Ellen DeGeneres & Other Celebs Make Veganism Look Too Easy
It's a well-known fact that talk show personality Ellen DeGeneres has been vegan since 2008, and now she's got a brand new website to prove it. Going Vegan With Ellen is geared toward the new vegan, and features tons of recipes, tips, and other resources about veganism. From the cute, delicious-looking photos of vegan cupcakes to the slideshow of gorgeous vegan celebrities, the message of the site seems to be that following an anti-cruelty diet and lifestyle is glamorous, carefree, and, most important, easy -- but is anyone really buying it?
Here's the problem that sometimes occurs when celebrities like Ellen -- along with Alicia Silverstone, Portia de Rossi, Carrie Underwood, Lea Michele, and who's the most recent celebrity to jump on the vegan bandwagon? Oh right, Olivia Wilde -- talk about being vegan to the media. It tends to come off like just another Hollywood diet fad when that couldn't be further from the truth.
Moreover, rarely do these celebs address the fact that having money and access to nutritionists, trainers, etc. perhaps makes it easier for them to be vegan than the average person. And nowhere is it mentioned that eating a vegan diet can sometimes be challenging at least until you get the hang of it, and even then living a vegan lifestyle may not be for everyone.
And, finally, it's frustrating when celebs say they're vegan but then other aspects of their life suggest otherwise. Case in point: Ellen herself is a spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics, one of the largest U.S. brands to conduct animal testing on its products -- a fact that doesn't sit well with many vegans. Sure, she can't be perfect, but it would help to be a bit more transparent about the fact that sometimes being vegan isn't so black and white.
Don't get me wrong: I love that several celebrities are raising awareness and encouraging fans to follow an anti-cruelty diet and lifestyle -- I just think sometimes they could be a little more realistic.
Image via Going Vegan With Ellen
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dirtiekittie
i agree with you - i wouldn't even know how to start begin Vegan (am i the only one thinking of Scott Pilgrim for this entire article? lol!) ... but i'm also a texas girl at heart, so i can't even do vegetarian... sorry, but i like meat!!
it *is* easier to do things when you have money and nutrionists and whatnot, but you're going to get the comments from those who do it without and tell you that you just have to work at it. sorry - that's just not going to happen in my world. but power to anyone that it works for!!
Rene Moodley
I agree. Being a Vegan is a great thing, but most of us don't have the resources of the rich and famous. I've been a vegetarian before (almost vegan b/c i don't use dairy) and I ended up really anemic (despite all the supplements I took) and sickly. In order for me to have done it right, I would have needed a nutritionist and to stay on top of my body's needs. something that I a. couldn't afford and b. didn't have the time to do.
I would love to have the discipline it takes to do something like this, but it takes more than discipline, it takes something a majority of us dont have, time and money.
Dakota Brizendine
I disagree I would consider myself lower class and I have been vegan for 4 years, it really comes down to how much you care. Where there's a will there's a way. It's just most people don't care enough or are too selfish, regardless of excuses that they might have. It's easy, anyone can do it. You just need to be informed.
Great vegan resources-
http://vegansociety.com/
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.happycow.net/
Dakota Brizendine
Oh also I was anemic as a vegetarian and as a VEGAN pregnant mother my midwife was AMAZED at how high my iron levels were.
stacyrob17
ethans_momma06
Interesting...
hoticedcoffee
One of my best friends is hard-core vegan, and she'll be the first to admit that it's inconvenient, expensive, and flat-out boring. I admire her conviction and dedication to the cause, but I can't wrap my head around all the manufactured vegan foods - the fake dairy and protein substitutes, in particular - the ingredients lists just freak me out.
KristinRox
Rene Moodley
Dear Dakota, I respect your opinions and your convictions, however you do not know me or my medical history so saying that I, or others who have had problems following a diet such as this, are selfish, is rude and unnecessary.
That's all I wanted to say.
Jamie Voice