Enter the Meatrix

As stated in my bio, I went veg. I took this step just over two years ago for various reasons. I found the transition to give up meat very easy, the later decision to give up milk/egg (as best as I could and within reason for my lifestyle), was much harder. “Winging it” on WeightWatchers.com® helped me a lot, as meat and cheese were typically “high point” and fruits and vegetables were much lower. So during my time being really strict with my WW Points I naturally was not taking in much meat. A few ounces a day, and some days none at all.

What is strange though is what started my interest in giving up something that I, at the time, thought was so dear to me. I mean, I could cook a mean steak! Actually I still can, for my omnivorous friends that is. But I never even thought about giving up that juicy steak, perfectly seasoned chicken (using a nice rub Rob handed down to me years back), brats simmered in kraut, or the myriad of sushi rolls I would partake in.

What started my interest in cutting back/cutting out animal products was one thing: The Meatrix.

Created in 2003, The Meatrix is a spoof of The Matrix Trilogy. However instead of Neo (Keanu Reeves) being woken from The Matrix and shown the true situation humanity finds itself in (enslavement/exploitation by machines), Leo (a pig) is woken from The Meatrix (the picturesque pig farm) and shown the true nature of where animal products come from in regards to: cleanliness of the factory farming facilities/meat and other animal products, animal welfare, and effects on the environment.

What I found most appealing about these short films were the lack of shock tactics. I have seen information from other groups my entire life that never swayed me. Pictures of caged or gutted animals just made me want to clean them up and throw them on the grill. Part of my brain would shut down. As if their attempt to try to shock me just made me rebel by turning off my brain and being closed to hearing/reading one more word from them. If they were going to be rude enough to call me a murderer and shove grotesque pictures in my face then I wouldn’t listen to a word they had to say.

The Meatrix simply, and with a bit of humor thrown in with its cartoon presentation, educated me about the facts behind what it takes to make animal products available for 300 million+ people in the United States alone. Because of the way these facts are presented I decided to give going veg a try and to learn more about animal product consumption. In my post-Meatrix life I continued my education from various sources (both from vegetarians and omnivores) to learn the pros and cons of animal product consumption and was able to make a lifestyle change which has truly helped me for the better. Strange that it all started from a spoof cartoon though.

So here I am, two years later and I have never looked back and thought: “Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill?”

Now, what about you? Ready to take the red pill and travel further down the rabbit hole?

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1. Is Consuming Meat…Illogical?
2. At least they aren’t made out of people.