I was amazed at the number of you who endorsed forgoing a range hood. The comments rolled in, practically faster than I could read them!
I got super excited and thrust my fist in the air, shouting – I WILL LEAD THIS REVOLUTION!
Then I started assembling a really snazzy uniform; because a good outfit is the foundation for all significant life-events, and a much-overlooked detail in most social uprisings. Also, I really hate to miss an opportunity to overdress.
But then I heard a deep and somber narrator’s voice; it said – Victoria was unaware that a disturbing theme was about to emerge… bacon.
You need a range hood because:
Bacon smell.
Bacon grease.
Bacon smoke.
Bacon bacon bacon.
My fellow humans! WHY ARE YOU EATING BACON?
Did the bacon people fail to send out a memo alerting the public to their exciting news: Bacon has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen… Group 1 is: “things we KNOW FOR SURE CAUSE CANCER.”
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined conclusively that consumption of meat is carcinogenic to humans.
Now, I know you’re saying– but Victoria! Bacon is everyone’s favorite carcinogen!
DUH!
And to that I say:
ARSENIC IS ALSO TOTALLY DELICIOUS!
And: gives your complexion an indescribably brilliancy!
WOWZA!
SAFE Arsenic Complexion Wafers! (they are SAFE! it says so right there!)
Arsenic could totally make a comeback!
The Arsenic Industry just needs to band together! Create an Arsenic Counsel! Pool their resources to invest billions of dollars lobbying the USDA and the FDA!
Next, they should create a fun advertising campaign! With a catchy jingle! Featuring an attractive (but-not-distractingly-so!) “mom” in the kitchen, lovingly sprinkling arsenic on dinner!
Their slogan could be:
Arsenic! Small amounts won’t kill you!* *(probably)
Arsenic spokespersons could cite studies (funded by the Arsenic Institute) demonstrating that cancer, heart disease, diabetes, endocrine disruptions, etc… are all complex issues that humans do not truly understand!
And certainly our health is influenced by MANY factors other than eating bacon arsenic… So treat yourself!
Plus, you know that all of that advertising and lobbying is expensive; and the bacon Arsenic Institute needs to stay profitable! So they are depending on YOU!
Also, their CEO needs to make a couple billion dollars; his private jet is expensive! So don’t forget to feed it to your kids too!
Besides! It is OUR choice to consume carcinogens! And everyone knows that CHOICE is an essential element of our FREEDOM!
This is AMERICA!!
Don’t tread on me!
Live free or die!
NOBODY TELLS US WHAT TO DO!
I mean, except that one time we let big tobacco give us cancer… and oh, that time with the pharmaceutical industry’s wonder drug– thalidomide! And also that unfortunate period with the lobotomies.
Also, can we discuss taking away the socially-acceptable use of barbiturates for the treatment of hating vacuuming, but leaving us with bacon.
Who made THAT call? Can we get a re-vote?
I myself would really enjoy a daytime sedative!
But mostly, we can all totally relax and not worry that big corporations don’t care if we die/become addicts/get diabetes/cancer/heart disease!
I mean, would the tobacco,bacon, arsenic industry REALLY sell us a product they KNEW CAUSED CANCER? Of course not!
Vintage ads are hilarious because look how stupid humans were!
But is it less hilarious if we consider the possibility that nothing has changed? Is it possible that our health is OF NO CONSEQUENCE AT ALL to anyone who has a financial stake in our continued consumption of toxic products?
Is it possible that we must be smarter than we were 50 years ago, and NOT FEED OURSELVES CARCINOGENS… or let our children run behind the DDT truck… which my father remembers being a FOOLPROOF WAY TO AVOID MOSQUITOES!
for the record, DDT is definitely NOT good for anyone.
Does it matter that the only people benefiting from our consumption of toxins marketed as “food” are making billions of dollars?
The meat industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the medical industry, and the thousand-fold-increase of massively-profitable businesses that treat diet-related illness; their profit DEPENDS on humans making choices that are in direct opposition to good health.
sprinkle your home with asbestos! the perfect holiday decoration!
Which leads us down the road to OUR per-capita tax burden: it’s huge.
Does it matter that the way we subsidize “cheap” food is actually insanely expensive when you factor in the subsidies we pay via tax dollars?
An enormous cost to me and you, that benefits no one other than corporations! We pay our taxes, and corporate lobbyists make sure those taxes are spent in a way that MOST benefits their corporation’s interest.
For every dollar spent on lobbying by all public-interest groups combined, large corporations spend $34. –How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy: The Business of America is Lobbying
slim WHILE you do housework! #goals!
Plus! On top of the cost of subsidizing toxic food, there is also the cost of the health-consequences suffered by the segments of our population who MOST rely on this crappy food… their medical care is ALSO our tax burden!
The United States spends significantly more on health care than any other nation… more than twice the average of 29 other developed countries. Yet the average life expectancy in the United States is far below many other nations that spend less on health care each year. — CDC.gov
Who benefits from all this spending and subsidizing? Not me! Probably not you either.
But we do pay the COST: families experiencing cancer, heart disease, diabetes… heartbreak, desperation… frequently experiencing financial drain from expensive treatment, on top of the emotional gutting.
Can we reduce this emotional-cost by considering that the World Health Organization has found that 30% of cancer in America is caused by WHAT WE EAT… whoa!
Stop and think about that for a second!
That 30% is JUST cancer… if we also consider that heart disease, diabetes, endocrine disruptions, etc. are ALSO linked to what we eat, could we further divide that cost to families suffering illness, loss, and financial issues?
The words below are from the National Institutes of Health: OUR GOVERNMENT… not an organization run by woo-woo treehuggers like myself.
Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes.
Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle.
—National Institutes of Health
lead = PARTY!
Everytime we put food in our mouth, we are voting for the kind of world we want, and how we want our families to experience that world.
Do we want a world where bacon is considered “food” rather than “toxin” because the meat industry lobbies like crazy and the pharmaceutical industry dances a little jig when yet another person takes blood pressure medication/cholesterol medication/cancer medication?
In the U.S. alone, factory farming pollutes American waterways more than all other industries combined… Generating over 1.4 billion tons of animal waste annually. —National Institutes of Health
So essentially: human health and the environment future generations will inherit… are MOST IMPACTED BY HOW WE FEED OURSELVES.
BACON, THO!*
*next time you hear someone wax rhapsodic about bacon, you are listening to the dulcet tones of advertising at work! if YOU are the waxer, you are the ad man’s dream!
only lets the “tanning” rays through!
Anyway… if you’re starting to suspect I am not totally ALL ABOUT BACON, you are correct.
If we can avoid contributing to factors that cause our illness, WHY WOULDN’T WE? We think of these diseases as beginning in mid-life… or late-life… but they begin as children. These are not conditions that come out of nowhere!
My father has had a heart attack… his father died of colon cancer (according to the American Institute for Cancer Research,HALF of colorectal cancer can be PREVENTED.)
Both of my parents have lost a younger sibling to Pancreatic cancer, a horrific and deadly killer… Both siblings were in their 50’s… Both left behind wonderful families; spouses, children, brothers and sisters… families who were utterly gutted.
Might these things have happened anyway? Sure… I know this better than anyone! Dad’s mom lived to be 93; she had all her wits about her AND her sense of humor. And she still had the “dripping can” on her stove– you know, to save the bacon grease to fry with.
And everyone said– wow! 93!
But might she have lived another five years if she ate better?
Two years?
One?
One year is a lot, when you love someone.
I will love you EVEN MORE... if you share me with your friends.
It is mind boggling how much we do not know about human health and yet “experts” stand up and spout certainties about what is healthy and what isn’t.. like eggs.. they were, they weren’t, they were, and then they weren’t.. I forget where “they” fall on those these days. Heck, we just figured out what the appendix does last year.. I can’t wait to see what we ‘know’ about nutrition in the upcoming decades..
But all that being said, yes, CAFO is horrific.. not only because of the environmental issues, and the horrid meat products it makes from the poorly fed animals who are given whatever left overs can be scrounged to save money, but because we confine (the C in CAFO) animals in inhumane cages. It needs to end.
Moderation, while not being the answer, will definitely serve you well in life. Big meat eaters, over exercisers, diets, cleansing, too much stress, and the list can go on and on will all cause disease.
And don’t get me started on veggies and fruits etc—organic? Grow up around orchards that have been sprayed for years–all now absorbed by the centuries in the soil!
Merry Christmas and bah humbug to this post.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Thank you for looking up all of those ridiculous products that were once thought to be safe! You are not even mentioning the terrible conditions that these poor animals endure for their entire lives, until they are mercilessly murdered. 🙁 Thank you for speaking out! I love your blog! Keep them coming!!!
Well, I have always loved your blog. But please keep your posts on kittens and Decor. You are cute and zany but please come down off your high horse. Not everyone thinks the way you do. Darling Lily is the only reply that is worth reading. The others are just sheep following the new “in” things the liberals have to offer. Please don’t prosletyze on matters that you are not totally informed about. Yes, there is much wrong with our health care system, including insurance, lobbyists and big pharma. But I’ll take this country’s healthcare over socialized medicine. Why do so many people come here for superior care? And have you compared waiting times for MRI’s, surgeries, etc c in England or Canada? And trust me, you will be getting socialized medicine unfortunately. It’s just a matter of time. Then you won’t have to worry about people eating bacon. The government will take it away as well as many other choices we make now. It’s called government control.
BTW. If we should have socialized medicine, what about socialized groceries, and housing and…. never ending.
I understand your right to reject the points expressed but not the order to keep the writing light and fluffy.
It’s akin to insisting that the local library carry only books that appeal to you or insisting that sports broadcasts be included or excluded because you love or don’t love them. AnyHoo just my HO. I just hate to see a nice person doing the very best she can to present some info that readers can take or leave feel that she has offended a reader.
And where is it written that a writer must stay within a limited topic?
I’m mainly a paleo diet kinda gal. Meat Dairy and grains are my main food groups. So yep I’ll die earlier than some. I’m ok with that.
As for bacon being a reason to having a range hood….. even though I know this isn’t the reason behind the post…. make it in the oven instead.
Great post! Ha, love the vintage ads! And the point you’re making is so legitimate. I was a pescatarian for a number of years and can make some pretty creative and delicious bacon by sauting smoked salmon in a little olive oil – yum!! Except then I feel sad for overfishing our salmon. And the plastic that we ingest from eating fish…Sigh. I’m thinking that my new years resolution is going to be reducing my plastic footprint: for starters, using zero disposable/recyclable plastic water bottles this year. One step at a time.
“… there is also the cost of the health-consequences suffered by the segments of our population who MOST rely on this crappy food… their medical care is ALSO our tax burden!”
How do you know these “segments” of the population aren’t readers of your blog? Why would you choose to frame this as a “them” vs. “us” issue?
As a vegetarian for 26 years, I am no fan of bacon. But I hate an elitist attitude even more.
That is terribly worded. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Originally I had a paragraph above it, about children living in poverty. And how a poor diet is yet another hurdle for them… and how those children become ill adults. A cycle that benefits blah blah blah… and is all funded with our taxes— we are essentially paying for our own ill health… I ended up removing it, and now I see without context I needed to rewrite.
When I edit something endlessly, my brain does not process my words the same way as when I am thinking them the first time!
xoxo
I shouldn’t even comment but here I am, throwing in my 2 cents.
It sickens me when the argument over bacon is because it tastes good?
Really? So what!
There are so many things to eat but people still insist on being so selfish and cruel.
How narcissistic are these people that they have no compassion for another living creature?
All that matters to them apparently are their taste buds and full belly’s.
It’s a fact that pigs are smarter than most dogs and most dogs are as smart as the average 2 year old child.
I suppose if these people decided that dogs were tasty, they’d be lined up at the animal shelters because their satisfaction and gluttony is more important than another living being.
I guess the only up-side to it is that eventually this heartlessness will kill them.
Thanks for this brave educational post.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post Victoria! I love your commitment, passion, research, energy, core values and love of life! This is a marvellous post – timely – and so honours all our fellow travellers (the rest of the animal kingdom) at this celebratory season of peace and love for all sentient beings!
Victoria, thank you for posting this! Netflix has a new 6 part show starting January 5th that focuses on corruption in the food industry that you may be interested in watching. It is called Rotten. I don’t cook so I can’t respond to your question about the stove hood but I completely support you in the NO BACON Revolution! Stay hungry my friend and eat your vegetables!
So wow, LOVE this post! I am 50 years old and grew up in a vegetarian household back when it was only crazy hippies that were vegetarian… and when I say vegetarian I mean NO meat or fish! We were lacto-ovo vegetarians. My mom baked with eggs and we had them occasionally for breakfast but otherwise totally vege. My mom was spiralizing zucchini way before that was a thing. She was WAY ahead of her time. When I got pregnant with my daughter I found it difficult to not be anemic without meat so a couple of times a month we would have beef. However , I live in Switzerland and have access to very good quality farm raised beef and when I go to the butcher they have a sign that says which farm it was raised at and is certified organically fed! That said the nay thing I have never been able to stomach is pork meat! Pigs are just not a clean animal to eat and if you look at their diet the will eat almost anything! Which brings to mind the saying “ you are what you eat.” So I totally get where you are coming from. Also, I miss your posts about your garden and what you do to preserve your produce. Any chance you might add some of your recipes to your blog???
I just came to get a good laugh at a GFT story, maybe see a cute kitten video, and just to relieve a little Christmas Rush stress…..sorry it has turned so preachy and political….Oh, and btw…Sugar will kill you a lot faster than bacon will.
You don’t need a range hood for bacon anyway. It tastes better when baked in the oven on a broiler tray.
Signed,
Healthy 5’5″ 125lb. (37yo) farmer chick who can lift and carry 150 lbs. for miles (cool antiques included) and eats a mostly plant based diet but NEEDS some bacon now and then 😉
Victoria, thank you for sharing your passion with us. I loved your post. I am a relatively new vegan (two and a half months) committed to this lifestyle for my health and the planet.
Hmmm… this was definitely not what I signed up for. Love BACON in any form except burned, and pretty much any other pork product that others swear is bad for me. Love my veggies, even if they are GMO. Adore cheese and heavy cream, and I’m sure some will say dairy is terrible for you. Love my wine, which goes especially well with Cheetoes, which cures the blues every time. In fact, this combo may replace anti-depressants soon. Love sugar; even though it is literally poison in the body. All these “bad things” taste good, and that’s the key ingredient to enjoying what you eat. Result is I am happy while on earth; but if I go to Heaven a little sooner than the next person, well, it’s a win/win. I’ll greet you when you get there.
Love my kittens (thank you for encouraging fostering, which was the final push I needed). Love my husband, who moves all the junk I drag home from yard sales and Craigslist. Love Jesus, who paid my way to Heaven. Love my private healthcare; not willing to hand over the decision of what doctor and hospital I use, to anyone, much less some government bureaucrat in a political system run by big donors and lobbyists. Love my President since he is exactly what I prayed for, but couldn’t imagine someone that perfectly suited to the job even existed. Love our military and law enforcement officers who keep us free and safe. Love you and your giant fancy things that I wish I had found first! I LOVE EVERYTHING!!!
December 19, 2017 @ 1:37 pm
Guess what!? Living will kill you!
December 19, 2017 @ 1:38 pm
It is mind boggling how much we do not know about human health and yet “experts” stand up and spout certainties about what is healthy and what isn’t.. like eggs.. they were, they weren’t, they were, and then they weren’t.. I forget where “they” fall on those these days. Heck, we just figured out what the appendix does last year.. I can’t wait to see what we ‘know’ about nutrition in the upcoming decades..
But all that being said, yes, CAFO is horrific.. not only because of the environmental issues, and the horrid meat products it makes from the poorly fed animals who are given whatever left overs can be scrounged to save money, but because we confine (the C in CAFO) animals in inhumane cages. It needs to end.
December 19, 2017 @ 1:52 pm
Moderation, while not being the answer, will definitely serve you well in life. Big meat eaters, over exercisers, diets, cleansing, too much stress, and the list can go on and on will all cause disease.
And don’t get me started on veggies and fruits etc—organic? Grow up around orchards that have been sprayed for years–all now absorbed by the centuries in the soil!
Merry Christmas and bah humbug to this post.
December 19, 2017 @ 2:09 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Thank you for looking up all of those ridiculous products that were once thought to be safe! You are not even mentioning the terrible conditions that these poor animals endure for their entire lives, until they are mercilessly murdered. 🙁 Thank you for speaking out! I love your blog! Keep them coming!!!
December 19, 2017 @ 2:27 pm
Well, I have always loved your blog. But please keep your posts on kittens and Decor. You are cute and zany but please come down off your high horse. Not everyone thinks the way you do. Darling Lily is the only reply that is worth reading. The others are just sheep following the new “in” things the liberals have to offer. Please don’t prosletyze on matters that you are not totally informed about. Yes, there is much wrong with our health care system, including insurance, lobbyists and big pharma. But I’ll take this country’s healthcare over socialized medicine. Why do so many people come here for superior care? And have you compared waiting times for MRI’s, surgeries, etc c in England or Canada? And trust me, you will be getting socialized medicine unfortunately. It’s just a matter of time. Then you won’t have to worry about people eating bacon. The government will take it away as well as many other choices we make now. It’s called government control.
BTW. If we should have socialized medicine, what about socialized groceries, and housing and…. never ending.
December 20, 2017 @ 11:42 am
I understand your right to reject the points expressed but not the order to keep the writing light and fluffy.
It’s akin to insisting that the local library carry only books that appeal to you or insisting that sports broadcasts be included or excluded because you love or don’t love them. AnyHoo just my HO. I just hate to see a nice person doing the very best she can to present some info that readers can take or leave feel that she has offended a reader.
And where is it written that a writer must stay within a limited topic?
December 19, 2017 @ 2:42 pm
I’m mainly a paleo diet kinda gal. Meat Dairy and grains are my main food groups. So yep I’ll die earlier than some. I’m ok with that.
As for bacon being a reason to having a range hood….. even though I know this isn’t the reason behind the post…. make it in the oven instead.
December 19, 2017 @ 3:35 pm
Hallelujah! And to the people commenting that you can’t give up bacon? You can and you should. Animals are not here for us to use.
December 19, 2017 @ 3:58 pm
Great post! Ha, love the vintage ads! And the point you’re making is so legitimate. I was a pescatarian for a number of years and can make some pretty creative and delicious bacon by sauting smoked salmon in a little olive oil – yum!! Except then I feel sad for overfishing our salmon. And the plastic that we ingest from eating fish…Sigh. I’m thinking that my new years resolution is going to be reducing my plastic footprint: for starters, using zero disposable/recyclable plastic water bottles this year. One step at a time.
December 19, 2017 @ 5:53 pm
Gas cooktop, downdraft ventilation and my house still smells like bacon. Don’t get the hood.
December 19, 2017 @ 6:09 pm
“… there is also the cost of the health-consequences suffered by the segments of our population who MOST rely on this crappy food… their medical care is ALSO our tax burden!”
How do you know these “segments” of the population aren’t readers of your blog? Why would you choose to frame this as a “them” vs. “us” issue?
As a vegetarian for 26 years, I am no fan of bacon. But I hate an elitist attitude even more.
December 19, 2017 @ 8:30 pm
That is terribly worded. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Originally I had a paragraph above it, about children living in poverty. And how a poor diet is yet another hurdle for them… and how those children become ill adults. A cycle that benefits blah blah blah… and is all funded with our taxes— we are essentially paying for our own ill health… I ended up removing it, and now I see without context I needed to rewrite.
When I edit something endlessly, my brain does not process my words the same way as when I am thinking them the first time!
xoxo
JAZZ HANDS,
VEB
December 19, 2017 @ 7:14 pm
It totally cracked me up that Google peppered this post with potato chip ads…..ROFL
December 19, 2017 @ 7:45 pm
I shouldn’t even comment but here I am, throwing in my 2 cents.
It sickens me when the argument over bacon is because it tastes good?
Really? So what!
There are so many things to eat but people still insist on being so selfish and cruel.
How narcissistic are these people that they have no compassion for another living creature?
All that matters to them apparently are their taste buds and full belly’s.
It’s a fact that pigs are smarter than most dogs and most dogs are as smart as the average 2 year old child.
I suppose if these people decided that dogs were tasty, they’d be lined up at the animal shelters because their satisfaction and gluttony is more important than another living being.
I guess the only up-side to it is that eventually this heartlessness will kill them.
Thanks for this brave educational post.
December 19, 2017 @ 8:19 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post Victoria! I love your commitment, passion, research, energy, core values and love of life! This is a marvellous post – timely – and so honours all our fellow travellers (the rest of the animal kingdom) at this celebratory season of peace and love for all sentient beings!
December 19, 2017 @ 10:07 pm
Your best post yet!
December 20, 2017 @ 12:46 am
Victoria, thank you for posting this! Netflix has a new 6 part show starting January 5th that focuses on corruption in the food industry that you may be interested in watching. It is called Rotten. I don’t cook so I can’t respond to your question about the stove hood but I completely support you in the NO BACON Revolution! Stay hungry my friend and eat your vegetables!
December 20, 2017 @ 4:05 am
So wow, LOVE this post! I am 50 years old and grew up in a vegetarian household back when it was only crazy hippies that were vegetarian… and when I say vegetarian I mean NO meat or fish! We were lacto-ovo vegetarians. My mom baked with eggs and we had them occasionally for breakfast but otherwise totally vege. My mom was spiralizing zucchini way before that was a thing. She was WAY ahead of her time. When I got pregnant with my daughter I found it difficult to not be anemic without meat so a couple of times a month we would have beef. However , I live in Switzerland and have access to very good quality farm raised beef and when I go to the butcher they have a sign that says which farm it was raised at and is certified organically fed! That said the nay thing I have never been able to stomach is pork meat! Pigs are just not a clean animal to eat and if you look at their diet the will eat almost anything! Which brings to mind the saying “ you are what you eat.” So I totally get where you are coming from. Also, I miss your posts about your garden and what you do to preserve your produce. Any chance you might add some of your recipes to your blog???
December 20, 2017 @ 7:51 am
I just came to get a good laugh at a GFT story, maybe see a cute kitten video, and just to relieve a little Christmas Rush stress…..sorry it has turned so preachy and political….Oh, and btw…Sugar will kill you a lot faster than bacon will.
December 20, 2017 @ 7:52 am
You don’t need a range hood for bacon anyway. It tastes better when baked in the oven on a broiler tray.
Signed,
Healthy 5’5″ 125lb. (37yo) farmer chick who can lift and carry 150 lbs. for miles (cool antiques included) and eats a mostly plant based diet but NEEDS some bacon now and then 😉
December 20, 2017 @ 8:07 am
Victoria, thank you for sharing your passion with us. I loved your post. I am a relatively new vegan (two and a half months) committed to this lifestyle for my health and the planet.
December 20, 2017 @ 9:24 am
Hmmm… this was definitely not what I signed up for. Love BACON in any form except burned, and pretty much any other pork product that others swear is bad for me. Love my veggies, even if they are GMO. Adore cheese and heavy cream, and I’m sure some will say dairy is terrible for you. Love my wine, which goes especially well with Cheetoes, which cures the blues every time. In fact, this combo may replace anti-depressants soon. Love sugar; even though it is literally poison in the body. All these “bad things” taste good, and that’s the key ingredient to enjoying what you eat. Result is I am happy while on earth; but if I go to Heaven a little sooner than the next person, well, it’s a win/win. I’ll greet you when you get there.
Love my kittens (thank you for encouraging fostering, which was the final push I needed). Love my husband, who moves all the junk I drag home from yard sales and Craigslist. Love Jesus, who paid my way to Heaven. Love my private healthcare; not willing to hand over the decision of what doctor and hospital I use, to anyone, much less some government bureaucrat in a political system run by big donors and lobbyists. Love my President since he is exactly what I prayed for, but couldn’t imagine someone that perfectly suited to the job even existed. Love our military and law enforcement officers who keep us free and safe. Love you and your giant fancy things that I wish I had found first! I LOVE EVERYTHING!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy and Blessed New Year!