Alex O'Connor no longer vegan

[Lou]

Yeah, I still frequent /r/vegan and I am so depressed at some of them.
It's like Us v them and the slightest wandering off the path and you are just as bad as everyone else.

I don't agree.

I may not be that good of an example but I didn't even know who that guy was. I hadn't heard he was vegan and I hadn't heard he wasn't anymore. And I didn't know about the people who posted vitriolic videos till.

And that stuff holds no interest with me anyway.

This is the only social media I subscribe too. And just from this thread it seems like the most common response is disappointment.

 

[silva]

I actually went back to look for the 'virtriol' and found very very little!
The vast majority were saddened, but wished him well

Why do so many think vegans should be so much polite, and so much more forgiving of others than any other group?
You're really willing to disassociate yourself when the other choice not only has a higher percentage of hateful judgement of others, they also think it's find to enslave and kill just for enjoyment

 

[Sax]

The "vitriol" is a problem with social media, not veganism.

Would you distance yourself from the civil rights movement or women's sufferage if they took place in the age of social media, with their most extreme voices being amplified over the reasonable majority? Should we only identify with groups that are uniformly meek and non-controversial?

I'm sure a lot of these "extreme" voices come from pretty reasonable people who just get carried away on social media. It's not a good look but that doesn't reflect anything inherent to veganism, and people looking for a reason to hate would have found one anyway.

 

[LoreD]

I've watched a few of his videos about theology and veganism. I felt sometimes that he took it a little bit far. In one video he was questioning whether he should suffer with allergies because he couldn't find an allergy remedy that was gelatin free.

I don't have a problem with Reductionists, who limit their intake of animal products. I watched a video of a young man, who had a 3 times a day meat habit, and pledged to reduce his consumption of animal products by 50%. I said Bravo and applauded.

I, also, don't have a problem with people who tried and failed. At least he tried. And sometimes it takes a few times before they get it right.

 

[g0rph]

I don't agree.

I may not be that good of an example but I didn't even know who that guy was. I hadn't heard he was vegan and I hadn't heard he wasn't anymore. And I didn't know about the people who posted vitriolic videos till.

And that stuff holds no interest with me anyway.

This is the only social media I subscribe too. And just from this thread it seems like the most common response is disappointment.

So. What exactly do you not agree with? I am confused.

 

[Lou]

So. What exactly do you not agree with? I am confused.

You seem to see a big problem or have an issue.
I don't

 

[g0rph]

The "vitriol" is a problem with social media, not veganism.

Would you distance yourself from the civil rights movement or women's sufferage if they took place in the age of social media, with their most extreme voices being amplified over the reasonable majority? Should we only identify with groups that are uniformly meek and non-controversial?

I'm sure a lot of these "extreme" voices come from pretty reasonable people who just get carried away on social media. It's not a good look but that doesn't reflect anything inherent to veganism, and people looking for a reason to hate would have found one anyway.

The central tenet of veganism is sound. But /r/vegan vegans seem to hate "almost but not quite" vegans more than the 99% of the population that isn't.
Anyone "on the fence" should be strongly advised not to go there.

You seem to see a big problem or have an issue.
I don't

?
Yes, the general arseholery on /r/vegan. You said "I don't agree" to....

"Yeah, I still frequent /r/vegan and I am so depressed at some of them.
It's like Us v them and the slightest wandering off the path and you are just as bad as everyone else."



And your answer is far from explanatory as to what you mean?

 

[silva]

The central tenet of veganism is sound. But /r/vegan vegans seem to hate "almost but not quite" vegans more than the 99% of the population that isn't.
Anyone "on the fence" should be strongly advised not to go there.

?
Yes, the general arseholery on /r/vegan. You said "I don't agree" to....

"Yeah, I still frequent /r/vegan and I am so depressed at some of them.
It's like Us v them and the slightest wandering off the path and you are just as bad as everyone else."



And your answer is far from explanatory as to what you mean?

First off, I don't know what is meant by "/r/vegan"
I'm happy to see all reduction in animal use, I personally know a lot of people who are making the point to eat less meat, and dairy, and those who quit dairy for health reasons.
Attitudes differ a lot regionally. I find very few that oppose veganism, and even fewer militant vegans.
Now, online is a different story. Online is a mecca for those who feel a need to spew every thought they have as though their sh!t was special.
I think what @Lou was getting at was he was didn't give a f about the online rantings

What does irritate me no end are people who become social media darlings and get all kinds of followers. These people just seem more intent on being celebrities than their initial motivation of bringing change. When it becomes unpleasant for them, or whatever, and they insist on how sorry they are, but they need meat, if they really meant it, why would they insist on keeping their celebrity status
If someone makes a name for themselves to advocate for animal rights, for veganism, if they ACTUALLY had a REAL reason to give it up, and felt bad they couldn't follow their own ethics, why not just go away? Why continue with their vlogs and excuses? Those are the hypocrites that fuel the distrust omnivores have of those who follow plant base diets

 

[Lou]

I think what @Lou was getting at was he was didn't give a f about the online rantings

More than that. I don't even see online rantings.

oh, and I do get a Reddit newsletter everyday in my eMail Mailbox. it includes just one (maybe the most popular- I don't known if its edited by real people or by some analytic thingie ) post from a half dozen forums that I've selected. And of course the vegan forum is there. And although I have seen some s*** posts- not that many and not recently.

 

[Lou]

I just thought, well maybe it's the aggregator. So I went to r/vegan directly. Looked at the ten newest posts and the ten "hottest" posts.
Nothing about Alex, no vitriol.
One guy complaining about his mother-in-law, one guy complaining about vegan cheeses,

oh wait! drilled down a bit further
This was posted yesterday and got over 900 upvotes

Holy **** stop posting about Cosmic Skeptic.​

I don't care what some useless youtuber says about veganism.

 

[Brian W]

Some good ones as an antidote against the vitriol.

 

[g0rph]

I just thought, well maybe it's the aggregator. So I went to r/vegan directly. Looked at the ten newest posts and the ten "hottest" posts.
Nothing about Alex, no vitriol.
One guy complaining about his mother-in-law, one guy complaining about vegan cheeses,

oh wait! drilled down a bit further
This was posted yesterday and got over 900 upvotes

Holy **** stop posting about Cosmic Skeptic.​

I don't care what some useless youtuber says about veganism.

The vitriol about Alex died down in a few days. It was there though. More in the comments than the questions mind you.

 

[g0rph]

Some good ones as an antidote against the vitriol.

That first video is spot on.
That vegan teacher suggesting Alex should be taken out and publicly hanged. This is not a person who represents who I am 1%.

 

[David3]

Humans are frugivores. Our GI tracts are nearly identical to gorillas.

.
Gorillas are not pure frugivores. Their diets can contain large quantities of both leaves and fruit.

Nutritional Aspects of Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) Diet During Seasons of Fruit Scarcity at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic | International Journal of Primatology

 

[Lou]

.
Gorillas are not pure frugivores. Their diets can contain large quantities of both leaves and fruit.

Nutritional Aspects of Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) Diet During Seasons of Fruit Scarcity at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic | International Journal of Primatology

I think maybe orangutans are frugivores.
but gorillas and chimps are omnivores. apes still need to get B12. Mostly they get it from eating bugs. but if necessary gorillas will eat their own poop.

 

[silva]

Some good ones as an antidote against the vitriol.

Right.
And just why are vegans supposed to be so much more rational and forgiving than any other group of folks on the internet?
Show me one vlog where a meat lover announces they're going vegan with less condemnation

 

[David3]

I think maybe orangutans are frugivores.
but gorillas and chimps are omnivores. apes still need to get B12. Mostly they get it from eating bugs. but if necessary gorillas will eat their own poop.

.
Not much meat in their diets - maybe 3% to 5%.
.

 

[Brian W]

I think maybe orangutans are frugivores.
but gorillas and chimps are omnivores. apes still need to get B12. Mostly they get it from eating bugs. but if necessary gorillas will eat their own poop.

Gorillas aren't omnivores to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Brian W]

Right.
And just why are vegans supposed to be so much more rational and forgiving than any other group of folks on the internet?
Show me one vlog where a meat lover announces they're going vegan with less condemnation

What does comparison have to do with it? It's about respecting another human being and not assuming we know better that he does about the difficulties he has been having. Anything else is stuck-up self righteousness and has no place in the heart of anybody claiming to be compassionate!

 

[Lou]

Gorillas aren't omnivores to the best of my knowledge.

There is a bit of a debate - but not among academics.

Gorillas eat a mostly vegetarian diet; however, their occasional intake of insects, worms, and snails makes them technically omnivorous.