by Gene
A recurring theme of The Oprah Winfrey Show is “live your best life,” and indeed, throughout the show’s 25 years on the air, Oprah and her band of experts have shown us countless ways we can live better. Often, these tools have applied to a single area of life — health, spirituality, fitness, philanthropy, etc., but this week, during her farewell season, Oprah presented her viewers with a single step they can take to improve nearly ALL areas of life. Together with 378 of her staff members, Oprah went vegan for a week and the program that aired this week about the experience was an eye-opener to millions of viewers unfamiliar with the many benefits of consuming a plant-based diet. To address the reality of animals being killed for meat, the show also included a reporter’s visit to a cattle slaughterhouse. Although cameras were not allowed to show animals actually being killed, millions of viewers saw frightened animals walking to slaughter and carcasses being dismembered in the slaughterhouse assemblyline.
Oprah’s guests included two best-selling authors who have written extensively about food and wellness, Michael Pollan and Kathy Freston. Pollan, who eats meat twice a week, argued that meat eating is normal and part of human history. Freston, who is a vegan, spoke passionately and convincingly about the benefits of vegan living. Her new book, Veganist, was catapulted to #1 on Amazon.com after the show aired.
Several of Oprah’s staff members described their positive experiences with vegan eating – one lost more than 10 pounds and said he never felt better, and another explained simply that vegan living agreed with him. Some of Oprah’s other staffers were less enthusiastic, including one who was suffering withdrawal symptoms from her addiction to fast food. Oprah is to be commended for airing this topic, even though she seemed deferential to the livestock industry, which sued her in the 1990s after she raised concerns about beef production.
The Oprah Winfrey Show and Farm Sanctuary both began in 1986, during an era marked by unbridled excess and great social and economic change. At the time, little attention was being paid to topics such as spirituality and the intrinsic worth of all life. While early episodes of Oprah’s show followed a Phil Donahue-style exploration of sensationalistic social issues, she eventually transformed her series into a more positive, spiritually uplifting experience. At the core of The Oprah Winfrey Show and Farm Sanctuary is a desire to make life better for all living beings. That an episode during Oprah’s final season (and our 25th anniversary year) should directly intersect with our mission is a very encouraging sign.
The livestock industry is feeling threatened, and as more people recognize the benefits of being vegan, factory farmers have reason for concern. You can see more about Oprah’s show here.
Gene, thank you for focusing on the positive aspects of the show and the benefits that will come now that millions have been exposed to what a vegan is and how/why we eat the way we do. Veganist went to number 1?! That's a lot of books, likely being read by a lot of omnis!
The paths that FS and Oprah started on 25 years ago were a million miles apart. To think that she has brought her audience to a place where she felt she could introduce veganism to them in her final year is uplifting indeed.
A show Oprah aired decades ago was responsible for my mom reaching out to her estranged mother. I'll be forever grateful to Oprah for bringing the two of them together again before my grandmother died. Some hate her, but I do believe she has made positive impacts on so many lives.
Thank you again for the good words!
Posted by: Chris | February 04, 2011 at 01:49 PM
Thanks for this post Gene. I admire Oprah's courage to air this segment and for her staffers willingness to participate. This show has a huge following and even if the bulk of the viewers don't intend to go vegan, they will not likely walk away unaffected by what they saw and heard. Veganism for most people is a step-by-step process that begins with awareness. Bless you for all you and other dedicated souls do to bring about awareness.
Posted by: Darris | February 04, 2011 at 02:23 PM
I'm still disappointed in her. You need to get on The Oprah Show Gene and tell the "real" story about factory farming.
Posted by: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1515660594 | February 04, 2011 at 03:43 PM
I agree with you Gene! While many vegans expressed their disappointment about the statements that Oprah made with regards to farm animal suffering, I believe it is just a matter of sharing more information with her, and this is the perfect time to do it. I also assume that she tried to walk the thin line and keep the cattle men off her neck a while longer. Whichever way we look at this, having veganism discussed on Oprah's show is an epic moment for our movement, and it is clearly up to us now to either sit back and sulk, or to raise to the occasion and seize this momentum for even greater exposure and support!
Posted by: Ina Mohan | February 05, 2011 at 02:37 AM
I am not sure if we saw the same show?! While I appreciate your wanting to project an "extremely" positive SPIN, I saw this show as more of a "happy meat" infomercial! I did not see any "spirituality and the intrinsic worth of all life" from Oprah who thinks it is "the natural way" to eat others fetuses!
Also, this is not NEW information to MANY viewers, and I wonder if you understand what the myriad of mixed messages creates in people? It creates cognitive dissonance which ultimately leads to decisions based on the most widely accepted behavior (comfort zone), same as it always has!
I wonder how many people who were on their way to Veganism thought the mass murder industry was much worse than the hogwashed version on Oprah's infomercial, and went back to their socially accepted comfort zone behaviors. I can't believe you did not mention how hogwashed the slaughterhouse segment was or how tragic animal eater Michael Pollan is!
Just a "few" thoughts on this biased post concerning the biased Oprah "Veganish" show!...Once again, everybody wins (covers their agendas) but the beautiful sentient beings we are still torturing and slaughtering, in vain, and refusing to listen to!
Posted by: Elaine | February 11, 2011 at 07:38 PM
Dear Gene:
Thank you for your positive post about Oprah's program of going vegan with her staff. Oprah has a huge plate of topics and issues dear to her heart that she has presented to the public for the last 25 years on her show. Some of them have been very painful for her to do, but she did them anyway. I believe she did so with the hope that it would help and better the lives of other people and bring them less suffering. That is not to say that Oprah doesn't care about other living beings such as farm animals. However, from the negative criticism that has been made about Oprah not airing programs about the horrors of the livestock industry, animal suffering, and veganism, one would think so. The airing of this program is a positive step, and I'm glad you talked about it Gene on your post. I don't believe that this is the only such step Oprah will take for her heart appears to be vast and deep. I believe that some people are being too hard on her. Oprah is a human being, and like the rest of us human beings, she is not perfect. But, Oprah appears to be doing her best, and she appears to be committed to learning, growing, and doing. The airing of this program shows that. How many of us can say we have helped human beings or other living beings to the extent that Oprah has. I wish that her critics would have a little compassion and give her a break. Although Oprah's television show will end, her network is taking flight and who knows what topics she will present in the future.
Thank you,
Veta Connor
Posted by: Veta Connor | February 13, 2011 at 12:02 PM
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If you have time please visit this site:
Vitalchi Wellness Sanctuary
More power and Godbless ..
Posted by: Aries Clinton | February 13, 2011 at 08:02 PM
that show did nothing but [make me mad]. especially after lisa ling admitted she still eats meat after visiting the slaughterhouse, heartless......Gene, you need to go on Oprah and show and tell the real truth....
Posted by: debera | February 16, 2011 at 09:39 AM
Thanks for this view of Oprah's vegan week. I had heard negative things about it from other sources, but if Veganist went to the top of the list on Amazon, the results aren't all bad.
Posted by: Cindie White | February 16, 2011 at 10:08 AM
I rarely post, as I am an avid supporter of Farm Sanctuary. But after reading this, I have to agree with Elaine, Oprah's attempt at becoming veganish makes me want to scream at my television set and throw my shoe at it, especially when Michael Pollan gives the go ahead to keep eating the flesh of the "healthier" innocent animals, when overall abuse to all animals has reached beyond the crisis stage. So I will attempt to comment.
My mother still raised chickens up to a few years ago on her farm when one day she was eating dinner, one of her chickens no less, and she realized that she was devouring a chicken's leg muscle. What once was running around the back yard the day before, happily enjoying life, was now dead, cooked, and sitting in its own grease, in her mouth. She was horrified at this revelation, and said she just couldn't get herself to eat her pet chickens any more. I think that is the understanding we have to get to in order for us to stop "loving" the taste of someone else's flesh. Just imagine eating your dog or cat or a similar friend that you've gotten to know over time. Im sure if Oprah raised a calf like she's raised her dogs, she woudnt have a problem not eating them, and it would have lasted longer than a week.
Posted by: Patsi | February 16, 2011 at 10:17 PM
I watched Oprah's vegan show and they whitewashed the part where the animals are killed and I was dissapointed that they did not show the true horrors these cows go through. How about the chickens,ducks,pigs, geese and turkeys? They did not show the torture and suffering they go through. The fact that the great and powerful Oprah was afraid of offending the cattle industry and fluffed the slaughter of the cows goes to show that even Oprah cannot stop the slaughter and suffering these farm animals go through because of the cattle and farming industries greed and coldheartedness to animals.
Posted by: Shannon Martel | February 17, 2011 at 10:33 AM
Thank you Gene for pointing out the positives of the Oprah show. To those that were disappointed in the show, or frustrated with how the meat industry was presented, consider the courage it took Oprah to even broach the subject of veganism on the show. It was only a few years ago that she was 'lynched' by the powerful Texas beef industry for saying something publicly against them. How many other globally influential talk show hosts are suggesting veganism as an option? Oprah deserves kudos for bringing the subject to her show. Her intentions were good and her heart is good. I believe she continually strives to move in the right direction. Lets give her the credit she deserves and instead, focus on the real evil here, the systemic animal abuse within the food industry. Go vegan!
Posted by: Sue S | February 18, 2011 at 01:05 PM