I’m a guilty fan of Alicia Silverstone. I’ve felt bad that she’s taken so many knocks in her career, and I too wonder if Brittany Murphy has a voodoo doll with some strands of Alicia’s hair tucked away somewhere. So her latest effort to restimulate her image, appearing nude in a commercial for PETA to promote the vegan diet, is a bit of an eyebrow raiser for me.



Silverstone is quoted as saying, “Physically, the effect has been amazing,” she said in a statement. “Once I went vegan, I lost the weight I wanted to lose, my nails were stronger and my skin was glowing. I feel great!”



I don’t doubt that the vegan diet has some great health benefits for those whose personal biology is suited to it, but I do question her virtual guarantee that going vegan guarantees a thinner, healthier life. There are two reasons for this: there are plenty of plus vegans who are angered by the whole anti-fat angle that PETA has taken, and there are plenty of vegan ways to eat unhealthy as well – peanut butter and raisins aren’t exactly low calorie, you know.



While I understand the pseudo-subversive reasoning behind PETA’s campaign, it falls flat by disregarding some of its own supporters. Projecting an image of vegans as thin and glamourous, rather than as real people who actually CAN live and eat vegan, will ultimately be counterproductive. Nobody’s as thin and glamorous as Silverstone without the benefit of a personal chef and a personal trainer – if they really want the whole world to go vegan, it would make far more sense to get potbelly schlub on the street demonstrating how your own kitchen can be diy vegan.



If you happen to be looking for some good vegan recipes, check out simplesal on Etsy – her zines have some great vegan tasties in them, whether or not you’re vegan.

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