Why Must We Eat The Animals review
With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas right around the corner, I hope you have lots of fun, spend loads of time with the people you love, and most importantly, DON'T EAT MEAT!!!!!!!!!!
I've been hearing about this music video since I posted my rant on IMDb about the attitude of some vegans and my take on the lifestyle, and I think it's finally about time to give my thoughts on it.
The song's entitled Why Must We Eat The Animals from the creative minds over at ohwhyohwhy.org, a website that promotes vegetarianism through multimedia. Now, I know what you're thinking; that sounds so painfully corporate that the product is nothing more than unimaginative propaganda that in no way instills actual compassion to the viewer. Well it's donations that funded this five minutes of embarrassing dreck, so let's see for ourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8LnxSjWWD8
White Rasta Douche spouts gibberish, while Hippie Douche chants "Oh why" over and over
I really want to believe that white Rasta singer is legit, but he's making it so difficult.
As all of this is happening, shading effects straight out of Windows Movie Maker happen in the background
Yeah, they took this approach.
The Yogis they teach us Ahimsa
Non-violence, to be happy and free,
For all the beings of this world
The animals the plants and humanity.
I must say, they started on the right foot here, making this all about philosophy. I mean, I know this lifestyle may not be for everyone, but rooting the message in ancient teachings does give it some validity.
Sweet fruit in abundance and vegetation
The gifts of our Mother Earth
The Garden of Eden is ours for cultivation
Our human right from birth!
Where were these clips filmed? What average American farm looks like that? This is where they start to lose me, where they start to act like fresh produce is around every damn corner just waiting to be picked.
Tell me why must we eat the Animals?
Oh Why? Oh Why?
Tell me why must we eat the Animals?
Oh Why? Oh Why?
Hey, just a little helpful hint. If you don't want to come up as an annoying hippie douchebag, don't intentionally dress like one.
The shrimp decorate their underwater caves
And the mighty buffalo roam
The cows want to love their babies young
The birds nest in trees for home
The clown fish you see them mate in pairs
And the dolphin - they speak like me
The whales have global communication
Intelligence is all I see!
That was way too much to take in all at once. Let's go back and look at that line by line.
The shrimp decorate their underwater caves
And the mighty buffalo roam
The shrimp argument is easier to buy (even though decorating their underwater homes doesn't seem like a solid argument for me not to eat them), but the buffalo argument gets me.
First of all, how many people do you even know that eat buffalo? What are we doing, supplying food for our party on the Oregon Trail? And if I'm not mistaken, aren't buffaloes hunted for their pelts? Buffaloes were important to early Native Americans for survival and to just leave their meat lying around rotting would seem pointless.
The cows want to love their babies young
The birds nest in trees for home
Can we please not equate animal families to human families? I mean, I don't know about cows specifically, but aren't animal parents known to shun weak and unfavored young and, in some cases, eat them? Why aren't you taking time to shame them?
Secondly, I don't think people go around shooting tiny birds like the ones shown in the music video for food. I don't think people go around shooting tiny birds like that people!
And the dolphin - they speak like me
The whales have global communication
Intelligence is all I see! [at the last line, Hippy Douche stands in front of a background with the word "Imagine" on it.]
1. They've gone as far as to make it illegal to hunt dolphins.
2. How many restaurants do you know serve whale?
3. What does John Lennon have to do with any of this?
"Imagine there's no heaven, no religion, no possessions, no greed or hunger." When did he ever sing about not eating buffalo meat? I'm not saying this for the sole reason of being a Lennon fan, but I think it's bullsh*t how they casually make that connection as if it was something he strongly stood for. Sure, there was a point in his life were he was a vegetarian, but he didn't last that long! And I'm sure these guys didn't even bother to research that in the first place!
Why must we eat the Animals?
Can you see the innocence in their eyes?
There it is. "The innocence in their eyes." Is this where we were headed the whole time? Let me ask you this: How many animals shown in this video would kill you for food if they had the chance?
We're not talking domesticated pets here! We're talking animals bred and raised for meat! This organization went out of it's way to film these clips and they're not just from a public domain library. Why not pull a Twelve Monkeys and set all the animals free, instead of just shoving a camera in their faces and walking off with a sense of superiority because you're not the one eating them? You are just as subject to blame!
So why have we forgotten our heritage?
Why is Babylon blind to see?
What heritage!?!? What did I just say about the Native Americans!?!? What is usually the centerpiece of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner? How are they gonna make it sound like the Founding Fathers built this nation on the structure of vegetarianism!?!?!
Also, with those superimposed dollar signs, how would it be any different if the roles were reversed? America already forces farmers to grow more crops than the land is capable of providing. The government will exploit whatever is making them money to stimulate the sh*tty economy. Nothing would be different with the shoe on the other foot!
It's the solution for Global Warming
And the planet's prosperity
Really kind of skipped over the whole "Global Warming" statement, didn't they? No time to support that claim! We have to repeat the chorus four or five more times!
Why must we eat the Animals?
If you grow your food, then no one has to die
Is this Rasta tool aware that you can't legally grow all your own food and that farming is a government-controlled industry?
Besides, that's really easy for him to say, living in a country where you can grow food so easy. Tell that sh*t to people starving in Third World countries, you ignorant ass!
Verdict: It'd be different if the song was written by a band of vegans who try to educate their audience on the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, instead of shaming them for eating "innocent animals". That's why I have respect for KRS-One (one reason, anyway). His song Beef educated people on the chemicals injected into meats and the side effects it has on people who eat them. These guys seem to overlook all of that and just expect us to make the decision based on looking into an animal's eyes! *cue "I thought you loved me" clip from Lisa The Vegetarian off The Simpsons*
While I'm on the subject on chemicals, notice how they also ignore the use of pesticides used on crops to kill insects? Do they not care about them? Does an animal have to have some cosmic aura about it for these pseudo-hippie asshats to give a sh*t about them? I see these videos as nothing more than propaganda, even if it does have a positive message and intent. The song didn't actually say anything! They just presented images of cute animals and kids! (Because it's intended for kids? Hell if I know!)
Bottom line: I don't care what you eat or how you live your life. I'm not gonna look down on you for not eating meat. All I'm asking is for you to show me the same respect. I'm ebertfan92, wishing you Happy Holidays.
RIP Roger Ebert
1942-2013 share