Common confirms the fishy rumors about his diet

Hip hop celebrity Common confirmed rumors that he no longer vegan (or vegetarian, for that matter)in an interview that posted today in student paper, The University Daily Kansan.

Yeah, I eat fish, man. I needed some protein. I’ve been eating fish for like two years now, two and a half years. It’s great too. I’m glad to be eating it. It was tough being vegan. I salute all vegans and vegetarians.

Normally, I really don't care what's on a celebrity's plate, but Common's fall from grace hits a nerve that can't be calmed by his salute to my veganism. Common always took an opportunity to publicize his veganism and share a message of love for animals, the planet, and our bodies. (Partly) inspired by Common's activism, for one precious month of my life, I toured the country handing out PETA2 flyers with this dude's beautiful face on them, encouraging enthusiastic, young concert goers to go vegan. Now that I do the math, he started eating fish less than a year after this.

I feel betrayed-- which is ridiculous and makes me even more pissed off. Common isn't the first awesome Black vegan celebrity to fall off the wagon, and he won't be the last. Common was a great advocate for veganism, but perhaps our movement needs to stop investing so much emotion and energy into pimping out our ideas via celebrities, who are, after all, just regular, fallible people like us common folk.

Permalink

• 1.

  Comment by Ligo on April 25, 2008 7:31pm:

  This is really unfortunate. However, I'm just happy that he's not continuing to call himself a vegetarian. Because I think we all know that there are waaaay too many people out there who eat fish and chicken and still dare to call themselves vegetarian, claiming that fish and poultry aren't "meat." But meat doesn't mean "red meat," it means animals. You're not a vegetarian if you're eating animals. Period.
• 2.

  Comment by elainevigneault [www] on April 25, 2008 8:04pm:

  I like your take that celebrities are fallible, that we all make mistakes. But his mistake wasn't just falling off the veggie-wagon, his mistake was also in using the poor excuse "I needed some protein" as if there's no protein in tofu, quinoa, beans, soy milk, or other vegan foods.
• 3.

  Comment by animalfriendly [www] on April 25, 2008 9:20pm:

  perhaps our movement needs to stop investing so much emotion and energy into pimping out our ideas via celebrities
  
  Bingo.
• 4.

  Comment by kmudrick on April 26, 2008 2:35am:

  Wonder if it is around the same time that he became a Lincoln Navigator spokesperson. Sigh.
• 5.

  Comment by Nightowl on April 26, 2008 12:49pm:

  Ugh, this SUCKS!! I really loved Common, I always thought he was so cool. And yes, the protein comment is beyond stupid. I would respect him more if he just said "I like eating meat, so that's why I eat it. No excuses." And we do depend too heavily on celebs. And there's no need to. Veganism is cool enough on its own.
• 6.

  Comment by directorspence on April 26, 2008 5:42pm:

  Comment by Nightowl:
  Ugh, this SUCKS!! I really loved Common, I always thought he was so cool. And yes, the protein comment is beyond stupid. I would respect him more if he just said "I like eating meat, so that's why I eat it. No excuses."
  
  My comment was going to be verbatim. Lame.
• 7.

  Comment by organicgoddess [www] on April 27, 2008 10:22am:

  Perhaps you shouldn't have added the silly link to the other "black vegan celebrity to fall off the wagon". Since this isn't April 1, many new folks might not realize that the linked post was last year's April Fool's gag.
• 8.

  Comment by directorspence on April 27, 2008 11:19am:

  My comment was going to be verbatim. Lame.
  
  I meant lame as in this news topic. Not that I was going to post the same thing. Just clarifying.
• 9.

  Comment by Olivia Lane on April 27, 2008 9:26pm:

  organicgoddess, thanks for looking out for me (I think that's how you meant it), but I really couldn't care less if people read the "silly link" and don't interpret it as a gag. What does it mean if people who don't know me think I abandoned veganism? I guess that's what that April 1, 2007 article explored and what Common's outing of himself as an omnivore is causing us to explore.
  
  As an aside, I think it's funny that no one has yet to call me on referring to myself as an "awesome Black vegan celebrity." I mean, c'mon!
• 10.

  Comment by Jason Das [www] on April 28, 2008 12:43am:

  Isa's black.
• 11.

  Comment by Laura Leslie [www] on April 28, 2008 1:04pm:

  I think you're an awesome Black vegan celebrity, Livi. :)
  
  (Cool, I'm friends with a celebrity now!)
• 12.

  Comment by IsaChandra on April 28, 2008 8:58pm:

  As an aside, I think it's funny that no one has yet to call me on referring to myself as an "awesome Black vegan celebrity."
  
  WTF? Livi isn't black?
• 13.

  Comment by ajkochanowicz [www] on April 29, 2008 12:12pm:

  Ooooooh, what a let down. Common, shame on you.
  
  You need protein? I'm off to make sure you're not on the wikipedia list of vegans you sell-out.
• 14.

  Comment by darky_vegan1 [www] on May 6, 2008 2:58pm:

  Damn, I don't know Common too well and am not a fan but thats not the point and seroiusly, this sucks...I hate when so-called Vegans do that!!!