Saturday, October 03, 2009

Nitpicking

I received an email this morning from a self-described vegetarian reader who told me that I'm getting it all wrong. She said that when she visits my blog, she would rather find tips on how to become vegan (e.g. information on whether certain ingredients or behaviours are vegan). She also suggested that I should be posting more recipes (with "nice photographs") of things that I make to eat. She said that she found it unhelpful that most of my posts are about the failure of animal welfare or about misuses of the term 'vegan' and that if I used a different approach, that I could convince more people like her to go vegan.

I do appreciate feedback, of course. I often do feel that I should be leaning more toward 'vegan education' blogging of a more basic sort and I try to remind myself of that from time to time and to post accordingly. The thing is, though, that there are tons of resources available online, from innumerable lists of animal ingredients to sites focusing on vegan nutrition. As for My Face Is on Fire not focusing on recipes much, well, the truth is that this isn't a food blog. I do spotlight other vegans' food blogs once or twice a month and periodically post about my own experiments or post links to recipes found on newspaper websites, but there are so many other things to write about concerning veganism without my feeling any need to focus on recipes.

Right now, where the abolition of the exploitation of animals and of their treatment as property are concerned, I think that it's crucial to focus on where animal advocacy does or doesn't work. With veganism as the moral baseline for the abolitionist movement, I also think it's crucial to ensure that the meaning of 'veganism' remains clear to all; there seems to be as much confusion concerning it among those who profess to espouse it as there is among those who choose to dismiss, mock or vilify it. So, my writing about these things may seem like nitpicking and may seem inconsequential to some, but I think that they fit somehow. At least I'd like to think so.

11 comments:

kelly g. said...

What!? You mean this isn't 'My Kitchen Is On Fire'!?

Damn IE, always messing up my bookmarks. Hmph!

Anonymous said...

I love your blog for what it is, which is what I don't write about. That's *why* I love it. You give me things to think about and that's what makes your blog great.

Sam said...

Don't listen to her. There are hundreds of vegan food blogs out there already. Plus, it's nice to have a vegan blog that discusses things other than food (which goes back to the whole equating veganism with diet, which this woman is probably doing). My guess is that reading about animals rights issues just makes her feel guilty that she isn't doing enough, and she wants someone to hold her hand and walk her through it.

I don't usually comment on blogs, but I wanted to say something about this because I really appreciate your blog for what it is.

Carol said...

Please keep doing what you are doing. :) I love your blog and have learned so much from it already. :)

DS said...

I completely agree with Melissa, Sam, and Oracl. You're doing a great job.

Daniel Wilson said...

Mylene, I completely agree with Melissa, Sam, Oracl AND Vegan Chic.

Don't go changin'...

c-la said...

I agree with everyone here when I say I love your blog. I think blogs that deal with vegan issues aside from food are EXTREMELY helpful, especially in dealing with day to day vegan life. I've learned so much from you and your blog. Keep up the great work!!

LiveVegan said...

Thanks for your blog Mylene

Anonymous said...

Whats the point of posting yummy non-animal food recipes if it doesnt enlighten the reader as to why they shouldnt eat meat? Even if the world found other things better tasting to eat that didnt come from an animal, they would still have the same bad attitudes towards those animals. Changing those attitudes is 100X more important than giving someone diet tips.

Amanda Rock said...

your blog is so smart and useful!! :) and you should send that chic over to my blog. :p

Cassidy said...

I highly enjoy the fact that this is not a food blog. There are plenty of vegan food blogs to go around. I read your blog to learn about veganism in the media, vegan ethics, what you think, what others think, what's going on in the vegan world and in the non-vegan world...