As I write this post, there's a cool party happening in L.A. to celebrate the launch of the new book Meat Is For Pussies by Cro-mags vocalist John Joseph. Unfortunately I'm missing it because I'm out of town, but I've heard rave reviews.
Last night while dining at Candle Cafe in NYC, I saw a copy of the book with the word "pussy" covered up by a bunch of grawlixes. I thought that was
pretty funny because I'm not offended by the title. Though I rarely use profanities, I'm usually not bothered when other people say them - it's just part of the language sometimes. In the case of this book, I'm glad the word "pussy" is used because it is attention grabbing. Much like "Skinny Bitch", people will pick up this book and want to read the description or first page. Or, if offended, they'll talk about their feelings to other people, which gives it more publicity; it really can't go wrong in my opinion.
John Joseph, Rory Freedman, and Kim Barnouin use these in-your-face titles because they're fed-up with people being weak and full of excuses. I often feel the same when hearing why people don't take steps to becoming healthier or greener, and I have to fight off the urge to shake them and scream, "stop being a pussy!!!" Opening our eyes and making a change takes a lot of courage, which is why these books are so important. And they also make it clear that vegans are not stereotypical hippies and wimps.
The word "pussy" is often used between men in the phrases, "stop being a pussy" or "don't be a pussy" to encourage them not to be weak, and is usually quite successful because they don't want to be thought of that way. The word is in reference to feeble women, which is why some find it offensive. Because it is associated with being frail and feminine, the word is also commonly paired with the plant-based diet ("veganism is for pussies, meat is for men"). I think both these connotations are ridiculous - I'm a woman and a vegan and I'm definitely not weak. Meat has been marketed to men as necessary for building big muscles, but luckily people like Robert Cheeke and Mac Danzig have dispelled this myth; I'm sure this is touched upon in the book.
Yet, is it fair to imply people that eat meat are pussies? No matter how strongly I feel about the plant-based diet, I try not to judge people that choose another way of life. While I don't encourage meat eating, I don't feel comfortable telling those that eat it that they are doing the wrong thing - who am I to say what is right or wrong? Sure, I feel that killing and torturing animals for the pleasure of food is horrible. Sure, I believe that a whole foods plant-based diet is best for our health. Sure, I think that most people stick to their poor eating habits out of comfort, laziness, and ignorance. However, I don't point fingers and say that my way of life is the absolute right way. I hear the phrase, "I love meat" all the time and it's always an awkward moment for me - should I tell them how I feel, point them to this website, or wait for them to ask? I could hand them a copy of "Meat is For Pussies", but that may feel like judgement. It's a touchy subject, and I'm still learning how to deal with it. Am I a pussy for being so gentle and careful in these situations? Should I be strong in my opinions and stand up for the animals, despite any backlash?
I look forward to reading and learning more about this book, and will share with you my thoughts when I do.
What's your opinion on the title? Have you read the book yet?
What did it take for you to take control of your life and stop being a "pussy" (in any way)?
How do you handle conversations with people who do things you disagree with?
6 comments:
i dont know. i think the title sucks. im always a little afraid to tell that but for me it sounds like sexism.
Whatever happened to "no one is free while others are oppressed"? Having the best intentions for one cause is not an excuse to exploit another.
Whoever doctored up the copy in the photograph has the right idea; in my opinion, that title would have been just as effective and less alienating than sexist language.
The title may be getting a lot of attention, but I think it may all be surface. The mainstream will point and laugh, but probably won't actually read the book, let alone understand the message.
I don't like the title, because I don't like cuss words that refer to women's body parts. Actually, I'm not comfortable with any of the words that refer to men's body parts, either. I would like the title "Meat is for Douchebags." Maybe I'll write that book.
But I do think it's perfectly OK to say that not killing animals for pleasure is better than doing so. And I try not to judge people, especially when they're operating out of ignorance, but I don't condone what they're doing. All choices are not equal. We don't respect people's choices to be murderers or rapists - we always evaluate people based on our own moral standards.
When somebody tells me that they love meat, I say that I used to, as well. I didn't give it up because I didn't like it. But I'm very glad to not be killing things anymore and I don't miss it at all. And if they leave it there, so do I. I respond to statements and questions but I usually don't volunteer my opinions unsolicited.
Personally, I love the title of the book. The word "pussy" isn't even used in the context of lady parts. It is slang meaning "wimp".
I understand that words such as this one cause strong reactions but that is precisely the point! If the book was titled "Eating meat really stinks and you probably shouldn't do it", nobody would care!
At the end of the day words are just letters strung together with ideas attached to them. I think that we should focus on the issue of animal welfare and not on words with arguable connotations.
I find the title to be no worse than I've seen on some of the other titles. I would have used "cowards".
I read the book and really enjoyed it. The book is filled with statistics, recipes, workouts and more. John Joseph's writing is entertaining and kept me motivated.
I was concerned about the title being offensive to my friends and family. However, my wife was not bothered by it and actually laughed when she saw it. Some of my female friends want to read it as well
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