Check out Natalie Portman's glowing review of Jonathan Safran Foer's
just released book, Eating Animals. And while we're on the topic of
vegan celebrities, Alicia Silverstone just came out with a veg
cookbook/diet book, The Kind Diet. Also, Oprah's former personal
chef just released a vegan cookbook, The Conscious Cook.
Now here's the amazing part: all three of these books are on the top 100
bestselling list on Amazon! I would bet that this is the first time in
the history of the universe that two, let alone three vegan books have
been simultaneous bestsellers. Veganism is finally coming into the
mainstream.
Wow. Impressive. I wonder what has brought veganism into the mainstream. I think I have an unreasonable fear that when things go mainstream lots of barely-educated people will be talking about it, which I don't like. That may be true, but it's better to have everyone talking about it than just a few highly educated people, and having more people will lead to more highly educated people in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI think its a combination of veg outreach efforts, the increasing convenience and appeal of vegan foods, a growing realization that our meat-centered diet is screwing us and the environment over, and a burgeoning sensitivity and curiosity about food issues/willingness to look at food ethically as a result of books like The Omnivore's Dilemma and films like Food Inc.
ReplyDeleteGoing mainstream always has pluses and minuses, but with veganism, where essentially (in my mind) it's a practical measure that's all about harnessing consumer power to effect change, widespread exposure is absolutely vital. A bird may be safest in its cage, but it can only attain its full form and freedom when set free. If veganism is talked about more it will also be misunderstood and ridiculed more, but it will also be embraced by many many more people. Also, I haven't gotten a chance to read Foer's book yet, but from the reviews, it sounds like it does a great job at achieving wide appeal while maintaining intellectual rigor and honesty.