this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2025
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me_irl
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As someone who tries to eat less meat in general because climate change and cows are basically giant grass eating slightly smellier dogs, I cannot take anyone who unironically uses "carnist" and "bloodmouth" seriously from that point on.
The more names you use to describe "person who eats meat" that you think are insulting and derogatory, the more people roll their eyes and move on with their planned meal.
"Bloodmouth" is clearly trying to be a slur (although it's the first time I see the term). "Carnist" however is just a neologism with meaning "someone who eats meat as part of their alimentation".
Words exist to convey meaning, that's all. Now vegans or vegetarians can be aggressive towards carnists, that's for sure. Nothing to do with vocabulary.
Ugh I hate this attitude. People that say "words are just words" have never had a slur yelled inches from their face.
If words are just words, then what is hate speech?
I don't deny the existence of slurs or hate speech (like "bloodmouth"). In this particular case, "carnist" is an academic word used in scientific papers in a sociological context.
Like I said in the other thread, it's describing the opposite of vegetarianism and veganism. "Omnivorous" was proposed as an alternative, but it's initially understood as "digesting plant and animal matter" in zoology, which would technically include vegetarians.
There is a need for a name that excludes vegans and vegetarians to describe reality.
Sorry for the Godwin point, but fascism is also an academic word used to describe a real political movement and fascists hate being called fascists. I'm myself eating meat so I don't want to draw parallels here.