Vegan Living: Gossip Girl's Vegan Joke

I don't look to the Upper East Siders of "Gossip Girl" for (intentional) comedy. Everyone knows the really funny stuff is on the west side, where Jerry Seinfeld and Tina Fey live. But the attempt at humor on this week's "Gossip Girl" hit a new low when Blair made a joke about veganism that fell flatter than Aaron Rose's range of emotions.

As Serena prepares to attend Brown University, she jokes about dreadlocking her hair and Blair sarcastically suggests getting "a jumpstart on [Serena's] veganism" with some seitan.

"I can't imagine anything better . . . or grosser," Serena says.

Groan. "Gossip Girl" writers, really? Vegan cookbook "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch" is still on Amazon's list of the top 25 cookbooks even a year after being published, the CDC is reporting that 1 in 200 American kids are vegetarian but you're still making jokes about vegan food being gross and only something people with dreadlocks (read: crunchy hippies) would eat? It's time to grab your Marc Jacobs trench and step outside of the writers' room for a minute.

In addition to being terribly outdated, referring to vegan food as gross shows how uninformed the writers are. There are vegetarian restaurants around the country that are serving innovative and delicious meatless dishes, and Gossip Girl's hometown of New York City has some of the best. Perhaps before writing another circa 1987 vegan joke, the writers should try the sweet and sour seitan nuggets at Tiengarden in the Lower East Side or the flame-grilled seitan skewers at Blossom in Chelsea or the soul chicken platter at Red Bamboo in Greenwich Village (and Brooklyn, but with the things they write about that borough I don't think they're welcome there).

It's time a different diet became the butt of the joke. I nominate the high fat, high red-meat-intake Atkins diet. I can't imagine anything grosser.

Comments

[ElaineVigneault]

To be fair, Angelica's Kitchen IS a little crunchy. I say that as a vegan who loves seitan :)

There are TONS of vegan restaurants in NYC, so maybe soon they'll be dining in the more trendy, less crunchy places, like Pure Food and Wine or Red Bamboo or Veggie Castle or any number of other fabulous vegan places in the City. Check out SuperVegan.com's restaurant guide for a complete list of vegan, vegetarian, and veg-friendly places to eat in the NYC area.

[Marioli]

Maybe the girls just never tried seitan. Or their comments are simply comments of teenager girls who think highly about themselves and not so highly about others. How strange it would have been if Serena had answered "Oh yes, let.s do that!" The writers know their characters.

[enveg01]

It's really sad the the writers of this show would choose to mock a way of life that's compassionate and better for the environment. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

[KaylaVeg]

Thank you Katie. I totally agree with you. The writers are idiots and obviously need to go to a good vegan restaurant.

[odyssey58]

Being a vegan is not for every body. Some of us don't do well on grains and soy. For me, an Atkins type diet feels much better. I don't get hypoglycemic the way I did eating a lowfat grain and legume diet. I'd be diabetic if I hadn't switch. And no, I didn't eat candy and tofu. I ate whole grains, legumes, vegetable, fruits, and a little raw dairy. And I was fat, tired, and miserable. I now eat locally raised meat, poultry and dairy, along with veggies and a little fruit. But I won't make jokes about your diet if you don't call my diet gross. We all need to pay attention to our own bodies and find what's best.

[STEPcoach]

UltraClassic said
"most vegan types I have seen appear weak and unhealthy and unable to fight their way out of a paper bag."

To which I reply:
"weak vegans? HA!" ...

* Ridgely Abele
Winner of eight national championships in karate
* Surya Bonaly
Olympic figure skating champion
* Brendan Brazier
Professional Ironman triathlete
* Peter Burwash
Davis Cup winner and professional tennis star
* Andreas Cahling
Swedish champion bodybuilder, Olympic gold medallist in the ski jump
* Chris Campbell
Olympic wrestling champion
* Nicky Cole
First woman to walk to the North Pole
* Ruth Heidrich
Six-time Ironwoman, USA track and field Master's champion
* Keith Holmes
World-champion middleweight boxer
* Desmond Howard
Professional football star, Heisman trophy winner

& many more at http://www.veganathlete.com/vegan_vegetarian_athletes.php

[Anjushri]

Hi Ultraclassic, You may like to review a Vegan Outreach "Response to Anti-Vegetarian Articles"
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/cdcsurvey0109

The myth that a plant based diet (vegan) is unhealthy, weak etc, is propagated by the meat, dairy & the misinformed media. This misinformed attitude is also a remnant of the old social constructs of "maleness" where a man was seen as suspect if he was compassionate, gentle, & where a "real man" kills & eats his steak rare and that he doesn't listen to "bleeding hearts" that may weaken his "manly" spirit. ;)

Veganism (plant based diet) is regarded in many medical circles, as THE healthiest diet one could adopt. Gone are the days of tasteless vegan food etc. There are literally 10s of 1000s of fantastic nutritious & tasty vegan recipes. There are 1000s of vegan groups, organisations. I've been vegan for some time now. I've never felt better, have the blood pressure of a teenager & my mind is clear.

There's strong medical evidence that a vegan diet can reverse and halt type 2 diabetes. Evidence shows that diets containing animal flesh & products lead to cancer, strokes, heart disease, kidney disease & all kinds of illnesses. A recent UN FAO report reveals the meat and dairy industry is worse for global warming than all automotive industries combined. You help save 65 billion sentient beings from great suffering in factory farms and who are then killed in an horrific way.

View some informative vids on this topic - http://www.youtube.com/livevegan

[UltraClassic]

Diets need to change no doubt but most vegan types I have seen appear weak and unhealthy and unable to fight their way out of a paper bag.

That being said, it is no secret why illnesses related to diet are so high in the black and hispanic communities, Jesus, look at what they eat!

How about a little common sense, smaller portions and more rounded diets. Maybe we could toss in a little exercise also, yuh think?

[dctackett]

those vegans you see are just not eating properly...

you can avoid animal based food without avoiding nutrition, but many haven't realized that they need to pay attention to the nutrients they DO consume, rather than what they DON'T...

the human body adapted based on the input of animal flesh, which contains nutritional elements that our bodies still require, such as B12... If you're not eating meat, you've got to be sure you get those same nutrients elsewhere... people can't live on candy and tofu.

btw, I'm a vegetarian.

[alpinist]

Let's see, Ultraclassic. I've been vegan for about 5 years, climb mountains and rock walls all over North and South America, race mountain bikes, ride 100+ miles a week road cycling, and I'm pretty sure I can get through a paper bag.

Since you're on this blog, I imagine that you're probably progressive and open-minded. Don't hold on to those old myths about vegans being malnourished, it's simply not true. I'm a physician and I have done extensive research into the nutritional benefits of a plant- based diet. I can tell you that there no healthier diet. If your interested, a good evidence-based book to begin exploring appropriate nutrition is "Becoming Vegan".

[C76]

UltraClassic, I take exception to the stereotypes in your post.

Firstly, your depiction of vegans as sickly isn't necessarily true.

Secondly, "Jesus, look at what they eat!"

Regarding the "they"...If you think that "we" eat a pound of grease with every meal, you are terribly mistaken. I follow a very healthy diet, as do many other blacks/hispanic people that I know. There are plenty of obese folks who are Caucasian. Bad eating is not just a problem that is limited to non-whites.