Editing Vegetarianism (section)

==Media==
Vegetarianism is occasionally [[List of fictional vegetarian characters|depicted in mass media]]. Some scholars have argued that [[mass media]] serves as a "source of information for individuals" interested in vegetarianism or [[veganism]],<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Reymond |first=Stephane |date=June 1, 2016 |title=Vegetarianism/Veganism: A Sociological Analysis |type=Masters |publisher=Texas A&M University |url=https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/157868/REYMOND-THESIS-2016.pdf |pages=39, 41, 57 |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-date=October 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007215518/https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/157868/REYMOND-THESIS-2016.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> while there are "increasing social sanctions against eating meat".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rothgerber |first1=Hank |date=November 12, 2012 |title=Real Men Don't Eat (Vegetable) Quiche: Masculinity and the Justification of Meat Consumption |url=https://foodethics.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/p_foodethik/Rothgerber__Hank_2012._Real_Men_Dont_Eat_-Vegetable-__Quiche._Masculinity_and_the_Justification_of_Meat_Consumption.pdf |journal=Psychology of Men & Masculinity |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=2–3 |doi=10.1037/a0030379 |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920042212/https://foodethics.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/p_foodethik/Rothgerber__Hank_2012._Real_Men_Dont_Eat_-Vegetable-__Quiche._Masculinity_and_the_Justification_of_Meat_Consumption.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Consumer Attitudes Towards Environm">{{cite journal |last1=Sanchez-Sabate |first1=Ruben |last2=Sabaté |first2=Joan |date=April 2019 |title=Consumer Attitudes Towards Environmental Concerns of Meat Consumption: A Systematic Review |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |volume=16 |issue=7 |page=1220 |doi=10.3390/ijerph16071220 |pmid=30959755 |pmc=6479556 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Over time, societal attitudes of vegetarianism have changed, as have perceptions of vegetarianism in popular culture, leading to more "vegetarian sentiment".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://themillions.com/2018/06/what-the-caged-bird-feels-a-list-of-writers-in-support-of-vegetarianism.html |title=What the Caged Bird Feels: A List of Writers in Support of Vegetarianism |last=Kim |first=Elizabeth Solis |date=June 29, 2018 |website=[[The Millions]] |access-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007120153/https://themillions.com/2018/06/what-the-caged-bird-feels-a-list-of-writers-in-support-of-vegetarianism.html |archive-date=October 7, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Even so, there are still existing "meat-based" food metaphors which infuse daily speech,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/how-the-rise-of-veganism-may-tenderise-fictional-language-106576 |title=How the rise of veganism may tenderise fictional language |last=Hazmah |first=Shareena Z. |date=November 22, 2018 |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] |access-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124225850/https://theconversation.com/how-the-rise-of-veganism-may-tenderise-fictional-language-106576 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> and those who are vegetarian and vegan are met with "acceptance, tolerance, or hostility" after they divulge they are vegetarian or vegan.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Lindquist |first=Anna |date=May 2013 |chapter=Introduction |title=Beyond Hippies and Rabbit Food: The Social Effects of Vegetarianism and Veganism |type=Undergraduate |publisher=[[University of Puget Sound]] |chapter-url=https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=csoc_theses |access-date=December 3, 2020 |pages=1, 3, 6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009005124/https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=csoc_theses |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some writers, such as John L. Cunningham, editor of the Vegetarian Resource Group's newsletter, have argued for "more sympathetic vegetarian characters in the mass media".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cunningham |first=June L. |date=June 2002 |title=Notes from the Editor |url=https://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/2002jun.htm |magazine=The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter |publisher=Vegetarian Resource Group |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618044614/https://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/2002jun.htm |archive-date=June 18, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Literature===
In Western literature, vegetarianism, and topics that relate to it, have informed a "gamut of literary genres", whether [[literary fiction]] or those fictions focusing on [[utopias]], [[dystopias]], or [[apocalypses]], with authors shaped by questions about human identity and "our relation to the environment", implicating vegetarianism and veganism.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/20/top-10-books-about-vegetarians |title=Top 10 books about vegetarians |last=Kirshenbaum |first=Binnie |date=November 20, 2019 |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229181842/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/20/top-10-books-about-vegetarians |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theoxfordblue.co.uk/2020/09/01/love-death-and-quorn-vegetarianism-in-literature/ |title=Love, death and Quorn: vegetarianism in literature |last=Khulusi |first=Ella |date=September 1, 2020 |website=The Oxford Blue |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012025604/https://www.theoxfordblue.co.uk/2020/09/01/love-death-and-quorn-vegetarianism-in-literature/ |archive-date=October 12, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Others have pointed to the lack of "memorable characters" who are vegetarian.<ref name="Martin2016">{{cite news |url=https://lithub.com/5-fictional-vegetarians-who-defy-stereotypes/ |title=5 Fictional Vegetarians Who Defy Stereotypes |last=Martin |first=Kristen |date=August 17, 2016 |work=Lit Hub |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617192439/https://lithub.com/5-fictional-vegetarians-who-defy-stereotypes/ |archive-date=June 17, 2020}}</ref> There are also vegetarian themes in [[horror fiction]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Packham |first1=Jimmy |date=September 14, 2019 |title=Children of the Quorn: The Vegetarian, Raw, and the Horrors of Vegetarianism |url=https://gothicnaturejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Packham_78-102_Gothic-Nature-1_2019.pdf |journal=Gothic Nature |volume=1 |pages=78–102 |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331062307/https://gothicnaturejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Packham_78-102_Gothic-Nature-1_2019.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[science fiction]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Bulleid |first=Joshua |date=2020 |editor1-last=Kendal |editor1-first=Zachary |editor2-last=Smith |editor2-first=Aisling |editor3-last=Champion |editor3-first=Giulia |editor4-last=Milner |editor4-first=Andrew |chapter=Better Societies for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: Vegetarianism and the Utopian Tradition |title=Ethical Futures and Global Science Fiction |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hKbMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 |location=[[London]] |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |pages=65–66 |isbn=9783030278939 |access-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212023409/https://books.google.com/books?id=hKbMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 |url-status=live }}</ref> and poetry.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rourke |first=Lee |date=May 11, 2015 |title=Trauma, vegetarianism, and poetry: the best new novels |url=https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4872/trauma-vegetarianism-and-poetry-the-best-new-novels |magazine=[[New Humanist]] |location=[[London]] |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724221027/https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4872/trauma-vegetarianism-and-poetry-the-best-new-novels |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1818, [[Mary Shelley]] published the novel ''[[Frankenstein]]''. Writer and [[animal rights]] advocate [[Carol J. Adams]] argued in her seminal book, ''[[The Sexual Politics of Meat]]'' that [[Frankenstein's monster|the unnamed creature]] in the novel was a vegetarian.<ref>{{cite book |last=Adams |first=Carol J. |year=2010 |orig-year=1990 |chapter=Frankenstein's Vegetarian Monster |title=The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory |edition=20th Anniversary |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_uK-RFEqfu0C&pg=PA148 |location=[[London]] |publisher=[[A&C Black]] |pages=148–161 |isbn=978-1441173287 |access-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212023406/https://books.google.com/books?id=_uK-RFEqfu0C&pg=PA148 |url-status=live }}</ref> She argued that the book was "indebted to the vegetarian climate" of its day and that vegetarianism is a major theme in the novel as a whole. She notes that the creature gives an "emotional speech" talking about its dietary principles, which makes it a "more sympathetic being" than others. She also said that it connected with [[Vegetarianism in the Romantic Era]] who believed that the [[Garden of Eden]] was meatless, rewrote the myth of [[Prometheus]], the ideas of [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]], and [[feminist]] symbolism. Adams concludes that it is more likely that the "vegetarian revelations" in the novel are "silenced" due to the lack of a "framework into which we can assimilate them." Apart from Adams, scholar Suzanne Samples pointed to "gendered spaces of eating and consumption" within [[Victorian era|Victorian England]] which influenced literary characters of the time.<ref name="samples">{{cite thesis |last=Samples |first=Suzanne |date=August 3, 2013 |title=Disorderly Eating in Victorian England |type=PhD |publisher=[[Auburn University]] |url=https://etd.auburn.edu/bitstream/handle/10415/3775/DISSERTATION2013Samples.pdf;jsessionid=D4DD20AEADBEECFE93EDD75AE969B7DC?sequence=2 |access-date=December 10, 2020 |pages=ii, 1-31, 39-40, 57-58 |archive-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008213232/https://etd.auburn.edu/bitstream/handle/10415/3775/DISSERTATION2013Samples.pdf;jsessionid=D4DD20AEADBEECFE93EDD75AE969B7DC?sequence=2 |url-status=live }}</ref> This included works such as [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson]]'s poem titled ''[[The Charge of the Light Brigade (poem)|The Charge of the Light Brigade]],'' [[Christina Rossetti]]'s volume of poetry titled ''[[Goblin Market and Other Poems]]'', [[Lewis Carroll]]'s ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', [[Mary Seacole]]'s autographical account titled ''[[Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands]]'', and [[Anthony Trollope]]'s novel titled ''[[Orley Farm (novel)|Orley Farm]]''. Samples also argued that vegetarianism in the Victorian era "presented a unique lifestyle choice that avoided meat but promoted an awareness of health", which initially was seen as rebellious but later became more normalized.<ref name="samples" />

In [[Irene Clyde]]'s 1909 [[feminist utopia]]n novel, ''[[Beatrice the Sixteenth]]'', Mary Hatherley accidentally [[Time travel|travels through time]], discovering a [[lost world]], which is a [[Postgenderism|postgender]] society named Armeria, with the inhabitants following a strict vegetarian diet, having ceased to slaughter animals for over a thousand years. Some reviewers of the book praised the vegetarianism of the Armerians.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=G.|first=A.|date=January 1910|title=In Womanland|url=https://www.nevillegoddardbooks.com/PDF%20BOOKS/theosophist_v31_n4_jan_1910.pdf|journal=The Theosophist|volume=31|issue=4|pages=538|access-date=December 12, 2022|archive-date=November 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127142618/https://www.nevillegoddardbooks.com/PDF%20BOOKS/theosophist_v31_n4_jan_1910.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[James Joyce]]'s 1922 novel, ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]'' is said to have vegetarian themes. Scholar Peter Adkins argued that while Joyce was critical of the vegetarianism of George A.E. Russell, the novel engages with "questions of animal ethics through its portrayal of Ireland's cattle industry, animal slaughter and the cultural currency of meat," unlike some of his other novels. He also stated that the novel "historicizes and theorizes animal life and death," and that it demonstrates the ways that symbolism and materiality of meat are "co-opted within patriarchal political structures," putting it in the same space as theorists like [[Carol J. Adams]], [[Donna J. Haraway]], [[Laura Wright]], and [[Cary Wolfe]], and writers such as [[J. M. Coetzee]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Adkins |first1=Peter |date=2017 |title=The Eyes of That Cow: Eating Animals and Theorizing Vegetarianism in James Joyce'sUlysses |journal=Humanities |volume=6 |issue=46 |pages=2–6 |doi=10.3390/H6030046 |s2cid=157246928 |doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11820/9ff4960b-064d-4cc4-a54c-a0a1f50fbff9 |hdl-access=free }} [https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/6/3/46 ALT URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212023409/https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/6/3/46 |date=December 12, 2022 }}</ref>

In 1997, S. Reneé Wheeler wrote in the ''Vegetarian Journal'', saying that "finding books with vegetarian themes" is important for helping children "feel legitimate in being vegetarian."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Wheeler |first=S. Reneé |title=The Importance of Vegetarian Culture |journal=Vegetarian Journal |date=September–October 1997 |volume=16 |issue=5 |url=https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj97sep/979cult.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119074124/https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj97sep/979cult.htm |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=December 10, 2020}}</ref> In 2004, writer [[J. M. Coetzee]] argued that since the "mode of consciousness of nonhuman species is quite different from human consciousness," it is hard for writers to realize this for animals, with a "temptation to project upon them feelings and thoughts that [[Anthropomorphism|may belong only to our own human mind and heart]]," and stated that reviewers have ignored the presence of animals in his books. He also stated that animals are present in his "fiction either not at all or in a merely subsidiary role" because they occupy "a subsidiary place in our lives" and argued that it is not "possible to write about the inner lives of animals in any complex way."<ref>{{cite interview |last=Coetzee |first=J.M. |subject-link=J. M. Coetzee |interviewer=Henrik Engström |title=Animals, Humans, Cruelty and Literature: A Rare Interview with J. M. Coetzee |url=http://www.satyamag.com/may04/coetzee.html |publisher=Setya |location=Sweden |date=May 2004 |work=Djurens Rätt |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014003320/http://www.satyamag.com/may04/coetzee.html |archive-date=October 14, 2020 |url-status=live}} Reprinted from Djurens Rätt (magazine)</ref>

In 2014, ''[[The New Yorker]]'' published a [[short story]] by [[Jonathan Lethem]] titled "Pending Vegan"<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lethem |first=Jonathan |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Pending Vegan |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/04/07/pending-vegan |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |location=United States |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022094643/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/04/07/pending-vegan |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> which follows "one family, a husband and wife and their four-year-old twin daughters" on a trip to [[SeaWorld]] in [[San Diego]], [[California]]. The protagonist of the story, Paul Espeseth, renames himself "Pending Vegan" in order to acknowledge his "increasing uneasiness with the relationship between man and beast."<ref>{{cite interview |last=Lethem |first=Jonathan |interviewer=Cressida Leyshon |title=This Week in Fiction: Jonathan Lethem |url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/this-week-in-fiction-jonathan-lethem |location=United States |date=March 30, 2014 |work=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116131207/http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/this-week-in-fiction-jonathan-lethem |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, a three-part Korean novel by [[Han Kang]] titled ''[[The Vegetarian]]'' was published in the U.S.,{{efn|It was published in 2015 in the U.K. and in [[South Korea]] in 2007}} which focuses on a woman named Young-hye, who "sees vegetarianism as a way of not inflicting harm on anything," with eating meat symbolizing human violence itself, and later identifies as a plant rather than as a human "and stops eating entirely."<ref>{{cite interview |last=Kang |first=Han |subject-link=Han Kang |title=K-Literature Writers: Han Kang |url=https://library.ltikorea.or.kr/node/15724 |publisher=Digital Library of Korean Literature |location=Online |date=October 20, 2014 |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210211740/https://library.ltikorea.or.kr/node/15724 |archive-date=December 10, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some argued the book was 
more about [[mental illness]] than vegetarianism.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crf.org.sg/blogs/uncategorized/reading-while-vegan-review-of-sapiens |title=Reading While Vegan: Review of 'Sapiens' |last=Jacobs |first=George |date=2020 |website=Center for a Responsible Future |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007180433/https://www.crf.org.sg/blogs/uncategorized/reading-while-vegan-review-of-sapiens |archive-date=October 7, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Others compared it to fictional works by [[Margaret Atwood]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Chloë |year=2020 |chapter=Vegan madness: Han Kang's The Vegetarian |chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003014270/chapters/10.4324/9781003014270-16 |editor1-last=Jenkins |editor1-first=Stephanie |editor2-last=Montford |editor2-first=Kelly Struthers |editor3-last=Taylor |editor3-first=Chloë |title=Disability and Animality Crip Perspectives in Critical Animal Studies |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003014270 |language=en |location=[[London]] |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |doi=10.4324/9781003014270 |isbn=9781003014270 |s2cid=214241975 |access-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405220130/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003014270/disability-animality-chlo%C3%AB-taylor-kelly-struthers-montford-stephanie-jenkins |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Television===
Vegetarians, and vegetarian themes, have appeared in various TV shows, such as ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', ''[[True Blood]]'', ''[[The Simpsons]]'', ''[[King of the Hill]]'', and ''[[South Park]]''.<ref name="publicbooks">{{cite web |url=https://www.publicbooks.org/the-vegan-resistance/ |title=The Vegan Resistance |last=Zieger |first=Susan |date=July 26, 2017 |website=Public Books |access-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323032039/https://www.publicbooks.org/the-vegan-resistance/ |archive-date=March 23, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="avclub" /><ref name="siegel2015" /><ref name=commentary />

Mr. [[Spock]] of ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' has been called "television's first vegetarian." He and his fellow [[Vulcans]] do not eat meat due to a "philosophy of non-violence."<ref name="Laughton">{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/you-dont-win-friends-with-saladtvs-best-and-worst-vegetarians-20150918-gjpo0b.html |title='You don't win friends with salad': TV's best (and worst) vegetarians |last=Laughton |first=Ellen |date=September 21, 2015 |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906233350/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/you-dont-win-friends-with-saladtvs-best-and-worst-vegetarians-20150918-gjpo0b.html |archive-date=September 6, 2020}}</ref> He is identified as vegetarian following an episode where he was "transported back to pre-civilised times" and ate meat, and in Richard Marranca, in an issue of the ''Vegetarian Journal'', said that for Spock, like [[Kwai Chang Caine]] in [[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|''Kung Fu'']], "vegetarianism was something authentic and taken for granted; it was the right thing to do based on compassion and logic."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Marranca |first=Richard |title=Vegging Out with Kung Fu and Star Trek |journal=Vegetarian Journal |date=2007 |issue=4 |url=https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_vegging_out.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211014925/https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_vegging_out.php |archive-date=December 11, 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=December 10, 2020}}</ref>

In 1995, ''The Simpsons'' episode "[[Lisa the Vegetarian]]" aired. Before recording their lines for the episode, showrunner David Mirkin, who had recently stopped consuming meat, gave Linda and Paul McCartney "a container of his favorite turkey substitute," with both voicing characters in an episode which focused around vegetarianism.<ref name="siegel2015">{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2015/10/the-simpsons-lisa-the-vegetarian-episode-changed-the-image-of-vegetarians-on-tv.html |title=Celebrating "Lisa the Vegetarian," the Simpsons Episode That Changed the Image of Vegetarians on TV |last=Siegel |first=Alan |date=October 12, 2015 |website=[[Slate (website)|Slate]] |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328051904/https://slate.com/culture/2015/10/the-simpsons-lisa-the-vegetarian-episode-changed-the-image-of-vegetarians-on-tv.html |archive-date=March 28, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Critic Alan Siegel said that before the episode vegetarians had been portrayed as "rarely as anything but one-dimensional hippies" but that this episode was different as it was "told from the point of view of the person becoming a vegetarian." He said that the episode was one of the "first times on television that vegetarians saw an honest depiction of themselves" and of people's reaction to their dietary choices. The idea for the episode was originally proposed by [[David X. Cohen]] and the McCartneys agreed on the condition that Lisa remain a vegetarian, with both satisfied with how the episode turned out.<ref name="siegel2015" /> In the episode, Lisa decides to stop eating meat after bonding with a lamb at a petting zoo. Her schoolmates and family members ridicule her for her beliefs, but with the help of Apu as well as [[Paul McCartney|Paul]] and [[Linda McCartney]], she commits to vegetarianism.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page5.shtml |title=Lisa the Vegetarian |access-date=November 30, 2008 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=[[BBC|British Broadcasting Corporation]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050309230714/https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page5.shtml|archive-date=March 9, 2005}}</ref> The staff promised that she would remain a vegetarian,<ref name="NZ">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sideswipe/news/article.cfm?c_id=702&objectid=10593582 |title=Sideswipe: McCartney keeps Lisa vegetarian |date=August 28, 2009 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220021534/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sideswipe/news/article.cfm?c_id=702&objectid=10593582 |archive-date=February 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2007/tv/news/simpsons-chat-closes-paley-fest-1117961291/ |title='Simpsons' chat closes Paley fest |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=March 16, 2007 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=December 28, 2008|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070324120018/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961291.html?categoryid=14&cs=1|archive-date=March 24, 2007}}</ref> resulting in one of the few permanent character changes made in the show.<ref name="Groening">Groening, Matt (2005). Commentary for "Lisa the Vegetarian", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a173417/david-mirkin-the-simpsons.html |title=David Mirkin ('The Simpsons') |last=French |first=Dan |date=August 24, 2009 |website=[[Digital Spy]] |access-date=August 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528214815/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/interviews/a173417/david-mirkin-the-simpsons/|archive-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref> In an August 2020 interview, McCartney said that he and is wife were worried that Lisa "would be a vegetarian for a week, then Homer would persuade her to eat a hot dog," but were assured by the producers that she would remain that way, and he was delighted that they "kept their word."<ref>{{cite interview |last=McCartney |first=Paul |interviewer=Dylan Jones |title=At home with Paul McCartney: His most candid interview yet |type=Online |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/paul-mccartney-interview |work=[[GQ (magazine)|GQ]] |date=August 4, 2020 |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210110859/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/paul-mccartney-interview |archive-date=December 10, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 1998, the ''[[King of the Hill]]'' episode "And They Call It Bobby Love" aired on FOX. In the episode, "[[Bobby Hill (King of the Hill)|Bobby]] has a relationship with a vegetarian named Marie. She later dumps him after he eats a steak in front of her."<ref name="avclub">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/10-episodes-that-made-iking-of-the-hilli-one-of-th-99687 |title=10 episodes that made King Of The Hill one of the most human cartoons ever |last=Koski |first=Genevieve |date=July 3, 2013 |publisher=[[The A.V. Club]] |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610051623/https://tv.avclub.com/10-episodes-that-made-king-of-the-hill-one-of-the-most-1798239025 |archive-date=June 10, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the March 2002 ''[[South Park]]'' episode "[[Fun with Veal]]", [[Stan Marsh]] becomes a vegetarian after he learns that veal is made of baby cows, which Cartman makes fun of. The episode ends with the boys, including Stan, getting grounded, but not before going out with their parents for burgers, meaning that Stan is no longer a vegetarian. In the DVD commentary, the creators said they wanted to balance their message of not eating baby animals, by at the same time not advocating people abstain from meat consumption altogether.<ref name=commentary>{{cite video | people=Trey Parker, Matt Stone|year=2005|title=South Park: The Complete Sixth Season: "Freak Strike"|medium=DVD|publisher=Comedy Central}}</ref>

[[Aang]], in the animated series ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Korra]]'' was vegetarian. According to the show's creators, "Buddhism and [[Taoism]] have been huge inspirations behind the idea for ''Avatar''."<ref name="NickMagInterview2" /> As shown in "The King of Omashu"<ref name="The King of Omashu">{{cite episode|title=The King of Omashu|airdate=2005-03-18|season=1|number=5|credits=Director: Anthony Lioi; Writer: John O'Bryan|series=Avatar: The Last Airbender|network=Nickelodeon}}</ref> and "The Headband",<ref name="The Headband">{{cite episode|title=The Headband|airdate=2007-09-28|season=3|number=2|credits=Director: Joaquim dos Santos; Writer: John O'Bryan|series=Avatar: The Last Airbender|network=Nickelodeon}}</ref> a notable aspect of Aang's character is his vegetarian diet,<ref name="Dean">{{Cite web|url=https://www.diversetechgeek.com/10-vegetarian-cartoon-characters/|title=10 noteworthy vegetarian cartoon characters|last1=Dean|first1=Anthony|website=Diverse Tech Geek|access-date=September 6, 2020|date=November 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906204226/https://www.diversetechgeek.com/10-vegetarian-cartoon-characters/|archive-date=September 6, 2020}}</ref> which is consistent with [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Taoism]].<ref name="NickMagInterview2">{{cite journal|last=DiMartino|first=Michael Dante|author-link=Michael Dante DiMartino|author2=Konietzko, Bryan|title=Myth Conceptions|journal=Nickelodeon Magazine|page=7|date=2006|issue=Winter 2006}}</ref> In the [[Brahmajala Sutta (Theravada)|Brahmajala Sutra]], a Buddhist code of ethics, vegetarianism is encouraged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.purifymind.com/BrahmaNetSutra.htm|title=Brahmajala Sutra Translated Text|access-date=2008-02-12|last=Jing|first=Fanwang|publisher=Purify Out Mind|page=4|quote=He must not create the causes ... and shall not intentionally kill any living creature.| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204235921/http://www.purifymind.com/BrahmaNetSutra.htm| archive-date= 4 February 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref>

Other fictional characters who are vegetarians include [[Count Duckula#Count Duckula|Count Duckula]] in ''[[Count Duckula]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.viva.org.uk/what-we-do/celebrity-supporters/count-duckula|title=Count Duckula|website=[[Viva! (organisation)|VIVA!]]|date=September 20, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511162230/https://www.viva.org.uk/what-we-do/celebrity-supporters/count-duckula|archive-date=May 11, 2015|url-status=live |author1=Admin }}</ref> [[Beast Boy]] in ''[[Teen Titans (TV series)|Teen Titans]]'' and ''[[Teen Titans Go!]]'', [[List of Supernatural characters#Vampires|Lenore]] in ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-cast-then-and-now |title=The Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast 20 years later... |last=Bayley |first=Leanne |date=March 2017 |work=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]] |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715183045/http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-cast-then-and-now |archive-date=July 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Shaggy Rogers|Norville "Shaggy" Rogers]] in the animated series ''[[What's New, Scooby Doo?]]''.<ref name="screenrant2020" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Thienenkamp|first=Marius|url=https://comicsverse.com/saving-human-lives-vegetarian-superheroes-animal-rights/|title=Saving Human Lives Only? Vegetarian Superheroes and Animal Rights|website=Comicsverse|date=January 26, 2015|access-date=December 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229171850/https://comicsverse.com/saving-human-lives-vegetarian-superheroes-animal-rights/|archive-date=December 29, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Before the latter animated series, Shaggy was known for having an "enormous appetite" earlier in the Scooby-Doo franchise. The decision to make Shaggy a vegetarian occurred after his voice actor, [[Casey Kasem]], convinced the producers to do so, since he was a vegan who supported [[animal rights]] and opposed [[factory farming]], saying he would refuse to voice Shaggy unless the character was vegetarian.<ref name="screenrant2020">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/scooby-doo-shaggy-vegetarian-casey-kasem-true-story/|title=Why Scooby-Doo Made Shaggy A Vegetarian: True Story Explained|last=Raymond|first=Nicholas|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|date=May 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604031413/https://screenrant.com/scooby-doo-shaggy-vegetarian-casey-kasem-true-story/|archive-date=June 4, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Laughton" />

An October 2019 ''[[South Park]]'' episode, "[[Let Them Eat Goo]]", featured a vegetarian character.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foodrepublic.com/2018/02/07/okja-convincing-case-vegetarianism/ |title=Why Okja Is A More Convincing Case For Vegetarianism |last=Do |first=Tiffany |date=February 7, 2018 |website=Food Republic |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011174939/https://www.foodrepublic.com/2018/02/07/okja-convincing-case-vegetarianism/ |archive-date=October 11, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/south-park-takes-on-the-impossible-burger-while-cartma-1839119348|title=South Park takes on the Impossible Burger, while Cartman and Randy's antics drive another strong episode|last=Hugar|first=John|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=December 10, 2020|date=October 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103014434/https://tv.avclub.com/south-park-takes-on-the-impossible-burger-while-cartma-1839119348|archive-date=November 3, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, [[Steven Universe (character)|Steven Universe]], the protagonist in the show ''[[Steven Universe]]'' and the limited epilogue series, ''[[Steven Universe Future]]'', is a vegetarian. In the episode "Snow Day" of ''[[Steven Universe Future]]'', Steven tells the Gems he lives with that he has been a vegetarian for a month, drinks protein shakes and mentions that he does "his own skincare routine."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/everyone-is-growing-up-fast-on-steven-universe-future-1840444830|last=Searles|first=Jourdain|title=Everyone is growing up fast on Steven Universe Future|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=December 21, 2019|access-date=September 6, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607081658/https://tv.avclub.com/everyone-is-growing-up-fast-on-steven-universe-future-1840444830|archive-date=June 7, 2020}}</ref>

===Film===
In the 1999 film, ''[[Notting Hill (film)|Notting Hill]]'', Keziah, played by Emma Bernard is a vegetarian. In one scene, Keziah tells William "Will" Thacker (played by [[Hugh Grant]]), that she is a [[fruitarian]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-the-strange-world-of-fruitarians-who-only-eat-raw-fruit/|title=Inside the Strange World of 'Fruitarians,' Who Only Eat Raw Fruit|last=Marthe|first=Emalie|website=[[Vice News]]|access-date=September 30, 2020|date=September 3, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201001001519/https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5exq4/inside-the-strange-world-of-fruitarians-who-only-eat-raw-fruit|archive-date=October 1, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> She says she believes that "fruits and vegetables have feeling", meaning she opposes cooking them, only eating things that have "actually fallen off a tree or bush" and that are dead already, leading to what some describe as a negative depiction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://unherd.com/2019/03/what-will-the-woke-folk-make-of-notting-hill/|title=What will the woke folk make of Notting Hill?|last=Tyrone|first=Nick|website=[[UnHerd]]|access-date=September 30, 2020|date=March 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211152149/https://unherd.com/2019/03/what-will-the-woke-folk-make-of-notting-hill/|archive-date=December 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 2000 film, ''[[But I'm A Cheerleader]]'', before Megan, one of the film's protagonists, is sent to a [[conversion therapy]] camp, her parents and others claim she is a lesbian because she is a vegetarian.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://old.post-gazette.com/movies/20000915cheer.asp|title=It's hard to know what to make of 'But I'm a Cheerleader'|last=Paris|first=Barry|website=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|date=September 15, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408202723/https://old.post-gazette.com/movies/20000915cheer.asp|archive-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref> ''[[Legally Blonde]]'', a 2001 film, also featured a vegetarian—Elle Woods. When she introduces herself at [[Harvard Law School]], she describes herself and her dog as "Gemini vegetarians".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a32065693/legally-blonde-3/|title=Legally Blonde 3: Release Date, Spoilers, Cast, Trailer And Plot Lines|first=Blair|last=Olivia|date=May 19, 2010|work=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]|access-date=September 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608075808/https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a32065693/legally-blonde-3/|archive-date=June 8, 2020}}</ref>

In the 2012 film, ''[[Life of Pi (film)|Life of Pi]]'', Pi, played by [[Suraj Sharma]], is a vegetarian based on his 3 religions: Hindu, Christian, and Muslim. And in the ship scene, one Taiwanese Sailor, played by Bo-Chieh Wang, is a vegetarian from his Buddhism religion to eat rice and the vegetarian gravy.

In the 2018 Hollywood blockbuster, ''[[Black Panther (film)|Black Panther]]'', M’Baku (voiced by [[Winston Duke]]), the Jabari tribe leader who lives in the mountains of Wakanda, declares to a White CIA agent named Everett Ross (voiced by [[Martin Freeman]]), "if you say one more word, I'll feed you to my children!" After Everett is shaken by these words, he jokes, saying he is kidding because all those in his tribe, including himself, are vegetarians.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2018/2/20/17033330/winston-duke-mbaku-black-panther-breakout |title=M'Baku Is the Best Surprise of 'Black Panther' |last=Giorgis |first=Hannah |date=February 20, 2018 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417152603/https://www.theringer.com/movies/2018/2/20/17033330/winston-duke-mbaku-black-panther-breakout |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Some praised this scene for challenging a stereotype of Black culture and the perception of what vegetarians look like.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eater.com/2018/2/16/17020564/black-panther-food-wakanda |title='Black Panther' Challenges a Bogus Food Stereotype |last=Selvam |first=Ashok |date=February 16, 2018 |website=[[Eater (website)|Eater]] |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109031639/https://www.eater.com/2018/2/16/17020564/black-panther-food-wakanda |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Duke later said that some Black outlets cooked vegan meals for him, and said that the scene is "kind of teaching kids that eating vegetables is cool," which is something he is for.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/04/black-panther-star-winston-duke-talks-mbakus-vegetarian-co-signs |title='Black Panther' Star Winston Duke Talks M'Baku's Vegetarian Co-Signs |last=Elder |first=Sajae |date=April 24, 2018 |website=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |access-date=December 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040543/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/04/black-panther-star-winston-duke-talks-mbakus-vegetarian-co-signs |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Vegetarian themes have also been noted in the ''Twilight'' [[Twilight (novel series)|novel]] (2005–2008) and [[The Twilight Saga (film series)|film]] franchise (2008–2012), ''[[The Road]]'' (2006) and ''[[The Year of the Flood]]'' (2009).<ref name="publicbooks" /> In March 2020, scholar Nathan Poirer reviewed ''Thinking Veganism in Literature and Culture: Towards a Vegan Theory'', a book edited by Emelia Quinn and Benjamin Westwood, and he concluded that veganism could "infiltrate popular culture without being perceived as threatening," while noting others who contribute to the book examining vegan cinema that "challenges the normality of human supremacy by situating humans as potential prey," and stating that the essays outline ways veganism can be successful in popular culture.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Poirier |first1=Nathan |date=March 13, 2020 |title= Thinking Veganism in Literature and Culture: Towards a Vegan Theory [Review] |journal=The Journal of Popular Culture |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=235–237 |doi=10.1111/jpcu.12876 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Reviewers said that the Netflix original film, ''[[Okja]]'', which focused on [[factory farming]], talks about [[genetically modified]] animals, and features a [[Radical environmentalism|radical environmentalist]] group, had an impact on people's diets. Some said the film would convince audience members to become vegetarians, saying the film encourages people to eat less meat, comparing it to the impact of the documentaries ''[[Food, Inc.]]'', ''[[Blackfish]]'', ''[[The Cove (film)|The Cove]]'', and ''[[Cowspiracy]]'',  Jonathan Safran Foer’s book, ''[[Eating Animals]]'', the films ''[[Charlotte’s Web]]'', ''[[Babe (film)|Babe]]'',  and ''[[Chicken Run]]'', and to the themes of ''[[Watership Down]]''. The film was also described as the "ultimate vegetarian film."<ref>{{cite web|last=Phillip|first=Tom|url=https://www.gq.com/story/the-people-who-saw-okja-and-became-vegetarians|title=The People Who Saw Okja and Became Vegetarians|website=[[GQ]]|date=January 26, 2018|access-date=March 26, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226023656/https://www.gq.com/story/the-people-who-saw-okja-and-became-vegetarians|archive-date=February 26, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Leszkiewicz|first=Anna|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2017/07/how-okja-combines-two-netflix-trends-make-ultimate-vegetarian-film|title=How Okja combines two Netflix trends to make the ultimate vegetarian film|website=[[New Statesman]]|orig-date=July 4, 2017|date=October 4, 2023|access-date=March 26, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915105323/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2017/07/how-okja-combines-two-netflix-trends-make-ultimate-vegetarian-film|archive-date=September 15, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> The film's co-writer, [[Jon Ronson]], who is also vegetarian, said that while the film will "turn people vegetarian", this was not his intention nor that of director Bong Joon-ho. In an interview with [[The Independent]], Joon-ho said that he did not "expect the entire audience to convert to veganism after watching the film" and said that he does not have an issue with [[meat consumption]], but asked the audience to consider where their food comes from, and said if that happens, then the "level of meat consumption will gradually decline."<ref>{{cite web|last=O'Neil|first=Shana|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/okja-just-might-convince-you-go-vegetarian-1017294/|title=‘Okja’ Just Might Convince You to Go Vegetarian|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=June 28, 2017|access-date=March 26, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250206165037/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/okja-just-might-convince-you-go-vegetarian-1017294/|archive-date=February 6, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Loughrey|first=Clarisse |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/okja-interview-bong-joon-ho-release-date-netflix-veganism-vegan-cannes-controversy-a7807771.html|title=Okja interview: Bong Joon-ho on GM foods, his chaotic mindscape, and the Netflix controversy|website=[[The Independent]]|date=June 28, 2017|access-date=March 26, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217214225/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/okja-interview-bong-joon-ho-release-date-netflix-veganism-vegan-cannes-controversy-a7807771.html|archive-date=February 17, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> Joon-Ho told LA Times that in his view, the [[food industry]] is "always trying to do is try to thicken the walls of the slaughterhouse so that nobody can peer inside it," with LA Times noting that Joon-Ho became vegan after visiting a slaugherhouse in South Korea, but ended the diet change after two months.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ellwood|first=Gregory|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-bong-joon-ho-okja-20171109-story.html|title=With its real-world messaging, ‘Okja’ and director Bong Joon-ho tap into something special|website=[[LA Times]]|date=November 9, 2017|access-date=March 26, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415011913/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-bong-joon-ho-okja-20171109-story.html|archive-date=April 15, 2024|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[Paul Dano]], who plays Jay in the film, also told [[GQ]] that that while he is a meat-eater, it made him want to "be more conscientious consumer" and said it is easy to "forget that when we put our dollar down we are supporting something."<ref>{{cite web|last=Phillip|first=Tom|url=https://www.gq.com/story/paul-dano-okja|title=How Okja's Paul Dano Pulled Off a Masterfully Human Performance Alongside a Giant CGI Pig|website=[[GQ]]|date=June 27, 2017|access-date=March 26, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701145211/https://www.gq.com/story/paul-dano-okja|archive-date=July 1, 2017|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Other scholars noted vegetarian themes in the films ''[[The Fault in Our Stars (film)|The Fault in Our Stars]]'',<ref name="thehub">{{cite news |url=http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2013/10/23/vegetarian-awareness-month/ |title=Celebrate Vegetarian Awareness Month with Vegetarian Characters in YA Lit |last=Lind |first=Jessica |date=October 23, 2013 |work=[[Young Adult Library Services Association]] |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603044358/http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2013/10/23/vegetarian-awareness-month/ |archive-date=June 3, 2016}}</ref> ''[[The Princess Diaries (film)|The Princess Diaries]]'' series,<ref name="Martin2016" /><ref name="thehub" /> and the 2009 film, ''[[Vegetarian (film)|Vegetarian]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/vegetarian-1117942042/|title=Review: 'Vegetarian'|first=Justin|last=Chang|date=February 1, 2010|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=October 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703221048/https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/vegetarian-1117942042/|archive-date=July 3, 2018}}</ref>