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Lisa And Phoebe, Lone Vegetarian Icons: At Odds With Television’S Carnonormativity, Carrie P. Freeman

Carrie P. Freeman

In this chapter, I examine how human privilege operates by studying the characterization of ethical vegetarianism as an alternative lifestyle and comedic fodder in primetime television. The rebellious dietary choices of Lisa on "The Simpsons" and Phoebe on "Friends" provide an opportunity to analyze the construction of animal rights identities and how that is perceived and negotiated by the meat-eating (carnistic) mainstream. I articulate how, and to what extent, these smart and strong vegetarian females serve as a challenge to the hegemony of carnism, an ideology that psychologist Melanie Joy (2010) says normalizes the practice of using and consuming certain …