Braceface

Hey everyone. Today I have a post that's a bit different from my others.  While its still has to do with vegetarianism (of course) it's not about food.  My post is actually about an old cartoon called Braceface.  I remember watching this cartoon all the time as a kid and I have recently rediscovered it. For those that have never heard of or watched the cartoon, Braceface is about a girl named Sharon, who is in middle school, and gets braces put on.  There was a mishap while she was at the orthodontist and it causes electrical currents to occasionally run through her braces. The cartoon is a typical pre-teen show about girl problems, boy problems, school problems, and just struggling with being a pre-teen.

What I love most about this show is that Sharon is a vegetarian. She has an experience at a slaughter house and decides she will no longer eat meat.  It is really amazing to me that there was a kids show that had such an important message.  While on the surface the cartoon is about girls and pre-teen issues, many of the episodes cover really important animal rights topics.  I think it is so important that this cartoon gave young vegetarians a person on TV they could  relate to.  As someone that gave up meat at an early age, I was alone among my classmates who couldn't understand why I didn't eat meat, and at times I got made fun of. This show focuses on an average school girl that goes through all the same issues that everyone goes through at that age, but really highlights the positives of vegetarianism.

I want to show you a clip from one episode that I thought was really important. In this episode, Sharon has just finished finals in school and has been feeling tired and run-down after studying and not eating right.  Please keep an open mind while watching this.  Remember this is a kids show and it will be a bit cheesy and immature, it is meant for kids to watch!

You can go to YouTube if you want to watch the full episode.

I love how this show paints vegetarianism in a positive light.  I feel most shows that have a vegetarian character are portrayed as crazy hippies. It nice that there is a show for kids that lets them see that eating differently is a positive. It highlights that vegetarianism is healthy, easy, and that you are able to get all the nutrients you need without having to eat meat. These are themes that every vegetarian can appreciate. Sharon goes through issues on the show that I went through being a vegetarian in junior high. Vegetarianism is becoming more popular among adults, and even kids, and I wish this show was still around to give those kids a person to relate to. 

Want to hear a funny story? The episode where Sharon becomes a vegetarian, she holds up the lunch line asking the cafeteria lady if there is meat in the items she is serving. She asks if there is anchovy paste in Caesar dressing, and that is actually how I learned about that!  I was eating Caesar salad when I first became a vegetarian until I saw that episode of Braceface and I learned it wasn't vegetarian.

Every episode of Braceface is on YouTube. You guys might not be able to sit through too many episodes since it is really geared for kids, but for those that have kids that you are raising to be vegetarians or might have made the choice on their own, I urge you to show this cartoon to them. I hope that this cartoon can reach out to more vegetarian kids to give them someone they can relate to and a show that they can learn a little more about vegetarianism from a kid's perspective.

Have you ever watched Braceface? Are you going to watch it, or show it to your kids?

Bye from the Veggie Side!