Head of Lush is a hypocrite

[infloresence]

This interview in Times Online with Mark Constantine, head of Lush cosmetics, made me sort of roll my eyes.

The article says:

"He’s a vegetarian, but wears leather shoes. “I’m the ultimate compromise person, aren’t I? But that’s the point: everyone compromises and, to be honest, those who don’t, you don’t want to be with. We have to do our bit,

Comments

[nepenthes59]

Perhaps I'm off the mark, but I think that are far as lecturing & hectoring goes - nobody likes it, regardless of the topic.

I'm a flawed vegetarian so I don't make pronouncements that claim I am otherwise ^^;; However, I think that avoiding leather shoes is not that difficult so I don't understand why one does.

I'm curious as to whether there is a negative or positive effect of the whole hectoring/lecturing issue. If vegans were more supportive of nonvegans, I wonder if there would be a different outcome, what do you think?

[infloresence]

It is difficult to say. Often I say to non-vegans "I am supportive of each choice you make that is ethical; I am unsupportive of each choice you make that isn't" rather than being supportive/supportive across the board in a sort of whitewash.

I agree with him in that "hectoring/lecturing" is annoying, but I am concerned that too often taking a strong ethical stance (like veganism) is equated with hectoring. It isn't the same thing, but it is often touted as such by people with sort of dodgy double standards like Constantine - probably as a way of throwing focus off their actions and onto the NASTY LECTURING VEGANS WITH THEIR NASTY HOLIER THAN THOU FACEZ. It works pretty well, too.

[infloresence]

<< supportive/un-supportive

[socraticomatic]

I think that the "lecturing! hectoring!" thing is a straw man argument. I know A LOT of vegans, both those involved in activism and not, online and IRL. And from that experience, I have learned that the VAST majority of vegans do not lecture to and hector omnivores. It's bullshit, and seems to be being used as a smokescreen.

[uppity_heathen]

Yes, and I get lectured all the time about how my diet is stupid and will kill me.

[sthira_sukha]

I feel you and your interlocutor. It reminds me of those heterosexist people who decry the "homosexual agenda" while they are the ones pushing an agenda based on sexual orientation, a bigoted agenda that denies civil rights.

[filthy_lily]

Yea. It's like 'Look at me, I may be vegan, but I'm normal just like you and hate being told what to do by all those other pushy vegans.'

Fuck that argument. I say lecture and heckle when appropriate. I'm not going to shut up and be quiet just because people don't like what I have to say. Fuck them.

Anyway. I almost never talk about my veganism until some dumb meat-eater starts fucking with me about what I'm eating.