It's difficult to know where to start with vegans. Never before have a group of people been so universally disliked for essentially doing nothing wrong. While there are those among us who will point to their "preachy" nature and "in your face" characteristics, the truth of the matter is that vegans really aren't that bad. And, if we're being honest, they are completely right in what they are saying.
No one can argue against the moral standpoint of vegans. No one can genuinely say that being against killing animals is wrong. However, some people do have a problem with vegans and they're not afraid to let their feelings known.
The vegan lifestyle has boomed in recent years, with there now being plenty of A-listers who followed a plant-based, ethical lifestyle. From Beyonce to Brad Pitt, everyone is at it - and Natalie Portman is one of the most outspoken of the lot.
Speaking about her decision to go vegan, Natalie Portman said that she chose to adopt the lifestyle after thinking about how our decisions impact the planet: "Factory farming is responsible for most of the air, water, and land pollution—that disproportionately affects our poor communities as well.
"So we get to make decisions three times a day, what we do with our planet, and you can make a difference by even once a day or once a week choosing not to eat animals or animal products."
However, while that speech was well received, Portman's latest statement regarding veganism hasn't gone down well on social media.
Appearing in a promotional video for PETA, Portman quotes a famous Jewish author who once compared the slaughter of animals for human consumption to the Holocaust.
The author in question is Nobel Prize laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer. Portman recounts his legacy throughout and emphasizes Singer's vegetarianism.
"Decades ago, one man articulated the plight of animals so boldly that the modern world couldn’t ignore him," Portman says. "When Singer stopped eating animals, he famously declared, 'I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens.'"
However, the line that really riled up the internet comes from Singer's novel, Shosha. "We do to God’s creatures what the Nazis did to us," Portman says.
Tweets quickly came flooding in about the video, with some supporting Portman and saying that, while the comparison may be uncomfortable for some, it is also true.
The majority of the comments, though, were from people who thought that the comparison was out of line and way too far.
Whatever way you fall on Portman's line of argument, it's just another case of people being ridiculed for their beliefs. Social media is rife with trolls, and if you don't want to hear what the actress has to say about veganism, simply don't listen - it really isn't that hard. But, like she said, these are uncomfortable truths.
