not necessarily eating a human.. but you are eating what was once a living animal. This is just coming from the perspective of a 6 year vegetarian. Who knows.. I could be wrong on their intent, but it makes me wonder. =)
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March 15th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I am a meat eat, as far as I know humans evolved to have some meat in their diet (of course if you choose not to, happy days), my personal opinion is that the treatment of the animals while they are alive is far more important than what happens to the meat once they have been killed. Meat (and other animal products) should be a luxury item so that we can enjoy it only if we are willing to pay for the animals to have half decent living conditions.
As far as applying too much emotion to everything (us humans can get a bit carried away with too much emotion), rather just avoid causing unnecessary suffering and try to avoid wasting all resources unnecessarily.
The only way us humans could have a totally clear conscience about our impact on the world is if we were to all cease to exist (maybe never have existed in the first place either).
Of course I have restated some of the above comments and contradicted others, but these are just my personal opinions, make of them what you will. :+)
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March 15th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Peter,
I see the value instilled from your dad’s philosophy of the respect for the food not just because an animal was slaughtered for your meal but also for the fact that there are millions human beings in this world still sleeping with hunger. When we insult food in front of us, we are showing lack of compassion for all of those who are in dire need of this very same meal. As always, I love your writings…
Shilpan
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March 20th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Well an animal has not actually given their life, we have taken it. Im sure if it were up to them they would choose no. But this article was great and I couldn’t agree more.
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