For ethical veggie people...how do you deal with turkey talk around you?

[Ahappymel]

I'm having a hard time at work right now...I work in a small office of people who are doing the turkey talk this time of year.
How they are going to stuff it, cook it, what they do with its' neck/gizzards.
It's not just now...other times of year, it's about eating this thing or another.
I realize that I'm probably not being a very tolerant vegan about this. But it is starting to bother me, hearing their obsessive talk about animal-eating. I usually just turn on Pandora, close my door a bit to drown them out.
I don't think I can/want to say anything further to them about the issue.
I guess I just want to know if anyone else is experiencing anything like this, especially this time of year when millions of animals have already/are about to needlessly die for holiday meals. Thanks : )

[Jelinifer]

I get up and excuse myself from the conversation politely if anyone talks meat products to that extent. All of my coworkers know I'm vegan and are usually more interested in knowing what I will be eating on Thanksgiving

[Ahappymel]

We are such a small office that we can hear each other talking even if we are all in our own offices.
And that's the case...I'm in my office and they are all chattering away about their carnage. My only recourse is to just turn up my speakers and close my door.

[ilovemygirl]

I worked for a few years in a small place with 7 people. It was actually a house and we had three desks downstairs in one big room (that's where I was) and three bedrooms upstairs that were used as offices. It was hard not to hear each other. They certainly had a right to talk about whatever they wanted but I was very vocal about who I was and everyone eventually got the hint not to over do it with the meat talk. I put up a Farm Sanctuary calendar every year. Got a lunch bag that said "No Meat in Here". I asked everyone to donate when I walked in the Walk for Farm Animals. But nothing speaks louder than actual food. Bring in as much yummy veg food as you can to share. I've learned over the years (I've been veg for 15 years now) that delicious food will bring people together and open their hearts and minds waaaaaay more than scary pictures and stories of animal cruelty ever will. You may or may not convert anyone to vegetarianism but if they are decent coworkers they will hopefully at the very least cool it with the meat talk around you.

[dovey]

Errgh....It irks me too. Especially when people talk about the dead animals that they are about to purchase and consume, and then tease me about Tofurky, as if it's something that's kind of cute and quirky and funny about me personally. It really grates on my nerves. People do not realize how unfunny the alternative is.

My partner kept telling me about something called turducken in which animals' bodies are stuffed inside each other and cooked. I don't know why the concept fascinated him so much. I think he was trying to shock me or gross me out or something. Since he's vegan too, I don't really understand why he was doing that. I finally told him to stop mentioning it. Which he did.

Another thing that bothers me is the Presidential turkey pardon. I just don't get it. If he's going to pardon the turkey, then how can he sit down and eat a dead turkey a few hours later? I think it's making fun of the whole concept of killing animals for food, and it's not funny at all even though many people seem to find it humorous.

[somegirl99]

Hearing "Happy Turkey Day" really bugs me. There's nothing happy about the day for the turkeys. What's wrong with saying Thanksgiving? It shouldn't be only about the food despite what people seem to think.

[wytchywoman]

Originally Posted by somegirl99

Hearing "Happy Turkey Day" really bugs me. There's nothing happy about the day for the turkeys. What's wrong with saying Thanksgiving? It shouldn't be only about the food despite what people seem to think.

I had a few people tell me that and I responded back with "Happy Tofurky Day to you too!!!!". They got the point.

[midwestmom]

Originally Posted by dovey

My partner kept telling me about something called turducken in which animals' bodies are stuffed inside each other and cooked. I don't know why the concept fascinated him so much. I think he was trying to shock me or gross me out or something. Since he's vegan too, I don't really understand why he was doing that. I finally told him to stop mentioning it. Which he did.

OMG, I almost can't finish my (vegan) salad I am so grossed out. What will people think of next.

The turkey talk bothers me too. I just remove myself from the situation. Everyone knows that I am veg (have been for 20 yrs) so mostly people are respectful, but not always....

[Baby_Cakes]

I know this is late, but the turkey talk bothers me a lot too. I usually ignore it or leave the room/conversation if I can. Happy "turkey" day is the worst! I try to just say, "Oh, happy thanksgiving to you too," if I'm able to - if the person isn't a complete jerk.
I also started adopting turkeys - this way I feel like I'm actually DOING something about the cause.

Though, "funny" story. An old coworker of mine asked me what I was doing for thanksgiving last year, and I told him I was adopting 2 turkeys. That they rescue the turkeys from slaughterhouses, and help them recover at Farm Sanctuary. This confused look came over his face, and he says, "Oh, to fatten them up for slaughter for the next year?" all serious.

I couldn't believe what he had just said!! I said, "No, Carl. They RESCUE them. They live a long and happy life without ever being slaughtered or eaten."

And left the convo at that. Some people are just really...ignorant.

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by wytchywoman

I had a few people tell me that and I responded back with "Happy Tofurky Day to you too!!!!". They got the point.

I like that. My response has always been "Happy Save-the-Turkeys Day."

[wytchywoman]

Originally Posted by Turquesa

I like that. My response has always been "Happy Save-the-Turkeys Day."

I like yours better, lol! Going to have to remember that one.

[somegirl99]

Maybe next year I'll try something like "Happy Potato Day".

[rcr]

I make the happy tofurkey day comment.

[susumama]

*WARNING: DESCRIPTION OF ANIMAL SLAUGHTER IN FOLLOWING POST*


We don't have thanksgiving here (obviously, since I live in Australia )
And I suppose I've been lucky not to have been subjected to much indepth dead-animal-cooking talk over the years (or I've sort of blocked it out & not really listened) but one incident about 6mths ago did really disturb me so I can totally relate to your distress with all the thanksgiving turkey talk.
I had joined an environmental group (Transition Towns - google it) in my (very) small country town. It's about redeveloping our towns to be self-sufficient in the face of declining oil, global warming, world hunger etc. I thought this would be a great opportunity to commune with people who would be open to (& maybe embrace) the vegan lifestyle as there has been so much press about the effect of meat production on the environment, water supply etc since Al Gore left out this very inconvenient truth in his doco.
Well how wrong I was. Pseudo environmentalists the lot of them! But what made me finally leave the group was an email to all members from one of the leaders describing the pleasure he had taken in being part of the slaughter of a flock of *free range* chickens that day (I guess they think free range makes it all ok). He described the plucking of feathers, the de-gutting & how a *wonderful* (??????) smell of vanilla arose from the birds, something about the food they ate. Anyway, not only was i extremely upset by the description but I was VERY disturbed that anyone could find the experience enjoyable. Even now, months later, I think about that email & wonder how a civialised person cannot empathise with the poor animals involved & how on earth could they derive PLEASURE from the experience. It makes me wonder whether humanity will ever evolve.

[Ahappymel]

Exactly! Thank you!
Has anyone seen Food Inc?
Even the scenes where those "naturally raised" chickens who've lived the lives of chickens are being slaughtered and the guy is talking about how great it is to be slaughtering out in the great outdoors instead of in a factory.
Dear lord...and watching him talk to his pigs like they are dogs and knowing he's going to slaughter them too.
I just don't get it...it doesn't make sense to me.

[fresh_veggie]

I saw Food Inc as well - I was a bit surprised, honestly. That free range farmer really made me wonder - he talked to the animals like they were his children and then proceeded to slaughter them. ??

A big part of the movie was about the lady whose child died after eating contaminated meat, and how she was on a crusade to kill all bacteria. I really did feel sorry for her, but her expectations for the meat industries were so unrealistic. It really did hit home to me though, knowing I am safer eating the way that I do (unless farm run-off hits where my veggies come from ).

For Thanksgiving - wow. I just tried really hard to ignore the genocide. DH and I went and visited my fam in Texas...needless to say, LOTS of meat. They're convinced that you HAVE to have animal protein. It makes no sense, a protein is a protein. Entire societies are animal-protein free and thriving.