Karma, Food Doubletakes & PETA’s FAIL
Edited to add picture of PETA ad towards bottom
Hey guys!
In an effort to return the positive karma sent in my direction, I give thanks to the dude who ran up to my car and knocked on the window to return my debit card which I had left in the ATM machine (even though I was blasting Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed,” dressed like a work-out fiend, and scowling). What an angel! Thanks to my friend Lauren for showing up to my house with these picked from her garden:
Totally brightened my life. Thanks to the Citibank class action law suit that sent me a $45 check yesterday — Trader Joe’s will appreciate my business. And last, but not least, thank you to you readers who commented on my post yesterday. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. Your turn! Any random acts of kindness or general random and unexpected things you are thankful for?
Food Double-take
Know how I said yesterday that the Thai curry tofu I made was too bland? Well it tastes so much better the day after (since it’s been saturated in curry goo) and loaded with hot sauce! Delish in blue corn tortillas. I used the recipe here, but did not use any butter, used coconut milk from a carton not can, and used coconut oil instead of canola. I bet if you do add the butter and use canned coconut milk, you’ll get a much richer, flavorful sauce. But you’ll also get added crap, so you pick and choose! Did you know blue corn is higher in lysine (an essential amino acid that builds protein), zinc and iron than the more commercial yellow and white varieties? (Source: here).
Noteworthy News/Blog Posts
- New York Times’, “More Americans on the Road to Obesity” (8/10/09) here. The study parameters are iffy (aren’t they all?), but still interesting.
- F-Word‘s, “Open Post: How can people with thin privilege help fat people?” (8/10/09) here — Is it “ok” for thin people to be a part of the “Fat Acceptance Movement“? This is a touchy subject with some interesting propositions made by Linda Bacon, author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. Bacon argues that thin people are privileged in our society. Do you agree?
- We are the Real Deal‘s, “Fat is Not a Dirty Word, but Maybe it’s the Wrong One?” (8/10/09) here — A good question is posed (esp. in comparison to the article above): Roni asks, “So why focus on fat acceptance and create a fatosphere. Shouldn’t we be spreading the word on health acceptance, teaching people proper nutrition, the benefits of whole foods, how great it is to be active? Shouldn’t we be creating a healthosphere?” What do you guys think?
- Calorie Lab’s, “Uncovering the Secrets of Solo Meals” (8/10/09) here — Discusses the book What We Eat When We Eat Alone: Stories and 100 Recipes by Deborah Madison. Would be an interesting read, esp in light of the other “eating alone” book referenced here.
- Diet Blog‘s, “New PETA Vegetarian Anti-Obesity Campaign Asks Us to ‘Save the Whales’” (8/10/09) here — Ok, I’ll preface this with the fact that I could not find the ad online to verify this story and also will say that I appreciate PETA’s love for animals. Now that that’s said and done, PETA – if this is true – you’re lame. Seriously — a) You are totally messed up if you put a robust women in a bikini and title your ad, “Save the Whales. Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian”; b) Vegetarianism does not necessarily = weight loss or health. Ice cream and donuts are technically a vegetarian diet. Kirsti Allie was famously vegetarian when she gained a ton of weight, by the way. And alternately, there are plenty of thin, healthy meat eaters. About your studies that vegetarians are 10-20 pounds lighter than meat eaters, are you referring to the study that linked vegetarianism to disordered eating particularly in teens as it’s used as a scape goat to restrict calories? I’m not knocking vegetarianism — hello, I’m a vegetarian — but I knock the means of an anti-obesity campaign to, oddly and ironically, get to the end of the ethical treatment of animals. Ethics, eh? Do I really need to say it? Oh and p.s. — Who does your PR? I could use a side job and am certainly not stupid enough to say in a press release that vegetarianism is a diet where you can eat as much as you’d like (and miraculously lose weight). This is an ad that fuels the fat = immoral paradigm. FAIL. How do you feel about this ad?
Update: Thanks to Fabulous @ 50 for Finding this ad and to Ella for Directing me to the post
Give-Away Round Up
- Win some Chavrie goat cheese & a foodie charm here.
- Win some lesser evil snacks here.
- Win some VitaTops here.
- Win a kettlebell and kettlebell work-out here.
<3, The Cranky One
Tags: anti-obesity, eating alone, Fat Acceptance Movement, karma, obesity, PETA, Recipes, thai curry tofu, vegetarianism
19 People have left comments on this post
RAK: Thank you to Annabel who made an amazing keepsake of comments my mom left on my blog. Thank you to my blog friends who sent cards of support and encouragement. Thank you to EVERYONE who kept us in their thoughts & prayers. I can’t wait to pay it forward!
oh P.S. I love your comment about the PETA ad – if it is true, I totally agree with what you said!
Wow. If that PETA ad really exists, that was SO not well thought out. It’s bad marketing, seriously. Any ad that puts one thing down to promote something else will fail ultimately. For real, this is true. In FACT, that is one of the main reasons I started my own marketing company (my tag line is: Ethically Clean Marketing Solutions). lol. Perfect example.
I heart your blue corn tortillas and thanks for the info on blue corn. News to me.
Uhhh…I take issue with that ad, if it’s for real. I was a vegetarian for three years. I lost some weight initially, but then when I did re-introduce meat, mostly chicken, back into my diet three years later…I lost 30 more. Now, that’s because I changed my lifestyle and was a SUPER unhealthy vegetarian who ate a lot of (white) pasta marinara and cheese pizza and ice cream, but my point is that any eating preference can be as healthy or unhealthy as someone wants to make it! So all in all that ad campaign get a big FAIL from me, too.
that peta ad is ridiculous. i’m a vegetarian, too, but it’s definitely not a free pass to getting thin. i know there are people who don’t eat meat but eat a TON of junk food. now that i think about it, though, peta does like to do things to get people talking — maybe that’s what this situation is?
ps i saw the scrapbook of comments you made for jen. wow. beautiful.
PETA likes to be outlandish to get their point across. The ad you mentioned is disgusting, and I had some serious issues with the college cookbook they sent me. it made ridiculous health claims that were totally false, and they didn’t provide a single source to back up their claims.
I am all forthe ethical treatment of animals, and I think that a company who promotes animal safety above all else should behave in a way that gives them credibility — not drives people away.
That PETA ad is so offensive, as is their Press Release that was listed on that website.
So cool about that random act of niceness!!!! I love your pics too!!!! Thx for all the links too.. I will have to try to read them later.
I am thankful for all the nice people out in blog land!
It always feels good to be the receiver OR the giver of random acts of kindness. =) Total win win. I always try to hold open doors for people – it’s a silly little thing to do and takes 5 seconds, but usually makes people smile. I am also thankful for the awesome bloggers out there. What a kind, supportive, and wonderful group of people!
And awesome that the tofu curry tastes better the second day – I have several recipes I like to make the night before a party/potluck/whatever simply because they need time to soak in the spice!
Kate found the ads & this is really disgusting. I am disappointed in PETA.
http://fab50.blogspot.com/2009/08/peta-goes-too-far.html
Ooh, so much to comment on! Here we go!
First, I heart getting flowers. It pretty much makes my day.
Secondly, I would have to agree that thin people are slightly priviledged in society. People who are overweight/obese seem to be stereotyped in a way that makes them out to be fat/lazy/pigs who never do anything but think about food and pig out on fatty food. It makes me really angry, quite frankly.
Third, I totally agree with the message in Roni’s post.
Fourth, that Peta ad is totally and completely offensive. It’s not like I’m overweight anymore, but even as a formerly overweight girl, that makes me mad. But I agree with the rest of your comments about it. Just because you go vegetarian, doesn’t mean you’ll lose weight, and doesn’t make you healthier.
I’m a total animal lover, and an avid ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) supporter. But, in my humble opinion, I think Peta is a little too extremist. So, EPIC FAIL from me.
Whew! Lots to think about!
Oh man, those statements PETA make really tick me off too. How stupid do they think we are? Their book for college students used fake cheese, fake meat, and so much sugar. I’m pretty sure you can get fat from those. But that’s just me.
Aww..what nice things that happened to you today! Love the flowers your friend gave you; they’re so pretty!
I had someone tell me I do a really good job at, well, my job at work today, so that was pretty nice! haha
Those wraps look amazing!
I am so annoyed with PETA! While I fully support and advocate a predominantly plant-based diet, I believe their media stunts do more to hurt the cause than to advance it. They should fire their PR person!
I had to look twice to make sure I saw that ad correctly. Bad idea, bad outcome, bad publicity for them.
I put coupons for products I’m not going to use on the product in the grocery store. That way the next person that is going to buy it can use the coupon. That is if the grocery store guys don’t snatch it up!!
I am giving away Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant on my site and it is TONS better than Madison’s book…Send me an photo recipe and link back here to win it…
So awesome how something unexpected can inspire us. I think sharing good news rocks! Thanks!
PETA FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL! I’m a vegetarian. I find that so offensive, and if I wasn’t a veghead, and saw that, I wouldn’t want to try vegetarianism because that whole ads screams “Vegetarians are snobby, jerks who think they’re better than everyone else.” UGH SO BAD and SO not true. We’re nice people. Bad move PETA. Shameful
p.s. good luck on the VitaTop Giveaway!
Oh that ad is so very, very offensive. I have to say it doesn’t surprise me coming from PETA, while I’m a huge advocate for protecting animals PETA have stepped over the line so many times in my view that I would never support their organisation.
And I’m also an ex-vegetarian who has been thin and overweight both as a vegetarian and as a non-vegetarian. It’s easy to eat badly whether you be herbivore or omnivore.
1 Trackback(s)