Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack!

This week we’re talking to Aph Ko about themes in her new book, Racism as Zoological Witchcraft: A Guide to Getting Out, including intersectionality, social media, and more!

In This Episode

We had a kickass conversation with Aph Ko about all things activism and social justice as they relate to themes in her new book, Racism as Zoological Witchcraft: A Guide to Getting Out.

We talk about the gaps in an intersectional framework as applied to social justice issues outside of the legal system, how social media influence and a colonial approach to activism stifles our creativity as activists, Afrofuturism, and fighting for a better future instead of just fighting.

Resources

Links to Aph’s work:

* Racism as Zoological Witchcraft by Aph Ko * Aphro-ism by Aph & Syl Ko

Links to References in Episode:

* Tommy Curry (Academia.edu)* Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier (Amazon)* Jaron Lanier interview on how social media ruins your life by Channel 4 News (YouTube)* Eloquent Power: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper (Amazon)* The racial politics of time | Brittney Cooper (TED)

Correction: Jaron Lanier is the father of virtual reality, not artificial intelligence.

This week we are excited to share the recording of the Portland VegFest talk that Callie did with Andy Tabar (The Bearded Vegans) and Chelsea Lincoln (Fat Vegan Voice), on the need for Fat Liberation and Body Neutrality within the vegan movement.

In This Episode

*Note – Our previously discussed episode with Aph Ko will be out next week, so stay tuned!*

At the 2019 Portland VegFest, Callie joined Andy and Chelsea to discuss body shaming within the vegan movement and why as a community we must stop policing people’s bodies, their ‘perceived’ health, and see the harm that body shaming does, not only to our efforts in spreading the vegan message, but to our fellow activists.

We had some more to say so we sat down to create a lil extra content this week. Plus, Patreon tier updates!

In This (Extra) Episode

Patreon!

We updated our Patreon with new tiers. We will be messaging all Patrons to notify you, but please review your tiers and make sure you take advantage of your rewards. Also note that you have to manually sign up for a tier, so make sure to do that if you want to be part of a tier.

New Tier Structure

* $1: Fame! We thank you on the show* $5: Access! You get early or exclusive access to bonus content* $10: Answers! You get to ask us a question about anything that we answer on the show* $25: Swag! You get an awesome VWPA tote. Seriously, we love this bag

Main Topic

We go back over a few aspects of our latest episodes, particularly around privilege and the concept of “choosing” whiteness. And we gush over Max S. Gordon’s latest essay (link below, please read). Plus, a very random rant at the end about online dating and normies ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Resources

(these are all amazing, seriously, please read/listen)

* Where We’re Going, Where We Are: On Harriet Tubman, Wal-Mart and The North Star by Max S. Gordon (Medium) * An Open Letter to Paul Wellstone: When The Safe Lives Aren’t Safe Anymore by Max S. Gordon (Medium) * The Women of the Alt-Right with Mad Blender (The Vegan Vanguard)

In preparation for our collaborative episode with Aph Ko next week, we’re talking about Whiteness with a capital W – What is it? Who is it? What is White privilege? How does it relate to our humanity and who has access to human rights? How does racialization link to animalization, and why should vegans care? Listen to find out!

In This Episode

Updates

* Correction: By Any Means Necessary = Malcolm X, not MLK(Thanks, Amy!) * Addition to previous advice: Tell fat-shaming doctors to put it on your chart! (thanks, Nicole!)

Episode Outline

* Definition* White privilege * White Identity & White Pride* Performing Whiteness * White people bullshit

References 

Books

* Aphro-ism by Aph & Syl Ko* Racism as Zoological Witchcraft by Aph Ko* Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Stings* The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter

Videos

* Thought Slime video on White Identity |Thought Slime (YouTube)* 4 Reasons “White Pride” Makes People Uneasy | Decoded (YouTube)* Big Think Interview With Nell Irvin Painter | Big Think (YouTube)* THE HISTORY OF WHITENESS | Kat Blaque (YouTube)* Matt McGorry Reading Passage from Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia | Matt McGorry (Instagram)

Essays/Articles

* Where We’re Going, Where We Are: On Harriet Tubman, Wal-Mart and The North Star by Max S. Gordon (Medium)* Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Saxons by Nell Irvine Painter (The Journal of American History)* Mom Was a Brown-Skinned Asian Migrant. She Was Also Racist. Now What? by Kate Rigg (Medium)

A dream of ours has been realized in this week’s wonderful, LONG, thoughtful, vulnerable collaborative episode with writer and activist, Max S. Gordon. We discuss Jordan Peele’s film Us and also dip our philosophical toes into Get Out, Joker, Handmaid’s Tale, the importance of making and analyzing art, and more! Spoiler alerts for all of those pieces of media!

In This Episode

(Main Topic only today)

We’re still fangirling…fanenbying…fanMaGeing…fan…fanning?! Can I make fan a verb!? Can I create a gender-neutral, culturally appropriate slang!? I’m doing it! We’re still fanning over our amazing collaborative episode with our fave, beautiful genius writer and activist Max S. Gordon <3 WE FAN, SO FETCH!

Joke: What do you get when you cross three deep thinkers with an artsy film and a recorded Skype call? This long-ass episode!

In all seriousness, we explore the poignant places that Us brought us to, discussing trauma, addiction, poverty, and more in this beautiful episode. Max S. Gordon is a true artist, if you haven’t read his amazing essay about Us, Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, race and sexual trauma, please do, either before or after you listen to this episode. Please also support his work, links below in his bio.

Bio

Max S. Gordon is a writer and activist. His work has appeared on openDemocracy, Democratic Underground and Truthout, in Z Magazine, Gay Times, Sapience, and other progressive online and print magazines in the U.S. and internationally.

His essays include “A Different World: Why We Owe The Cosby Accusers An Apology”“Faggot as Footnote: On James Baldwin, ‘I Am Not Your Negro’, ‘Can I Get A Witness’ and ‘Moonlight’”“Resist Trump: A Survival Guide”“Family Feud: Jay-Z, Beyoncé and the Desecration of Black Art”A Little Respect, Just a Little Bit: On White Feminism and How “The Handmaid’s Tale” is Being Weaponized Against Women of Color Sticks and Stones Will Break Your Bones: On Patriarchy, Cancel Culture and Dave Chappelle

Please support his work by sharing it and, if you have the means, supporting him financially on Patreon.

Resources

Articles

* This is Us: Deconstructing Race,

As with most things, the radical and mobilizing concept of “by any means necessary” has been co-opted by the mainstream vegan movement to something dangerous and ineffective. We’re here to talk about it!

In This Episode

Advice

Not a direct advice question, but inspired by a post in the VWPA Society regarding this image/assertion:

Joke

I know a lady who is into Dracula…thanks Pauline!

Main Topic

We talk at length about why “by any means” in terms of bringing sheer numbers of people into the vegan movement is:

* Pointless* Ineffective* Harmful* Oppressive

This week we watched the new Netflix series, Raising Dion. While we didn’t totally love it, (this cereal scene in particular stressed us tf out!), we were VERY impressed by the themes in the show and the lessons on boundaries and entitlement.

In This Episode

Advice

This question was posed in the VWPA Society by friend of the show, Mohera. (Thanks Mohera!) Join the Facebook Group to join in on this and many other fun discussions!

Potential CW: Religious talk around Christianity and AtheismI’ve had a very weird life when it comes to religion. I didn’t grow up religious, but I was introduced to it later on. As a child my dad was an atheist and my mom was more or less a deist. My mom became friends with a guy who stared bringing her to church and she became a Christian and then she convinced me to start going and I became a Christian. The truth is that I questioned it for a long time, but it gave me hope, and I needed that. Anyways, I’ve recently become an atheist and it’s been super liberating in a lot of ways. I haven’t really told a lot of people except my parents and my close friends. But yesterday, a few preppy, white girls from a college ministry group on campus came up to me and a few other people I was working with on a project and they asked us to fill out a short survey. In the survey, it asked what the meaning of life was and then it asked to rank how important faith was in your life on a scale of 1-10. For the latter question, I put down a 1. Then when we turned them in, my friend in the group asked me what I wrote (knowing I’m an atheist) and I told her I put a 1, because I wasn’t gonna lie, and she started laughing because she knows I don’t bullshit about stuff like that (we’re good friends). Then, our graduate mentor, who is also a preppy, white lady, was giving me this really weird look. Like I was contaminated or evil or something like that.I say all this because I am so sick of the stigma around atheists being assholes and monsters. While I do feel that there are a lot of atheists who are intellectual bullies, I sucks that so many people think that because I’m an atheist, I’m not compassionate or empathetic, when in reality, liberating myself from religion has allowed me to be more loving and kind. And it had given me the freedom to take a critical look at institutional issues, without religious bias or influence. Just wondering if any fellow atheists struggle with the same thing or have any advise!

Joke

What do ghosts like for dessert?

Main Topic

With all the continued talk on Joker, we were thrilled to see a piece of media show white male rage, entitlement and the subsequent violence, in such an accurate and responsible way! While we think there were some issues overall with the pacing of the show and some of the writing, where it counts, this show has excellent themes, nuance and heart.

Produced by Netflix and Michael B. Jordan, directed by Dennis Liu, written by Carol Barber, based on Dennis Liu and Jason Piperberg’s cult hit comic book (purchase here)Nine-episode series launched on Oct 4

Spoiler-Free Review:

Overall, Raising Dion is a good show that is exceptional for the themes it explore and the scripts it gives us for talking to children about big topics like racism, grief and consent. It brings a much needed perspective to the genre, and in a way that is family friendly so the kiddos can learn the lessons without seeing massive violence. It has great diversity of voices and perspectives, both in front of the camera and behind.

Inspired by a post on Instagram from @yrfatfriend, we’re talking about how to be a better ally when you’re hearing about oppressive actions for the first time.

In This Episode

Advice

From Anonymous:

Summarized question: how do I deal with fat-shaming doctors?

Article Referenced: What To Do If Your Doctor Fat Shames You (HuffPost).

Joke

A ghost walks into a bar and orders a shot of vodka...

Main Topic

When hearing stories from someone who experiences oppression you don’t, it can be natural to think to respond to their stories of oppression with shock and disbelief, but this is harmful in several ways. We dissect this on today’s episode.

Special shoutout to Instagram account Your Fat Friend who inspired this episode with this amazing post.

Nichole took one for the team and saw Joker in theaters this week so we could talk about the “controversial” film receiving rave reviews from the Whites. Content warning for descriptions of white male rage, violence against women, murder, white supremacist ideology.

In This Episode

Advice

Submitted by: Amanda (she/her)

Short version: Should you inform someone when/why you’re setting a boundary in your relationship with them?

Long version: My mom started dating/married my step father when I was 15 (22 now). Nobody in my family likes him (family = my brother, sister, and maternal grandparents) because of how conservative he is (aka sexist, homophobic, racist) and our personalities tend to clash. My mom and him moved out of my hometown my senior year of high school (I’m the youngest) and I had just turned 18, so I “moved” into a friend’s house so I could stay at my school. A week before we left our old house, I told my mom that instead of staying there 2-3 nights a week so I could stay at my school, I was going to move out more permanently. I didn’t say it was specifically because I didn’t want to live with my step dad anymore, but I’m sure my mom could infer that. Last year, I finished undergrad, but I am finishing grad school in May, meaning I will be able to find an apartment and move all my stuff (furniture, etc.) out of my mom’s house. I am trying to decide what type of boundaries I want to set regarding visiting now that I won’t have stuff there. I really don’t like being around my step dad, but I’m really close with my mom. Early in their relationship, I was talking to my sister and she made a comment about this issue saying my mom will notice and come to us instead when we clearly avoid visiting her. Can I just invite her to visit and stay with me or do I have to tell her I don’t want to visit her because of him? (also she’s not super supportive of my veganism which makes staying there extra difficult). Can I assume she understands since I’ve set boundaries on living there/coming back for breaks often? I don’t want to unnecessarily hurt her feelings because I know she already feels isolated by the fact that her entire family disapproves of her marriage. 

Joke

With all of this Joker controversy, I heard that the Joker from The Dark Knight is preparing to launch a radio station in downtown Gotham City…

Main Topic

Honestly, I’m at a loss for words right now. Fortunately, we had hours of words when we recorded. While so many on the internet are singing the praises of this modern Birth of a Nation, we, emphatically, are not. Please really listen to what we have to say, and please listen to what others, particularly black women, have to say by reading the articles linked below. This is a dangerous movie, and the dialogue around violence in films is seriously misguided.

This line from the first essay sums it up perfectly:

Did we really need a brutal movie about a white terrorist figure who uses gun violence to enact revenge on the society that rejects him? And did we need it now? Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29

The answer to both questions is: no.

References

* Joker Is A Dangerous Film — & It’s Bringing Out The Worst In The Internet (Refinery29)*

We’re being totes topical for the second week in a row by discussing The Testaments, the new novel by Margaret Atwood that is a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. Also an advice question about helping very young vegans cope with seeing others consume animals without vilifying them or getting overwhelmed.

In This Episode

Advice Question

From Lidia (she/her)

Paraphrased: Lidia asked about how to talk to very young children who have been raised vegan when they see others eating animals and categorize them as “bad people” immediately or get very upset.

We gave our thoughts on this topic but as two people without kids, we though it would be good to open it up to the community, too. So, if you are on Facebook, you can follow the conversation in the VWPA Society thread we started for this question.

* What White Children Need to Know About Race (NAIS)* Talking to children after racial incidents (University of Pennsylvania)

Joke

What do you call James Bond in a hot tub? Thanks, I-donzo!

Main Topic

We do a spoiler-free section and then do a spoiler-full chat for The Testaments this week. Overall, we found the book highly readable, an engaging fast-paced romp through the events placed 15 years after The Handmaid’s Tale. Despite being so enjoyable, the book is a far cry from the timeless classic structure and purpose of the first book. Would definitely recommend as entertainment, as a great reimagining of what the TV show could’ve been more like, but not as a true sequel to the first novel.

Resources We Read

* Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale sequel is a giddy thrill ride (Vox) * Review: The Testaments – Margaret Atwood’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale (The Conversation) * The Testaments by Margaret Atwood review – a dazzling follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale (The Guardian) * Book Review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (BBC) * Margaret Atwood on What ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Means in the Age of Trump (NY Times)