I'm a vegan...but human's okay? (TMI and Gross)

I’m putting this in the Pit due to the potentially offensive nature of the subject and the fact that I may want to throw in a few obscenities in here and there. :smiley: It may be moved at the mods’ discretion. I’m not relating this to just gross people out - there’s a larger question at the end.

So - we finish watching South Park (it was a good one), and Lord of the Remote is flipping around. He lands on something and pauses, probably because of the boobicular action then on-screen. I glance up a few minutes later and think “hmmm…that’s a nice Tupperware container…OHMYGOD, that’s a placenta!”

Yep. It was a placenta - cord attached. I’m now wondering “why do these people have a cow’s placenta - oh, they’re going to cook it. Ewww, that’s kind of gross.” Being the “live and let live” person I am, I return to my nice Smithsonian magazine until I hear – it’s not a cow’s placenta - it was a human placenta. It was one of the family’s, to be more specific. At this point, I am doing the Squirm of Revulsion in my seat with accompanying “Do we HAVE to watch this?” I hear now “See, here it is all cut up,” and they’re displaying it in all its bloody goodness.

She’s COOKING it! Oh, this is not going to get better. It’s done, and she’s slicing it and says “Oh, look how tender it is!” and explains that she’s making pate with it and they’re going to share the DNA and genetic material with family and some friends.

At this point, I am now doing the Dance of Agonized Repulsion. (Think of Shiva with all the arms flailing, the torso twitching, and a bouncy syncopated chorus of EW! EW! EW EW EW!) It’s remarkably similar to the Get It Off Me shuffle, but Lord of the Remote knows me well enough to tell the difference. It’s even more impressive when standing. Okay, enough of that.

So they’re passing it around, and people are munching it down, and it’s explained that one of the guests is a vegan (at least a vegetarian, but I’m almost sure they specifically said vegan), and the vegan says (paraphrase) “It’s not from an animal, right? Well, if it’s not animal, it’s okay” and pops it in her mouth.

WhaFUCK? (See, I told you there’d be expletives.) Jeremiah, Cassopeia, and Zacharias!

How does this compute? Where does human placenta fit in the vegetarian diet? After pondering this question, I came up with some possibilities.

  1. She’s a vegan for social reasons, but the social importance of sharing this once-in-a-lifetime (gee, I HOPE) opportunity was more important.
  2. She’s a vegan from not wanting to harm animals, but since this was a natural product and not from an animal, it was okay. It’s not like we have human farms producing this stuff or anything - yet.
  3. She’s a vegan for the it’s a healthy diet reason, but…well…gee, I couldn’t come up with a rationale for that one.

I don’t have anything against vegans or vegetarians. I don’t think they’re misguided or anything - your choice, okay? It’s just the juxtaposition here completely blew my wee little mind.

Soylent Green - part of your complete vegetarian diet!

(If anyone cares, it was part of “Best of Shock Videos” on one of the HBO channels.)

Suitable for vegetarians? why not? - It doesn’t involve the death of an animal, and anyway, it’s highly nutritious.

Still, the very thought of it makes me shudder.

Eeeeeewww!

There are some threads one shouldn’t open while having lunch…

I know someone who ate all three of her children’s placentas . . .

Here’s Cecil’s word on the subject.

What’s the difference between eating a placenta or eating an egg?

You can’ be a vegan and eat a placenta…a human placenta is an animal product, because humans are animals!

Thanks for the link, Scarlett67. I didn’t even think to check to see if the Great God Cecil might have handled - um - touched on - um - oh, whatever - this subject.

I’ve now learned my something new for the day - can I go home now?

**ouisey, ** that was my thought, too, actually. That’s why I specified that I wasn’t * 100% * sure she was vegan, but definitely vegetarian. I could’ve sworn she said vegan, though.

As Cecil’s column suggests, presumably if your motive for being a vegan is to avoid meat that comes from the slaughter or inhumane treatment of animals, then placenta would not be a problem.

I think it’s not for me, being as I’m perfectly happy to eat cows and calves, sheep and lambs, and even baby back ribs.

  • Rick

This is interesting - I was half expecting to be flamed for my (admitted) lack of knowledge and (potentially perceived)insensitivity, and instead I’m getting rational explanations! This could almost have gone in GQ! :smiley:

I’d like to point out that the program was (aptly titled) The Best of the Worst of Shock Video, if I recall correctly.

I was aware that vegans considered placenta to be the only meat product they would consume. It was still a wee bit gross to actually see it being handled and cooked. It may be because I’m pregnant, though.

Hmmmm, I wonder what placenta goes for by the pound these days? I’ll have an extra one pretty soon.

Ok, I’ve got to go now because I’m grossing myself out…

What, everybody knew about this but me? Okay, now I feel really stupid. You’d think someone who used to live in the Bay Area would have more of a clue, wouldn’t you?

Thanks for the correction on the name of the program. We won’t even discuss the next segment - hopefully.

I don’t want to turn this into a debate on “you aren’t vegetarian if you…” but…I know people who call themselves vegetarian who eat fish, and people who call themselves vegan who eat honey.

And even one vegetarian who goes out deer hunting every year and eats venison (his logic - he won’t eat it if he doesn’t kill and butcher it himself - so almost every day of the year he is a vegetarian).

I figure you are describing yourself - I’m not going to go all “fundie” over it.

As Cecil comment points out, eating placenta is considered a “sacred” meal in some circles - and its sacredness may trump health, preference or politics. (Ever hear of lutefisk? No one in their right mind would eat that either - yet it flys out of the stores in Minnesota at Christmastime)

I know a couple of vegetarians who tried this, but didn’t manage to swallow the first forkful.

Ahhh, lutefisk. Yes, I have had that offered to me here - I have yet to work up the nerve to try it. “You soak it in WHAT?” I did send my friend in Texas a package of Genuine Fish Balls, though. :smiley: Knowing him, he has them proudly displayed on a shelf somewhere.

Okay, okay - you have convinced me that the vegetarian/placenta thing is not as odd a combination as I thought. Color me abashed. I still think it’s gross and would (politely) decline. To me, it was more ew-inducing than anything ever offered up on Fear Factor. (There is also the fact that I was trying to be funny in the post, but apparently failed miserably. :frowning: )

Oh GROSS!!!

Where’s the vomitting smiley when you need it?

Reminds me of a book of scripts for the original SNL I read a while ago. There was one sketch that was cut by the censors, and it was called “Placenta Helper.” They had Placenta Romanoff, Placenta Mexican, Placaenta-Roni.

Blech blech BLECH!!!

Ever had it? Didn’t think so. Buh-bye.

It’s actually quite good.

The Placenta Recipe Thread.

(I wonder if Czarcasm ever delivered on the prize?..)

ummm… I think that what Dangerosa is saying is that no one in there right mind would answer yes if asked “would you care for some cod soaked in lye?” assuming they had no previous affection for the dish of lutefisk.

You’d be wrong. I have had it. I think its gross.

Never had placenta though.

Oh, and what I was getting at was that people will eat some strange things for “tradition” (or whatever the rationale for placenta would be, for lutefisk its tradition). I know few Minnesota Norweigns who LIKE lutefisk (although as Derleth points out, there are some people out there that like the stuff. Yet, despite not liking it, many people I know fix it faithfully every Christmas, and eat a bite or two.

Gak. Gak.Gak.

Oh GOD, WHY DID I OPEN THIS THREAD??
HORRRRRRRKKKKK

glarGH

<now wiser and more nauseated for the experience>