Jonathan Safran Foer and Anthony Bourdain clash in the great meat debate

First aired on Q (04/10/10)

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and for some households that means facing one decision in particular: to turkey, or not to turkey?

For author Jonathan Safran Foer, the answer will be an easy one: no way.

Foer has become one of the literary world's most outspoken proponents of vegetarianism and veganism since publishing his book about the meat industry, Eating Animals, last November.

But for others, the answer won't be quite so easy. Chef, author and outspoken critic of vegetarianism Anthony Bourdain, for example, would most likely argue that a Thanksgiving table without a turkey is no longer a Thanksgiving table — it's missing a key element without which the cultural symbol loses part of its meaning. After all, what is Thanksgiving without weeks of leftover turkey sandwiches?

The debate about the ethical, environment and health concerns surrounding the meat industry, however, goes much deeper. As more and more people become aware of how their food arrives on their plate, the questions surrounding this process are getting harder to ignore.

They were also the topic for a recent Q debate, and who better to participate than these two authors who hold diametrically opposite views? Host Jian Ghomeshi brought both Foer and Bourdain to the table to talk about what we're eating and why.

The debate isn't over! Now it's your turn to get involved. Post your most persuasive argument for why we should or should not eat meat on the Q blog in one sentence or less. The winner will scoop up some excellent prizes, including a copy of Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals and Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw and more — along with the glory of hearing the winning entry read on Q this Friday.

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