Warning To All Julia & Julia Moviegoers: Child Was The Anti Vegetarian
Posted in Videos on 12. Aug, 2009
While some of my friends went to see Julia & Julia this weekend, I quietly ducked into another film.Â
It’s not that I have anything against Meryl Streep or Amy Adams, it’s just that — well this probably sounds silly — but I know Julia Child’s feelings about vegetarianism and I was worried about the backlash the movie might have on the cause. Plus, I’m not particularly keen on watching animals get cooked for 2 hours.Â
The truth is, Child didn’t really understand the concept of why people don’t eat meat. In a 1999 interview with People magazine, Julia said:
“We didn’t know many vegetarians years ago. Not eating meat became the thing to do some places in the ’60s, but the movement is much bigger in the ’90s. Personally, I don’t think pure vegetarianism is a healthy lifestyle. It’s more fear of food—that whole thing that red meat is bad for you. And then there are people who don’t eat meat because it’s against their morals. Well, there’s nothing you can do with people like that. I’ve often wondered to myself: Does a vegetarian look forward to dinner, ever? “
I suppose there’s a limit on how frustrated you can really be with Child over a statement like that. It was different in her day and our level of consciousness as a society has shifted in a big way in the last 50 years. Hell, the word “vegan” has only been around for about 65 years.Â
So while I won’t curse the name “Julia Child”, I still don’t think I’ll be seeing her movie. Sorry, Charlie.
thanks for the heads up and very eeeenteresting quote.
It’s now off my to-see list!
I’m vegan and I loved the movie. I would rather see someone eat a real, whole food omnivorous diet than a junk food vegan diet. Julia celebrated real food and while it may not be real food that I would eat, the movie portrayed her character in a most delightful manner.
If her movie stimulates more people buying from farmer’s markets and butcher shops rather than Walmart superstores and other industrial outlets, then we’re making progress.
Be well, Carla aka OneHealthyGirl.com