this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2025
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Today I Learned

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (9 children)

What's the conventional wisdom as to why this is so bad, but eating meat basically gets a pass? Like, meat offers sustenance, yes, but it's by no means required. So basically, humans eat meat because it tastes really good


it's great "culinary entertainment."

This is a different kind of entertainment, but it's deeply offensive to many folks. I'm not trying to be a dick about it, just curious why this is seen as such a sin.

Is it that these animals weren't "supposed" to be killed? Would a movie about a beef cow who ends up getting slaughtered, both onscreen and IRL, be seen as better? Worse?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I think because of

1.the chasm between the intended discourse of the film (feelgood movie with puppies going on adventures) and the alleged means to film it, feels particularly cynical and dishonest

2.the fact that dogs are companions -they have co-evolved next to humans for about 15 thousand years and hold a special place, contrary to animals typically consumed for their flesh

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Thanks for the thoughtful response! 1) makes a lot of sense, and 2) makes a lot of "emotional sense" to me (as opposed to "intellectual sense," I guess).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

yea, it's still not super reasonable to murder animals when we could, well, not do it. But I think dogs being companions mostly explains the difference in treatment. I used to be a vegan but the emotional load was too heavy to bear everyday. I chose to look away. I'm not proud, but I can't afford to be shameful. Do you eat animals ?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

No, I've been a strict vegetarian for a long time, mostly vegan now but not strict about it. I did eat fish a few years ago because it was an invasive species (and also, delicious).

But also, I have no problem getting the food/nutrients I need from a plant based diet, which isn't always easy for other folks.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Broadly, people are not ok with animals being mistreated. An animal that is raised in safe, comfortable conditions and then killed painlessly is not mistreated by the standards of many people.

Abusing a puppy and kitten to make a film is absolutely mistreatment, hence the different reaction.

I'm not trying to be a dick about it

Doubt. "Just asking questions" is so often a deliberate dick move.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 hours ago

In America, literally 99% of livestock is factory farmed. Here, the idea of animals living a life that is anything but miserable on a farm is largely a myth. If you don't expressly know how the livestock animal that was used for meat was treated, you can safely presume it was tortured.

People are demonstrably ok with animals being mistreated. They continually endorse the abuse in the industry when there are other options available to them. It is simply not important enough to people for them to bother changing their behavior.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

safe, comfortable conditions and then killed painlessly

Do you even think this is real

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Knowing some farmers personally, yes, yes it is real

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Do they know exactly what happens at the slaughterhouse or are they doing it themselves?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

The farmers I know go through a handful of local butcher shops to handle everything from that point forwards. The butcher gets high quality meat to sell and the farmer doesn't have to deal with the parts of the process that aren't part of their skillset or that they otherwise don't want to handle. So while they aren't part of the killing and butchering process, they are confident in their trust of the individuals and small businesses they rely on for it

From what I've seen and learned, small businesses and small farms have the capability to handle the process of breeding and nurturing their stock for processing into the cuts of meat we buy at the store in a humane manner, but very large farms and very large meat processing operations every individual is simply too disconnected from the full process to ensure every step is as humane as it should be.

Ultimately this is why we need to greatly expand the USDA to ensure every step of the process of our food being brought to our plates is as humane and safe as possible. The USDA already has full time inspectors who work at meat processing plants full time to ensure everything is safe and by the book, with the power to pause operations at any moment if they see a problem, but this needs to be expanded. We need USDA and FDA inspections to be frequent and thorough at every food processing facility in the country. Farms that product stock for these facilities need to be regularly audited. The erosion of the FDA and USDA is part of why there's been so many salmonella outbreaks and food recalls in recent years

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Well, here it is. Strict laws too. And stress, even shortly before slaughtering, makes the meat stringy anyway, and poor health gives a taste.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

In france we also have strong laws for that. Doesnt stop our local associations from releasing footage of industrial-scale farms that are just horrible to endure.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You're clueless. Even if it was possible, which it is not, it would be not be profitable enough.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

Idk im not angry nor a warrior, just someone more informed than you.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

those dastardly vegans made me feel bad by making me empathise with the animals :(

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 gj

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago

I suppose if I had a cow living in my home with me that would be a problem. It's familiarity.

And puppies

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

fair point but killing for entertainment is pure evil. Killing cause you have to eat is neccesary evil.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You have to eat, but you don't have to eat meat. It's just as optional as creating art that involves animal abuse. (Not a vegan, just interested in this topic).

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

My sis had to loosen her vegetarian standards for the sake of her daughters health.

We are omnivores, accept that fact. While you can survive without flesh (and the modern person eats too much of it), it requires personal effort and research to find substitutes, with the risk of damaging your health. And most just prefer some meat or fish now and then.

Btw, almost all herbivores are opportunistic omnivores, because they can't research substitutes. Even sheep eat chicks, there, i said it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I accept it; I enjoy most types of meat. But the fact that you can survive without meat makes it optional, which is relevant to the debate we were having about the morality of killing/harming animals for different purposes.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

You can survive without eating any food for some amount of time. Fasting works until you run out of fat. It's not sustainable.

It is not possible to be healthy sustainability on zero animal products, those that do it require supplements.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 14 hours ago

There's research in this area, I don't feel like debating it as if it were a matter of opinion.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

My sis had to loosen her vegetarian standards for the sake of her daughters health.

Cool anecdote.

We are omnivores, accept that fact.

Cool pseudo-science derived from an anecdote. Even if I believed your story, in reality people don't actually need meat.

it requires personal effort and research to find substitutes

Yes, it takes effort to do something different from the rest of society. Apparently you've never done this.

And most just prefer some meat or fish now and then.

Cool story.

Even sheep eat chicks, there, i said it.

Nobody gives a shit. Nobody is saying go veg because sheep are veg. This is just more wacky carnist babbling.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

are you for real comparing this to eating meat?

Like we artificially breed cows into existence for meat and milk alone, dogs exists as companions, how could possibly be the same?.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

Because the animals don't care what our intended purpose for them is.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yes, that's the cognitive dissonance of carnism. "How could torturing one animal possibly be the same as torturing another? We have different categories for torturing!!!!" smh.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I assume that "No animal were harmed" claim cannot be used in film where real meat are consumed?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The "conventional wisdom" is just the usual cognitive dissonance of carnists.

They want to cry about puppies but also enjoy meat based on even worse exploitation, torture, murder, etc.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 days ago

Welcome to veganism! 🌱💚🌱