Why is Morrissey not vegan?

Shame

New Member
I apologise if it's been discussed before, but it's confused me for a while - Morrissey is clearly very passionate about the rights of animals, but remains 'only' vegetarian. I understand that his "fizzy drink of choice" is Fanta, but I also understand that Fanta contains fish by-products.

He's a big fan of toast and butter, it seems, and cups of tea naturally, but he must surely know that contributing to the dairy industry also fuels the meat industry he so vehemently despises. In Mozipedia, it's mentioned that during the Bona Drag production, "all the recipes he asked the cook for were all dairy based, full of cream and very rich." Andy Rourke states that "everything was egg based."

Johnny Marr, on the other hand, is vegan, though it's rarely mentioned in contrast with the frequency of Morrissey's PETA-esque statements and quips ("I can smell burning flesh... I hope to God it's human.")

Love the man's poetry; his music, but as a character he's sometimes difficult to comprehend, if that makes sense.
 
Because veganism is not decadent.
 
I understand that his "fizzy drink of choice" is Fanta, but I also understand that Fanta contains fish by-products.

This is actually not true anymore. Fanta used to contain fish gelatine, but 2009/10 they stopped using it. Fanta now can be consumed even by vegans :)
 
While the argument that the dairy industry is intrinsically tied to the meat industry is completely true, perhaps Morrissey feels comfortable consuming butter, milk and eggs on an "at one" level. He fights to preserve the lives of the animals and in turn, appreciates the gift they are able to give him of their milk and eggs. It sounds corny but on a quasi-spiritual level it makes sense. Nature has equipped a chicked to lay an infertile egg, instead of her labor going to waste, we eat it. Mind you it is not ideal that we pump chickens with hormones to lay MORE eggs, but if you bring it back to the original system nature intended, it's beyond acceptible to eat natures gifts, so long as that gift isn't a sacrifice of a life. I hope that makes sense and I realize that by todays effed up standards there are a lot of problems with this argument.
 
While the argument that the dairy industry is intrinsically tied to the meat industry is completely true, perhaps Morrissey feels comfortable consuming butter, milk and eggs on an "at one" level. He fights to preserve the lives of the animals and in turn, appreciates the gift they are able to give him of their milk and eggs. It sounds corny but on a quasi-spiritual level it makes sense. Nature has equipped a chicked to lay an infertile egg, instead of her labor going to waste, we eat it. Mind you it is not ideal that we pump chickens with hormones to lay MORE eggs, but if you bring it back to the original system nature intended, it's beyond acceptible to eat natures gifts, so long as that gift isn't a sacrifice of a life. I hope that makes sense and I realize that by todays effed up standards there are a lot of problems with this argument.

Good point. I'm sure he buys free range, although admittedly a lot of commercial free range eggs are far from being perfectly ethical. When you bring the use of dairy and eggs back to a kinder and more natural system it does seem somewhat more justifiable. I'm 'just' a vegetarian too though, so I realise my point of view on the issue is slightly more relaxed than a vegan's. Also, there's always more everyone could do to be more ethical generally (nobody's perfect and you can't avoid everything), but overall I think the most important thing is to be aware of the issues and to do something, and vegetarianism/concern about animal testing etc contributes to that.

Also, from reading the food bit in Mozipedia he seems terribly fussy, which probably makes things harder (it's hard enough being an extremely picky vegetarian, speaking from experience :p).
 
I think the answer to this burning question is that it's his choice, and he's decided not to be a vegan.

P.
 
Attacking Morrissey for not being vegan is harsh considering all he has done for vegetarianism and animal rights. Veganism is the absolute ideal, the ultimate animal-free lifestyle. For whatever reasons, personal or practical, not everybody can achieve that ideal but to be vegetarian is ENOUGH.

A better question which has been asked on this site many times before, is why do so many Morrissey fans still eat meat? I find it infinitely more upsetting that somebody in a Morrissey t-shirt would buy a Big Mac than the thought of Morrissey eating an omelette. This is THE issue.
 
Attacking Morrissey for not being vegan is harsh considering all he has done for vegetarianism and animal rights. Veganism is the absolute ideal, the ultimate animal-free lifestyle. For whatever reasons, personal or practical, not everybody can achieve that ideal but to be vegetarian is ENOUGH.

A better question which has been asked on this site many times before, is why do so many Morrissey fans still eat meat? I find it infinitely more upsetting that somebody in a Morrissey t-shirt would buy a Big Mac than the thought of Morrissey eating an omelette. This is THE issue.

Many non-vege users already answered that although they enjoy listening to Smiths and Morrissey's music and support animal rights issues, no intention of giving up their life style choice.
 
Thanks for the replies, folks.
I wasn't "attacking" Morrissey at all, which is an odd assumption. I was just (understandably, I hope) confused by the severity of Morrissey's love of animals and his use of the dairy industry. Forgive me for that, I guess.

Anyway, yes, thank you all. :)
 
Thanks for the replies, folks.
I wasn't "attacking" Morrissey at all, which is an odd assumption. I was just (understandably, I hope) confused by the severity of Morrissey's love of animals and his use of the dairy industry. Forgive me for that, I guess.

Anyway, yes, thank you all. :)

It's a fair question; I wonder myself. For someone who makes such a massive fuss about it, it does seem morally inconsistent for him to continue to consume the by-products of animal suffering, especially now when it's easier to be a vegan than ever before. And I don't think that saying "it's his choice" makes it sound any less flaky. Quite the opposite, in fact. If we respect the rights of animals only when we're in the mood, what does that make us?
 
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