Thursday, March 31, 2011

Famous vegetarians


So let's say that you're into trends, pop culture, and things like that. You probably are into things like those even if you don't want to admit it. Maybe you idolize people in the public eye or you look up to the people in your favorite band. What if SOME of those people were vegetarians? Isn't that mind-blowing? Imagine such cool people taking part in a culture like vegetarianism. Awesome. So, I've decided to profile some famous vegetarians. Since I'm a vegetarian and I avidly follow pop culture, I feel like I could introduce you to some people who you probably don't know are vegetarians. Ready? Maybe you'll see someone you like!





1. Paul McCartney

I'm a Beatles fanatic, alright? Don't judge me! Paul McCartney has always been cool, and has also been a vegetarian for many years--since around 1971 in fact. In an interview from 1992, he said it all began with his wife Linda.

"(Linda and I) were eating roast lamb for Sunday lunch and it was the lambing season and there were all these beautiful little lambs gambolling around. Then we just looked at the lamb on our plate and looked at them outside again and thought, 'we're eating one of those little things that is gaily running around outside!' It just struck us, and we said, 'wait a minute, maybe we don't want to do this.'"

2. Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al's always been a favorite of mine, but before this I never knew he'd been a vegetarian! Since 1992, Yankovic's been a vegetarian. What!? I was surprised to hear that. Apparently in that year, his girlfriend at the time gave him the book Diet for a New America, where author John Robbins advocates a plant-based vegan diet to readers. Since then, Yankovic's been primarily vegan.

3. Albert Einstein

According to the International Vegetarian Union, Einstein was a vegetarian during the later years of his life. In August of 1953, Einstein wrote a letter to Max Kariel, touching on the topic of vegetarianism. "I have always eaten animal flesh with a somewhat guilty conscience," Einstein confessed. In a letter he'd written to Hans Muehsam, dated as March 30, 1954, Einstein said, "So I am living without fats, without meat, without fish, but am feeling quite well this way. It always seems to me that man was not born to be a carnivore." Hmm..interesting!

4. Lisa Simpson

In October of 1995, the Fox network aired an episode of the Simpsons where Lisa Simpson, the intelligent daughter of Marge and Homer, decided to become a vegetarian. After befriending a lamb at a petting zoo, Lisa makes the choice to go vegetarian. Although her family is not supportive and mocks her for the decision, Apu, the convenience store clerk, and Paul and Linda McCartney convince her that what she's doing is right. I thought that this was so interesting!

5. Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra is a pretty cool guy. He often writes about spirituality and was great friend with Michael Jackson--he even speaks with Lady Gaga about interpreting her dreams. Anyway, Chopra is very well-known for his books that offer spiritual and holistic advice. Maybe he's a vegetarian because he's from India, or maybe he just made the choice separately from his country of origin.

6. Rob Zombie

So I'm not big into scary movies or anything like that--and that's just precisely what Rob Zombie is good at. Gore? Yes. Violence? Absolutely. But what's surprising is that the frightening Rob Zombie, whose real name is Robert Bartleh Cummings, is an advocate for vegetarianism.

7. Olivia Wilde

If you've watched House, you'll recognize Wilde fairly quickly. More recently she's appeared in Tron: Legacy although she's not as recognizable. Wilde advocates a vegan, cruelty-free diet, and also wants consumers to look for products from small family-owned farms. Wilde said consuming a plant-based diet has also helped her mood.

"Beyond my desire to boycott the torture factories, I am also way happier when I eat a plant based diet, and I feel about a thousand times more energetic."

Wilde keeps up her own web page, Wildethings.org, where she discusses vegan recipes, offers tips, and keeps her fans updated in regards to her career as an actress.


So there are some interesting tidbits about some celebrities you've probably heard of. Interesting? Absolutely. I definitely learned a lot myself!

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