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A vegan's letter to Anthony Bourdain
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photo: Bloomsbury USA publishing
Dear Mr. Bourdain,
Why do you hate us vegetarians with such zeal? Many of us herbivores do not judge your choice to eat the colon of pigs nor the wings of bat or any other body part to satisfy your constituents of the natives. Honestly, I am blushing with pride that one American overseas might not be perceived as ‘ugly.’ Your drunken presence overseas serves as a great ambassador to us all here in America. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t clarify the following point: the ability to eat the flesh of another is not what marks us as good citizens of the world. Global tolerance and carnivorous behavior are not mutually exclusive.
I will concede that sharing food is an extremely rich, complex act of value that no one should underestimate. What I ask of you, Anthony Bourdain, is to respect the values of many vegans that extend centuries beyond the advent of California’s latest macrobiotic diet. How, I wonder, can you respect the Indian culture’s belief that the cow is sacred while scoffing at many Americans who believe that all life is sacred? Why must vegans sit passively on the cultural sidelines while we laud chefs like you who embrace all culinary and lifestyle ways, except for our own? A vegan diet entrenched in religious and ancient tradition is perfectly acceptable, while a vegan diet entrenched in sustainability and current health values are not? Where is your bright line here, Mr. Bourdain?
I assure you not to worry in regards to our lack of culinary options: au contraire—with hundreds of different kinds of fruits available, I do not foresee a shortage of new things to try. Even you have professed that one of your most pleasant surprises was discovering the taste of durian. Next time, instead of your usual Vietnamese staple of pho for dinner, branch out and try some cherimoya. You won’t be disappointed.
The crux of your complaint lies in the hypothetical scenarios that comprise your entire occupation, but for many is not reality. How great that you can travel to different countries and get paid to experience their cuisine… but other than food celebs like you, many people (let alone vegans) are not randomly invited to share a meal with the natives. Hence, the insulting rejection of meat, which you unfairly correlate as the rejection of their culture and lifestyle, seldom (if ever) happens. Given that Americans are supposed to embrace the lifestyle of those who live differently than we, it is my hope that natives within these countries will hope to learn more about the different sects within America, too. Should this mutual respect between both cultures never come to fruition, I still can’t help but prefer the outcome of saving the lives of hundreds of animals ever year over the hurt feelings of a handful of people. I might be an ugly American to you, but I certainly will feel better as a member of this planet.
In conclusion, the irony of your argument against vegetarians does not elude me: you assume vegetarians are the rude and judgmental ones, when in actuality, the arrogant snobbery lies in you, Mr. Bourdain. And so I plead with you, the meat eater, the very message that you plead with others every time you go overseas: can’t we all just get along?
Sincerely,
Catherine Capozzi
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