Joaquin Phoenix Wants You To Go Vegan. Here's Why

Earning the Academy Award for his chilling and provocative performance in "Joker," Joaquin Phoenix used his platform to address a personal choice and implore others to explore the vegan lifestyle. While there was much debate about those words in his acceptance speech, Phoenix told VegNews that he believes all people influence others in their lives, but his veganism is no longer "simply a personal choice." Since he believes that injustice and activism are not limited to certain topics, Phoenix decided to speak his truth so that others can make their own decision.

As part of a recent PETA campaign, Phoenix is asking everyone to end "speciesism." While a myriad of other -isms have vocal campaigns to end their negative impacts, this idea of "We Are All Animals" looks to shed a different light on the concept of veganism. As Phoenix shared with PETA, "When we look at the world through another animal's eyes, we see that inside we're all the same." The jarring visual campaign implores people to see the concept with a different lens. Beyond the conversations on plant-based food trends, food swaps or environmental impacts, this campaign looks to debunk the idea that one species is superior to another. Although that concept has merit, it is not one that is served at the dinner table with a side of chicken nuggets. The difference between seeing and viewing the food on the table could make people better appreciate the concept of speciesism and why choosing to follow a vegan lifestyle can have a monumental impact.

While Joaquin Phoenix has been a vegan since age 3, and he believes that there has been "exponential growth of veganism in the last few years," he does not want to force everyone to become vegan (per VegNews). As he told The Sunday Times earlier this year, "I'm not going to impose my belief on my child." At the same time, he wants everyone to make informed choices with the food that is served on the table. Although a child may not be the right audience for his film "Gunda," the new PETA campaign that about speciesism looks to address the implications of the divide between certain groups of animals.

Given that many people are well-informed about the how's, what's, and where's certain produce goes from farm to table, that same concept might not be quite as clear when it comes to some animal products that are the center of the plate. Based on the Phoenix's comments on this campaign and previous interviews, he implores people to gain knowledge on the subject and let that information guide their decision (via Delish). While both sides of the conversation have their adamant opinions, the reality is that it is a personal choice, just like Phoenix is giving his own son. After weighing the pros, cons, and other aspects, only the person picking up the fork can make the choice that is right for them.