Jonathan Safran Foer Makes Second Appearance On Ellen DeGeneres Show

by Michael Parrish DuDell March 12, 2010
Categories: Animals, Film/TV, Print
Tags: ellen degeneres, jonathan safran foer.

What’s better than watching Ellen talk about veganism? Watching Ellen AND Jonathan Safran Foer talk about veganism!!! Duh!

Author Jonathan Safran Foer appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday for the second time to talk about his latest book, Eating Animals, which offers an in depth look at the frightening world of factory farming.

During the interview, Foer says:

“If you were to ask people, ‘Do you think it’s right or wrong to eat animals?’, most people in our world would say, ‘Yes, it’s right.’ If you ask people, ‘Is it right to have a farm system that we know is making our antibiotics less effective?’…nobody wants that. If you say, ‘Is it right to have a farm system that we know, as a rule, is destroying our environment?’…nobody wants that. And nobody, I don’t care how much or how little you care about animals, nobody wants to keep pregnant animals in little cages for the durations of their pregnancies.”

We totally agree! Why is this guy the coolest dude ever!?

Wanna check out the entire interview? Watch the video below and tell us what you think!

Chastity

My question to Foer is “Is it right to spread fallacies by constantly pointing the finger at factory farms and praising ‘family farms’?” Nonhhuman animal consumption is an ethical issue and nothing but an ethical one. You can’t justify consuming them by hiding behind science. Yes, science will point us in the right direction but it is insulting to the nonhuman animals whom we continually exploit and deceive others with our own misunderstanding of nonhuman slavery. Foer evokes complacency in his readers and animal using industries.
- http://vegan--japan.blogspot.com/ herwin
  
  Can i ask you one simple question, did you read his book ? I did, and the guy certainly isnt praising family farms.
  i am glad to see normal behaving vegans like him and Ellen, because wacky people like you give veganism a bad rep.
Amber

I have a hard time talking to people about my diet because I am immediately on the defensive when people ask why i don’t eat cheese or whatever. I find myself using his words (from the book) to explain myself to friends and family.

He is a good front-man for the vegan diet because he is so laid back. He doesn’t make it seem radical or extremist but relatable and right.

I want to hang out with him!
- http://vegan--japan.blogspot.com/ herwin
  
  you are so right.
Chastity

Amber, I think to say that something is extreme without really knowing what extreme means is rather shrill. To be radical is not a bad thing. If you look up the definition, it means to get to the root of. So I do agree with you that Foer is not radical because he is not getting to the root of the problem. He’s just reinforcing the problem. Animal welfare are not animal rights and to be consistent with ethics is not extreme. Don’t take my words out of context but is it extreme for someone to be against and to speak up against pedophilia? Is it extreme to refrain from verbally, physically and psychologically harassing an individual who is not of your gender, ethnicity, culture, and/or religion? Is it extreme to abhor rape?

The amount of violence that goes into transforming a corpse (human or nonhuman) into a product is extreme. There are nuances to violence also. Violence can be physical, psychological and verbal. All three are present in the nonhuman animal-exploiting industries. The reason why you have a hard time talking to people about your “diet” is because nonhuman animals are not just part of a diet. They are sentient beings whom are violated by the human race on a daily basis. Veganism is not a diet either. It’s a principle. Just like being an anti racist, anti sexist, and anti homophobic individual.

In colonial America, the way they spoke of enslaved individuals is very similar to the way they speak of nonhuman animals. “People are going to lose their jobs”, “we need to”, “the Romans had Africans as slaves too”, “I treat them well”, “there’s no proof that they are sentient.” The Africans were spoken of as if they were inanimate objects, much like the nonhuman animals are. Even in other countries, women are considered property–the same status as nonhuman animals.

The reason why you find Foer to be a comfortable reference is because he doesn’t take the rights of nonhuman animals seriously. He’s bringing it on a human level. Humans are the ones who oppress nonhumans. It’s easy for the oppressor to overlook this because they are the ones who are benefitting. Not the victim.
- http://vegan--japan.blogspot.com/ herwin
  
  so did you read the book yes or no ? if no, i would say its rather unfair to critise the book or the author.
  - Chastity
    
    Yes I have. I’m not for animal welfare. Animal welfare regulates their exploitation. The last I had a look of Foer’s site, he was pointing out where one can get a “free range” turkey. That’s not liberation. That’s perpetuating nonhuman slavery. He’s all about treatment. It’s the USAGE of nonhumans which is the issue and it needs to be abolished. I looked at your link (if that’s even you and I find it difficult to believe it is) and I find it obscene that a vegan can support PETA. PETA doesn’t care about nonhuman animals. They also made it very easy to invite criticism. Have you even watched an interview with Ingrid Newkirk? She mentioned herself that their shelter murders healthy, adoptable nonhuman animals. They bought stock in Tyson Foods. They awarded a slaughterhouse designer with a Proggy Award. Why in the world would someone negotiate with an exploiter? And don’t give me that nonsense about how you, as a welfarist, help animals out and how “it’s unrealistic”. You fight for them to stay oppressed. How is that even consistent? Nonhuman animals are commodities in this society and people like Foer, Peter Singer, Erik Marcus and Ingrid Newkirk make people feel comfortable about their consumption. Well, gee, no wonder why it seems so unrealistic when the leaders of the so-called animal “rights” movement are saying it’s okay. Welfarists are the very reason why people aren’t properly educated on veganism and exploitation.
  - http://vegan--japan.blogspot.com/ herwin
    
    i find it hard to believe you really did take the trouble to read the book, because what you say its just not whats in the book.
    i dont know Foer’s site and its a strange thing you tell because one of his points he repeats over and over is that there is not such a thing as freerange, and that the whole freerange busines is just another piece of the old style factory farms. i am sure he isnt promoting to eat any meat or turkey to anyone.
    why you believe it isnt me ?
    yes, i support Peta ! and Peta promotes veganism ! they good.
    Your whole er, argumantation is rather..
    Many people including me became vegetarian after reading Peter Singer’s books. Your statement that people like him make people comfortable about their consumption and thus continue to eat meat, is unfounded and i guess is a figment of your rich imagination.
    why dont you go to a pro meat website and tell them about the non white human animals, the hairy non human animals, non human slavery, etc. i am sure you will convince them to become veggie that way.