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Jodie Marsh has caused a stir online after labeling meat-eaters as “serial killers”.
In a picture posted on Instagram, Marsh wore a jumper that appeared to compare people who consume meat to Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer.
The jumper had the slogan: “I don’t eat dead bodies, but you crack on Jeffrey Dahmer.”
Jeffrey Dahmer was a notorious American serial killer, known as the Milwaukee Cannibal. Between 1978 and 1991, he murdered 17 men.
As reported by The Sun, Marsh replied to social media comments criticizing her choice of jumper. She wrote: “All meat eaters are paying someone else to repeatedly murder for them. So indirectly yes I guess they are all serial killers.”
She went on to state that the jumper is “not meant to offend anyone,” adding: “If it does offend though then that’s good as maybe it makes people think about what they’re putting in their mouths.”
Animal agriculture involves forcibly impregnating, raising, and slaughtering billions of sentient beings each year.
Jodie Marsh’s vegan activism
Jodie Marsh is a vocal critic of animal agriculture. She regularly posts pro-vegan messages to her 453,000 followers.
She has also previously joined with animal organizations to promote anti-animal cruelty campaigns, including posing naked for PETA.
Marsh opened an animal sanctuary named Fripps Farm in 2020. It is currently home to over 250 animals, many of whom have been saved from slaughter.
The aim of Fripps Farm is to “give animals the best possible life, catering for all their needs and also to give them the love that they need.”
Shining a light on unseen suffering
Commenting on the post, some meat-eaters voiced their anger at Marsh for her choice of jumper.
“I couldn’t care less what people choose to eat or not eat! What grinds my gears is vegans constantly shoving their beliefs down people’s throats,” wrote one.
For the animals that are victims of farming, however, there is no choice. Animal suffering on farms and in slaughterhouses mostly happens behind closed doors well out of sight of consumers.
Marsh’s provocative jumper is an example of fashion activism. As a model and influencer, she uses her fashion choices to bring awareness to unseen suffering of animals.
Effective communication
Marsh’s post has been divisive. Many vegans would point out that she is technically correct. By consuming meat, you are indirectly funding the slaughter of multiple animals. Some may argue, however, that labelling meat-eaters in this way is not “effective communication” when discussing the issue.
Dr Melanie Joy is one expert who has discussed the importance of effective communication in veganism. It refers to the idea that discussions around eating meat should revolve around empathy and respect, and language should be clear, non-violent, and non-judgmental. “Whether we believe in something or not, is not the issue,” Dr Joy previously said. “The issue is what works. You can be right in a sense morally, but you may not be right strategically. The animals don’t need us to be morally perfectionistic; they need us to be effective”.
