To think that the current Vegetarian Society ad on mumsnet is smug and unnecessary?

[scarletsalt]

was growing mumsnet earlier and saw an advert for the vegetarian society, which shows a girl on a horse with the caption 'what's for tea?' underneath and then something about horse free vegetarian food.

AIBU to wish these people would just fuck off? I have no issue with people choosing a vegetarian/vegan/fruitarian or whatever diet for themselves and their families. I don't wish to have their choices rammed down my throat.

And it's not like a vegetarian diet is risk free either when you think of all the genetically modified stuff out there. Maybe the Carnivores Society could put out an advert with a three headed child asking 'what's for tea?'

[OhLori]

YANBU. Agree mocking people in this way infantile and very sneering in that horrible self-righteous way that vegetarians often had. I am practically a vegetarian myself, and love vegetarian food. But find the smugness awful.

Actually, scientifically speaking, its only since we cultivated land as agrarians that we have taken so much of the habitat of animals. As hunter-gatherers we lived much more in harmony with the animal and plant kingdom.

[Lauralovesbaking]

The horsemeat scandal made my French friend very happy, she laughed a lot at our expense, and then promptly went out a bought a 'beef' lasagna, despite the fact that she's supposed to be a vegetarian, I think she was making a point, I don't understand what that point is yet.

p.s. go vegan heavenlyveganbaking.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/vegan-gingerbread-men-well-sheep-actually/

[Stinkyminkymoo]

reminds me of this

[NotADragonOfSoup]

No, those only contain real shepherd.

[Moominsarehippos]

I suspect there would be a similar vein ad if they'd found pony in a Linda McCartney shepherds pie (which they wouldn't I'm sure)!

[NotADragonOfSoup]

I think "smug" is an overused word now.

I have never been a vegetarian, have eaten beef ready meals and Ikea meatballs and still found it funny. [shrug] Even if I hadn't found it funny it would have been unfunny, not smug.

Companies/organisations always leap on the misfortunes of their rivals.

[someoftheabove]

Reformed vegetarian, reformed vegetarian, no, still doesn't makes sense!

[EuroShaggleton]

I actually thought it was unattractively smug.

I'm a reformed vegetarian, btw.

[NotADragonOfSoup]

Meh.

I found it funny.

[someoftheabove]

I agree with most of what you say, exexpat except that there is no such thing as a semi-vegetarian. Whether you eat meat occasionally or three times a day, you are a meat eater. And don't get me started on "vegetarians" who eat fish!

[exexpat]

To whoever asked why vegetarians eat all the imitation meat products - actually, a lot of us don't. A 'beef' burger has no appeal for me whatsoever. Obviously some veggies do eat them (my daughter likes the Linda McCartney sausages, for some reason) but a lot of the marketing is aimed at people who are semi-vegetarian, ie still eat meat sometimes but are cutting down for health or cost reasons. I much prefer my vegetarian meals to look and taste like vegetarian meals.

[someoftheabove]

beyondthelimitsofacceptability, what makes you say vegetarians have a restricted diet? I've been veggie too long to bother arguing with non-veggies but I know meat eaters who don't eat half the variety I do. I brought home-made veggie paella into work yesterday and a colleague commented that it smelled lovely and asked what the "sticky up bits" were. When I told her it was fennel, she said, "I don't think I've ever eaten fennel." Two others asked for the recipe (can't take the credit, though, it was Ottolenghi's!).

[TiggyD]

Maybe they whole thing has been a ploy by vegetarians. I think they've been horse-napping animals from racecourses and the New Forest, smashing their heads in with a hammer, chopping them up, then lobbing chunks of meat through pie factory windows. Typical vegetarians.

[TroublesomeEx]

I'm a vegetarian and I'm not smug either.

I have no problem with sitting at table with people eating rare steak. It's their choice as not eating it is mine.

I'd never try and convert anyone and I only ever mention it if someone offers me a taste of their food and pushes it once I've said "no, I'm ok thanks".

I quite often find people ask a lot of questions - it seems to attract the same level of interest/surprise as being left handed. A left handed veggie is quite a curiosity indeed!

[TidyDancer]

YABU. And ridiculous, frankly.

As someone pointed out up thread (sorry, didn't catch who!), it's a joke in the vein of many made by independent butchers shops. This is not a vegetarian exclusive.

Sounds like you have a bit of a chip on your shoulder about vegetarianism, which is just hugely silly of you.

[Earthymama]

Moomins you are SO right. I was just thinking of all the jibes I have had over the last 25 years. I was out for a meal last week and off they went. . .

I just said' If you think DP and I haven't heard all this before you are sadly mistaken. As we never criticise your food choices, I think that's enough, don't you?' With a smile and a poke in the ribs but it so, so tedious.

Humourless lesbian feminist vegetarian here, and one who does eat Quorn sometimes cos it is quick and I am busy, just like everyone else.

So I am a hypocrite, bite me. At least, I am locally sourced and you can check my provenance.

(Though the drugs history might put you off, or get you high, as might the issue of the fat-to-flesh ratio!)

[Moominsarehippos]

I just saw the cute horse and didn't read the ad! I'm veggie (non squemish and has eaten horse and many other 'cute 'n fluffy animals' in my time) and find all the jokes quite amusing. Maybe its payback for all the 'but whhhhhhyyyyy don't you eat meat' 'oh here, a bacon sandwich (wafts smell over) doncha just waaaant it?' 'Bacon crisps - oh. That's surely not vegetarian then, is it?' 'You're pale, obviously anaemic then' 'your baby will be sickly if you don't eat meat when pregnant', 'its onlt fish/chicken/beef stock so you can eat it' 'vegetarians are always miserable' etc etc etc

[Kazooblue]

Yabu considering all the McDonalds advertising you see on here. So it's ok to advertise meat products but not veggie.

[ColinFirthsGirth]

I am a vegetarian - who is not smug as I have NEVER tried to convert anyone or give them information about the meat industry - but I find this advert quite funny. There have been loads of jokes about the horse meat scandal on facebook so why shouldn't the vegetarian society also use a lighthearted way of encouraging people to consider vegetarianism? I think some people are taking this advert too seriously. BTW I have had many people poke fun at me for being vegetarian and I don't complain as it is just th way things are.

[midastouch]

I havent seen it, ut i think YABU.
I dont see that its smug its just an advert like any other annoying advert. I have to say though that i cant see the point in it, i doubt if anyone is going to turn vegetarian because of that advert!

[Yannah2006]

It's a joke! And an advert- thats sort of the point of advertising!

Anyway, some people might be looking for an alternative diet if they're so offended by the thought of eating horse meat. Vegetarianism sounds like a pretty good alternative to me.

[PinkBottleGreenBottle]

I think it's quite funny. There are "No Horse" symbols on blackboards outside butcher's shops all the way down our High Street, and the veggies are just doing their own take on the same thing. Nobody is mocking anybody.

[gimmeanaxe]

whats wrong with poking fun? Ive probably eaten a stable full and have joined in with the horse jokes. With vegetarian friends.

[ConfusedPixie]

Haven't seen the ad, but tbh, I've seen enough ads advertsing meat with exactly the same slogan when walking around town! So I wouldn't be too phased by it...

[NewAtThisMalarky]

I can't see the advert (on a mobile), but the description doesn't make it sound like its mocking people. It sounds more like they are pointing out the failings of the food industry.

I can't see why they would make an advert mocking their target market. It would be very clever.