1 00:00:00,250 --> 00:00:06,330 There are things we know are offensive to say. Like “you, [bleeped], are an [bleeped]. 2 00:00:06,330 --> 00:00:13,400 I want to [bleeped] your mother and [bleeped]your father [bleeped]stand up [bleeped] man.” 3 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:19,520 Okay, so here’s what I actually said. (I do make videos for kids, after all.) 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,439 But there are certain common colloquialisms many of us use everyday that you probably don't 5 00:00:23,439 --> 00:00:28,739 realize are offensive. So I’m here to make you feel bad about yet another thing that you do! 6 00:00:30,780 --> 00:00:33,100 I thought I’d changed that part of the script. 7 00:00:37,690 --> 00:00:42,860 Hi it's Emily from Bite Size Vegan and welcome to another vegan nugget. Words are powerful, 8 00:00:42,860 --> 00:00:47,050 and how we talk about things and each other greatly affects our perception. Anyone who 9 00:00:47,050 --> 00:00:50,340 was given an unfortunate nickname in school knows what I mean. 10 00:00:50,340 --> 00:00:53,760 While our culture, at least in the United States, has become more and more politically 11 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:58,989 correct with how we refer to and talk about each other, one group remains continually 12 00:00:58,989 --> 00:01:04,809 raked over the coals, even by those with the most elegant elocution: non-human animals. 13 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,720 You horse’s ass! He eats like a pig! Let’s kill two birds with one stone! There’s more 14 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:14,970 than one way to skin a cat! Not to beat a dead horse, but… Like shooting fish in a barrel! 15 00:01:14,970 --> 00:01:19,470 A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush! She was bleeding like a stuck pig! He is 16 00:01:19,470 --> 00:01:25,409 a total animal! What a bird-brain. This room is a pigsty! Stop running around like a chicken 17 00:01:25,409 --> 00:01:29,600 with its head cut off! He’s crafty…crafty like a fox! 18 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,600 Oh that last one’s actually kinda nice. 19 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:39,360 Now before you dismiss this concept as silly, let’s rephrase some of these sayings and 20 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,400 see if they still sound innocuous. 21 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,300 A kid in the van is worth two on the playground. 22 00:01:44,300 --> 00:01:46,840 There’s more than one way to traumatize a toddler! 23 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:48,680 Let's beat two women with one stick. 24 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:50,939 Like shooting kids in a ball pit. 25 00:01:50,939 --> 00:01:52,679 Let’s not beat a dead hooker. 26 00:01:53,140 --> 00:01:57,280 Suddenly, these phrases seem far less acceptable and harmless. So why is it okay for us to 27 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:02,009 use violent and hateful phrases with animals? Is it because they can’t understand us? 28 00:02:02,009 --> 00:02:03,899 Or because we don’t mean it literally? 29 00:02:03,899 --> 00:02:08,009 Well, the issue isn’t whether animals can understand us, it’s the perception and permissibility 30 00:02:08,009 --> 00:02:13,000 that this language creates. Like the idea that pigs are dirty, gluttonous, and amoral. 31 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,200 when in fact they are very clean and intelligent animals. 32 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,160 Strangely enough we even say “I’m sweating like a pig” when pigs 33 00:02:20,170 --> 00:02:25,069 cannot sweat! That’s why they bathe in mud, leading to another misnomer, “as happy as a 34 00:02:25,069 --> 00:02:29,909 pig in sh—t.” While a pig actually in feces would not be thrilled. 35 00:02:29,909 --> 00:02:34,700 Other inaccuracies include “bird-brain,” meaning stupid, when birds are far more intelligent 36 00:02:34,700 --> 00:02:39,560 than we give them credit for. And “you’re chicken,” meaning cowardly, when I can tell 37 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:45,099 you first hand that an angry chicken or rooster has no issue with charging a being significantly 38 00:02:45,099 --> 00:02:48,069 larger than them and can seriously mess you up. 39 00:02:48,069 --> 00:02:51,750 I’m talking to you, Napoleon at SASHA Farm Animal Samctuary. 40 00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:58,260 Then there’s “like a lamb to slaughter,” meaning being calmly unaware of your impending 41 00:02:58,260 --> 00:03:03,140 doom, when any lamb I’ve seen on their way to slaughter is anything but serene. 42 00:03:03,140 --> 00:03:09,500 And why is a horse’s ass any more incompetent than any other ass? Even an ass’ ass? 43 00:03:09,510 --> 00:03:14,129 The most disturbing are, of course the violent ones. Skinning a cat, killing birds with stones, 44 00:03:14,129 --> 00:03:18,959 bleeding a stuck pig, beating a dead horse, shooting fish in a barrel. Yes these are just 45 00:03:18,959 --> 00:03:22,930 sayings, usually uttered without a thought, but language has power. 46 00:03:22,930 --> 00:03:27,299 We call animals “it” instead of “she” or “he.” We “process” them instead 47 00:03:27,299 --> 00:03:32,720 of killing them. We “cull” wildlife instead of carry out systematic slaughter. We “own” 48 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,950 them instead of enslaving them. We “inseminate” them instead of raping them. 49 00:03:36,950 --> 00:03:41,610 It’s interesting how acceptable it is to express violent and hateful speech about animals, 50 00:03:41,610 --> 00:03:46,799 yet when we name the things we do to them for what they are, everyone bristles. We say 51 00:03:46,799 --> 00:03:51,629 these sayings and phrases are harmless yet we get up in arms when certain words are used 52 00:03:51,629 --> 00:03:57,010 for animals. Why are enslavement, murder, and rape reserved for humans? Using these 53 00:03:57,010 --> 00:04:01,629 words for animals doesn’t detract from the validity of what human victims have been through, 54 00:04:01,629 --> 00:04:05,310 it gives validity to what non-human victims are going through. 55 00:04:05,310 --> 00:04:10,510 We resist validating the atrocities animals experience, then we refer to someone as an 56 00:04:10,510 --> 00:04:15,709 “animal” when they’ve committed depraved, horrific acts that only the human animal commits. 57 00:04:15,709 --> 00:04:20,979 When we speak of animals as if they are dirty, worthless, stupid, disposable “its” lacking 58 00:04:20,979 --> 00:04:25,220 any identity or value, it allows us to stay disconnected to the reality of what we are 59 00:04:25,220 --> 00:04:30,530 doing to them. We treat them like property with our actions, our language, and our laws. 60 00:04:30,530 --> 00:04:35,300 We devalue them in the most casual of contexts. So let's be more mindful of what we're saying. 61 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:38,320 And really listen for the violence and dismissal in our words. 62 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,680 Try busting out some of the substitutions I gave earlier and see the reaction you get 63 00:04:42,690 --> 00:04:48,360 when we turn the tables of our terms on ourselves. Or use innocuous or even positive terms like 64 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,040 “more than one way to peel a potato” or “save two birds with one home.” 65 00:04:53,380 --> 00:04:59,360 Language has power. Let’s not use it to continually devalue and victimize animals, 66 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:04,229 but instead to validate what they are going through, with words that nobody owns. 67 00:05:04,229 --> 00:05:08,400 I hope you enjoyed this carefully worded nugget. I’d love to hear from you – are there 68 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,960 any other animal-based sayings in your culture or family? What do you think of the implications 69 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,110 of such phrases? Let me know in the comments! 70 00:05:15,110 --> 00:05:18,830 If you liked this video, do give it a thumbs up and share it around to raise awareness 71 00:05:18,830 --> 00:05:22,060 of our words. If you’re new here, I’d love to have you as a subscriber. I put out 72 00:05:22,060 --> 00:05:26,300 fresh content covering all aspects of veganism every Monday, Wednesday and some Fridays. 73 00:05:26,300 --> 00:05:30,400 To help support Bite Size Vegan’s educational efforts, please see the support links below 74 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,280 or click on the Nugget Army icon or the link in the sidebar. 75 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:36,820 Now go live vegan, think before you speak, and I’ll see you soon. 76 00:05:36,830 --> 00:05:37,730 While our c--- 77 00:05:38,140 --> 00:05:38,900 While our cour--- 78 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,640 While our-- While...Our..Culture... 79 00:05:43,940 --> 00:05:45,240 While our culture... 80 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:48,380 That's a hard...thing to say.