The Bearded Vegans

No elaborate title this week, we simply want to talk about the importance of media literacy during a time when news and other information is flying by our timelines at a record pace. We'll discuss the tactics we use to determine the validity, truthfulness, and intent of the news articles that we have turned into various episodes of the show. Then we'll turn that lens on one specific article that set of alarm bells when we first read the title. A full transcript of the episode is available at https://bit.ly/TBVEp232Transcript. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

We had originally recorded an episode about something that started to feel more and more frivolous as the uprising sparked by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery developed. So we jumped on the mic for a last minute episode to address a meme going around that features a protestor holding a severed pig's head. The resulting online discourse was messy, to say the least. We'll ask what is the purpose of this meme, who is the intended audience, and ultimately why we feel it is incredibly shortsighted and misguided. The conversation then evolves into addressing the latest trend of memes attempting to expose the hypocrisy of others. We'll talk about what we think is lost in the quest for dunks. A transcript of this episode can be found at https://bit.ly/TBVep231Transcript. You can always reach the Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

Today Paul and Andy open up the mailbag and do their best to respond to listener questions, comments and concerns. Topics run the gamut from why vegan burgers have become so mainstream while vegan cheese seems to be left in the dust, to if and how vegans should use the global pandemic to advocate for animals. They close out with a series of questions regarding knowing when to pick your battles: policing language, sticking up for veganism in nonvegan activist spaces, and people who say their body requires animal flesh. This week's episode was extra special as it was recorded with a live audience over IG Live, which enabled Paul and Andy to interact a bit with listeners as the show went on. A full transcript can be found at https://bit.ly/TBVEp230Transcript. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

In this week's episode, Paul and Andy do some follow up regarding vegans promoting COVID conspiracies, especially related to sharing the "Plandemic" video. Then they hit up some Tiger King updates. As people flock to the grand re-opening of Joe Exotic's zoo, the filmmakers rush to clarify the intent of their series. Finally, Paul and Andy break down the announcement that Canada Goose will be moving to entirely recycled/upcycled fur by 2022. They'll discuss the ins and outs of such a decision and whether or not activists should view it as a victory. More interestingly, they look into the Canada Goose sustainability report in which CG made the announcement and try to figure out if they actually have any intention of following through and how the hell would they actually be able to pull off such a massive endeavor. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

This week we kick things off by discussing our feelings on the recent spate of Re-Open protests. What do they reveal about those who engage in them, are they productive, and is their rage justified? Then we ask the question, are vegans more susceptible to COVID conspiracy theories? As we've seen a rise in vegans, from ethical activists to plant based doctors, embracing a slew of alternate explanations for current world events, we began to wonder if this was happening at a higher rate with vegans. Is there something about our general worldview that primes us to be more open to these theories than the general public? A transcript of the episode is available at https://bit.ly/TBVEp228Transcript. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

In this week's mini episode we finally review Running For Good, a documentary that was released in 2017 but we haven't stopped getting requests since. A relatively straightforward tale about Fiona Oakes attempting to complete Marathon Des Sables, a 251 km ultramarathon, in an effort to bring attention to the plight of animals. As we watched, we were a bit confused by how many people recommended to us, as it initially appears to be relatively light on vegan advocacy, but as we got into the discussion we were surprised to find how many questions it raises in terms of effective activism. Ultimately we felt this review was a very fruitful conversation. Running For Good is available on all VOD platforms. A transcription of this episode can be found at https://bit.ly/TBVEp227Transcript. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

We've got a cornucopia of an episode this week. First up Andy recounts his experience getting tested for COVID-19 and the past 10 days worth of health struggles. Then we offer up the ultra-rare all positive news section, to deliver some stories of triumph in the animal rights world, hopefully a bright spot in such dark times. Finally we talk about that Bill Maher video that has been making the rounds in many vegan circles. Maher decries factory farming in a recent segment and points towards humanity's exploitation of animal flesh as a huge risk factor for pandemics. With many vegan advocates sharing this video and even asking others to watch and share, we'll first discuss our thoughts on the content of the segment and then widen the conversation to ask if, given Maher's extensive history of oppressive commentary and shock jock rhetoric, is it appropriate to promote this message? Or does the importance of the topic outweigh such considerations? You can always reach us by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

In this week's mini episode, the Bearded Vegans decide to take a break from the pandemic doom and gloom and review the first episode of Saved By The Barn, a new show on Animal Planet that follows the adventures of Dan McKernan who left his desk job to start a farmed animal sanctuary. The show is being marketed as the anti-Tiger King. They'll see if it is the response that the animals need. Watch Saved By The Barn for free on Animal Planet. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

In the midst of the COVID-19, news has come out that there has been a significant drop in humanity's environmental impact. Many have taken the opportunity to push a "humans are the virus" narrative. Paul and Andy look at the the truthfulness of this interpretation as well as some darker implications of this rhetoric. Ultimately they ask, what are the big takeaways from the these recent developments and how can we talk about them in a constructive way? You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com.

When Tiger King was first released, Paul and Andy quickly viewed the whole series and recorded two bonus episodes reviewing and discussing its content. While the initial release quickly gained fandom, they couldn't have possibly predicted it would explode into full blown meme saturation. Their first two episodes were recorded days after its release, in relative isolation to the public reaction. Now, with several weeks of public discourse and meme-ification, The Bearded Vegans wanted to discuss the implications of how many viewers have reacted. Do the memes (and merch) serve to further mock these abusers or do they gloss over such atrocities for the sake of a laugh, perhaps even glorifying some heinous individuals. They'll also ask whether the backlash against Carol is warranted, and why so many are saying there is no meaningful difference between Big Cat Rescue and other exploitive operations. Tiger King is a 7 part documentary series, now available on Netflix. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com.

This week, Paul and Andy dive back into the vegan response to the COVID-19 pandemic with specific examples of those claiming a plant based diet makes one immune to the effects of the virus. In their main discussion, they respond to a listener question asking how vegans can effectively get across the seriousness of veganism. When many people respond to vegan advocacy by saying "I don't care if you're vegan, you shouldn't care if I'm not" or "live and let live", does it mean we haven't done an effective job of accurately conveying that veganism is a social justice stance? Ultimately it leads to a lengthy discussion about whether or not the phrase "meat is murder" has lost it's meaning and relevance. Paul suggests a new alternative. A transcript of this episode will be available on April 1st. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

In this week's mini episode Paul and Andy are talking about the vegan community's response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. With claims that being vegan makes one immune to the effects of the virus to those saying that if the world was vegan this virus wouldn't be an issue. Some insist that this is the ideal time to advocate for veganism, while others say that it is insensitive to so in the midst of such global suffering. They'll do their best to cut through the chaos and find some answers! A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/TBVEp221Transcript. You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

This week throw on our hazmat suits and cautiously trek into the mailbag to answer listener questions, comments, and concerns. Questions range from the lighthearted, such as our all time favorite films, to quandaries over how to be a good neighbor in the midst of a quarantine. We'll also discuss knowing when to pick our battles in regards to religious animal exploitation, and conclude by asking if we owe a platform to those we disagree with. All that and much much more! You can always get in touch by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

What's up, beardos?! While we, obviously, believe that veganism frames the way we look at the world, in today's mini-episode we ponder if there are occasions where judging things, or people, purely on a binary Vegan YES/NO misses the big picture and prevents us from accomplishing long term gain. You can always reach us by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com

This week Paul and Andy bring back the news roundup where they discuss a variety of news stories that have recently caught their interest. Stories include Happy the elephant being denied legal personhood, the new guidelines for employers to comply with the ruling that veganism is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, the erosion of the United State's oldest ag-gag law, and more. The episode concludes with a lengthy discussion about Ethica Global, a company that touts their ethical vegan roots but was busted buying bacon for their employees. What started out as a simple question about the merits of vegan businesses hiring non-vegan employees turns to an exploration of why this story was reported in the first place. Things may not be as they seem! You can always reach The Bearded Vegans by emailing TheBeardedVegans@gmail.com or visiting TheBeardedVegans.com