A Brief Survey of a Male Vegetarian

The following is a little Q&A I had my partner do. Last semester I wrote a paper about PETA's attempt to masculinize vegetarianism (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/stay-firm-and-fresh-peta-_n_2076499.html and http://www.xojane.com/issues/peta-campaign-bwvaktboom-domestic-violence) as an answer to dominant narratives that equate meat with masculinity, and (by virtue of our culture's dualistic mode of thinking), vegetables with the feminine.  I thought it would be interesting to look at the micro-politics of the daily life of a vegetarian man through personal narrative. It took the form of a structured interview.

How long have you been vegetarian and what are the initial reasons you chose to remove meat from your diet? Have these reasons changed?

I have been a vegetarian since I was about 12 years old. I can’t remember precisely. I never enjoyed the few meat items that I had been forced to try and decided finally to remove the little that I might eat to be a “real” vegetarian. I am still a “real” vegetarian because I don’t like the thought of killing animals unnecessarily.

Can you recall any early food-related memories?

The earliest I can remember is an incident where I was compelled to eat scrambled eggs to attain the prize of one of those chocolates at the end of a short white stick. I was disgusted immediately and did not receive my prize.

What is/are your favorite food/(s)?

Pizza is the scientific pinnacle of food assembly. It has all the necessary components of deliciousness and satisfaction.

How do you think vegetarianism is represented in popular culture?

Vegetarians seem to me to either be represented as naïve bleeding hearts, or as morally elitist snobs, or simultaneously as both.

How do you perceive the relationship between masculinity and vegetarianism and how does this affect your understanding of food, sexuality, identity and self?

The fiction of the authentic male is definitely largely informed by what he eats. Real men lose all mental function over the allegedly orgasmic experience of bacon and are invigorated by bloody steaks the way that Popeye is by spinach.

How does your vegetarianism affect your interaction with others, including friends, family, acquaintances, wait staff, etc?

I make a point of being one of “the good ones” who don’t remind people that what they consume is an animal killed not for subsistence but for pleasure, and killed without any dignity or experience of an actual life prior to slaughter. Despite this commitment, I judge, uncontrollably, all meat eaters as to some extent morally deficient, or intellectually incapable of comprehending the reality of their actions. Although such thoughts are not constant and I am typically capable of enjoying the company of meat eaters without thinking too much over their shortcomings. That said, vegetarians instantly get a few extra points of respect from me.

Describe your personal patterns of food consumption and relations with food production. Do you cook, care about the source of your food, etc?

I am learning to cook and enjoy it quite a bit. My relations with food production are typically zero however, as they are with most people, given the division of labour in the food industry. It would be nice to know that the garden that grew your food is just around the corner, but failing that, I suppose the closer to the city something is grown, the better.

Would you ever date an omnivore? Why/why not?

Not seriously, I would not want meat products in my home or the smell of burning meat filling the air within it. Although eating meat does not cause me to “write someone off” entirely, as I am used to knowing and forming relationships with meat eaters.