0:00:00.250,0:00:06.330
There are things we know are offensive to[br]say. Like “you, [bleeped], are an [bleeped].

0:00:06.330,0:00:13.400
I want to [bleeped] your mother and [bleeped]your[br]father [bleeped]stand up [bleeped] man.”

0:00:13.400,0:00:19.520
Okay, so here’s what I actually said. (I[br]do make videos for kids, after all.)

0:00:19.520,0:00:23.439
But there are certain common colloquialisms[br]many of us use everyday that you probably don't

0:00:23.439,0:00:28.739
realize are offensive. So I’m here to make you[br]feel bad about yet another thing that you do!

0:00:30.780,0:00:33.100
I thought I’d changed that[br]part of the script.

0:00:37.690,0:00:42.860
Hi it's Emily from Bite Size Vegan and welcome[br]to another vegan nugget. Words are powerful,

0:00:42.860,0:00:47.050
and how we talk about things and each other[br]greatly affects our perception. Anyone who

0:00:47.050,0:00:50.340
was given an unfortunate nickname in school[br]knows what I mean.

0:00:50.340,0:00:53.760
While our culture, at least in the United[br]States, has become more and more politically

0:00:53.760,0:00:58.989
correct with how we refer to and talk about[br]each other, one group remains continually

0:00:58.989,0:01:04.809
raked over the coals, even by those with the[br]most elegant elocution: non-human animals.

0:01:05.040,0:01:09.720
You horse’s ass! He eats like a pig! Let’s[br]kill two birds with one stone! There’s more

0:01:09.720,0:01:14.970
than one way to skin a cat! Not to beat a[br]dead horse, but… Like shooting fish in a barrel!

0:01:14.970,0:01:19.470
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush![br]She was bleeding like a stuck pig! He is

0:01:19.470,0:01:25.409
a total animal! What a bird-brain. This room is[br]a pigsty! Stop running around like a chicken

0:01:25.409,0:01:29.600
with its head cut off! He’s crafty…crafty[br]like a fox!

0:01:29.600,0:01:34.600
Oh that last one’s actually kinda nice.

0:01:34.600,0:01:39.360
Now before you dismiss this concept as silly,[br]let’s rephrase some of these sayings and

0:01:39.360,0:01:41.400
see if they still sound innocuous.

0:01:41.400,0:01:44.300
A kid in the van is worth two on the playground.

0:01:44.300,0:01:46.840
There’s more than one way to traumatize[br]a toddler!

0:01:46.840,0:01:48.680
Let's beat two women with one stick.

0:01:48.680,0:01:50.939
Like shooting kids in a ball pit.

0:01:50.939,0:01:52.679
Let’s not beat a dead hooker.

0:01:53.140,0:01:57.280
Suddenly, these phrases seem far less acceptable[br]and harmless. So why is it okay for us to

0:01:57.280,0:02:02.009
use violent and hateful phrases with animals?[br]Is it because they can’t understand us?

0:02:02.009,0:02:03.899
Or because we don’t mean it literally?

0:02:03.899,0:02:08.009
Well, the issue isn’t whether animals can[br]understand us, it’s the perception and permissibility

0:02:08.009,0:02:13.000
that this language creates. Like the idea[br]that pigs are dirty, gluttonous, and amoral.

0:02:13.000,0:02:16.200
when in fact they are very clean and intelligent animals.

0:02:16.200,0:02:20.160
Strangely enough we even[br]say “I’m sweating like a pig” when pigs

0:02:20.170,0:02:25.069
cannot sweat! That’s why they bathe in mud,[br]leading to another misnomer, “as happy as a

0:02:25.069,0:02:29.909
pig in sh—t.” While a pig actually in feces[br]would not be thrilled.

0:02:29.909,0:02:34.700
Other inaccuracies include “bird-brain,”[br]meaning stupid, when birds are far more intelligent

0:02:34.700,0:02:39.560
than we give them credit for. And “you’re[br]chicken,” meaning cowardly, when I can tell

0:02:39.560,0:02:45.099
you first hand that an angry chicken or rooster[br]has no issue with charging a being significantly

0:02:45.099,0:02:48.069
larger than them and can[br]seriously mess you up.

0:02:48.069,0:02:51.750
I’m talking to you, Napoleon at SASHA Farm[br]Animal Samctuary.

0:02:53.640,0:02:58.260
Then there’s “like a lamb to slaughter,”[br]meaning being calmly unaware of your impending

0:02:58.260,0:03:03.140
doom, when any lamb I’ve seen on their way[br]to slaughter is anything but serene.

0:03:03.140,0:03:09.500
And why is a horse’s ass any more incompetent[br]than any other ass? Even an ass’ ass?

0:03:09.510,0:03:14.129
The most disturbing are, of course the violent[br]ones. Skinning a cat, killing birds with stones,

0:03:14.129,0:03:18.959
bleeding a stuck pig, beating a dead horse,[br]shooting fish in a barrel. Yes these are just

0:03:18.959,0:03:22.930
sayings, usually uttered without a thought,[br]but language has power.

0:03:22.930,0:03:27.299
We call animals “it” instead of “she”[br]or “he.” We “process” them instead

0:03:27.299,0:03:32.720
of killing them. We “cull” wildlife instead[br]of carry out systematic slaughter. We “own”

0:03:32.720,0:03:36.950
them instead of enslaving them. We “inseminate”[br]them instead of raping them.

0:03:36.950,0:03:41.610
It’s interesting how acceptable it is to[br]express violent and hateful speech about animals,

0:03:41.610,0:03:46.799
yet when we name the things we do to them[br]for what they are, everyone bristles. We say

0:03:46.799,0:03:51.629
these sayings and phrases are harmless yet[br]we get up in arms when certain words are used

0:03:51.629,0:03:57.010
for animals. Why are enslavement, murder,[br]and rape reserved for humans? Using these

0:03:57.010,0:04:01.629
words for animals doesn’t detract from the[br]validity of what human victims have been through,

0:04:01.629,0:04:05.310
it gives validity to what non-human victims[br]are going through.

0:04:05.310,0:04:10.510
We resist validating the atrocities animals[br]experience, then we refer to someone as an

0:04:10.510,0:04:15.709
“animal” when they’ve committed depraved,[br]horrific acts that only the human animal commits.

0:04:15.709,0:04:20.979
When we speak of animals as if they are dirty,[br]worthless, stupid, disposable “its” lacking

0:04:20.979,0:04:25.220
any identity or value, it allows us to stay[br]disconnected to the reality of what we are

0:04:25.220,0:04:30.530
doing to them. We treat them like property[br]with our actions, our language, and our laws.

0:04:30.530,0:04:35.300
We devalue them in the most casual of contexts. So let's be more mindful of what we're saying.

0:04:35.300,0:04:38.320
And really listen for the violence and dismissal in our words.

0:04:38.320,0:04:42.680
Try busting out some of the substitutions[br]I gave earlier and see the reaction you get

0:04:42.690,0:04:48.360
when we turn the tables of our terms on ourselves.[br]Or use innocuous or even positive terms like

0:04:48.360,0:04:53.040
“more than one way to peel a potato” or[br]“save two birds with one home.”

0:04:53.380,0:04:59.360
Language has power. Let’s not use it to[br]continually devalue and victimize animals,

0:04:59.360,0:05:04.229
but instead to validate what they are going[br]through, with words that nobody owns.

0:05:04.229,0:05:08.400
I hope you enjoyed this carefully worded nugget.[br]I’d love to hear from you – are there

0:05:08.400,0:05:12.960
any other animal-based sayings in your culture[br]or family? What do you think of the implications

0:05:12.960,0:05:15.110
of such phrases? Let me know in the comments!

0:05:15.110,0:05:18.830
If you liked this video, do give it[br]a thumbs up and share it around to raise awareness

0:05:18.830,0:05:22.060
of our words. If you’re new here, I’d[br]love to have you as a subscriber. I put out

0:05:22.060,0:05:26.300
fresh content covering all aspects of veganism[br]every Monday, Wednesday and some Fridays.

0:05:26.300,0:05:30.400
To help support Bite Size Vegan’s educational[br]efforts, please see the support links below

0:05:30.400,0:05:33.280
or click on the Nugget Army icon or the link in the sidebar.

0:05:33.280,0:05:36.820
Now go live vegan, think before you speak, and I’ll see you soon.

0:05:36.830,0:05:37.730
While our c---

0:05:38.140,0:05:38.900
While our cour---

0:05:39.720,0:05:42.640
While our-- While...Our..Culture...

0:05:43.940,0:05:45.240
While our culture...

0:05:45.840,0:05:48.380
That's a hard...thing to say.