3 ms·

It's a bit odd to me to have a very clear condemnation of De Beers, their advertising, the diamond industry, purchasing diamonds, paired with a recommendation f

It's a bit odd to me to have a very clear condemnation of De Beers, their advertising, the diamond industry, purchasing diamonds, paired with a recommendation for a "diamond alternative". Isn't this just buying into the cultural expectation - artificially created by De Beers - of wearing an expensive clear-colored rock? Doesn't it benefit the diamond industry if you wear a very large moissanite, cubic zirconia, or artificial diamond, even if it isn't the genuine article? It's advertising for them anyway, as you're promoting the general trend, especially to those who you don't explain yourself to, and who just see a big shiny rock that looks like a diamond. It seems more productive to just go the rest of the way and avoid gemstones on your rings, or avoid rings in general.

silicon2401 6y ago
It's easier to tell someone to eat less meat than to eat no meat at all. Similarly it's easier to tell people to get a diamond alternative rather than just no diamond at all.
- ashtonbaker 6y ago
  Right, of course! And it even makes sense for a vegan food company to make its products taste as close to meat as possible to appeal to meat-eaters expectations about food, and decrease the amount of meat eaten in the world. It's slightly strange, though, that the first part of the pitch here is basically "the cultural desire for diamonds, including your own desire for diamonds, can be traced back to this single ad campaign" - it seems like the logical next step in that argument is "therefore, do not desire diamonds", not "here's something that looks as much like diamonds as possible, to satisfy your desire". I think it's harder to make the "unnaturalness of desire" argument with meat, though many vegans/vegetarians do try. And it's certainly not part of the messaging of the Impossible Burger.
  - silicon2401 6y ago
    I'd go so far as to say it _is_ natural to desire diamonds. Jewels have been a major part of human civilization for thousands of years.

silicon2401 6y ago

It's easier to tell someone to eat less meat than to eat no meat at all. Similarly it's easier to tell people to get a diamond alternative rather than just no diamond at all.

ashtonbaker 6y ago
Right, of course! And it even makes sense for a vegan food company to make its products taste as close to meat as possible to appeal to meat-eaters expectations about food, and decrease the amount of meat eaten in the world. It's slightly strange, though, that the first part of the pitch here is basically "the cultural desire for diamonds, including your own desire for diamonds, can be traced back to this single ad campaign" - it seems like the logical next step in that argument is "therefore, do not desire diamonds", not "here's something that looks as much like diamonds as possible, to satisfy your desire". I think it's harder to make the "unnaturalness of desire" argument with meat, though many vegans/vegetarians do try. And it's certainly not part of the messaging of the Impossible Burger.
- silicon2401 6y ago
  I'd go so far as to say it _is_ natural to desire diamonds. Jewels have been a major part of human civilization for thousands of years.