"A carnivore goes over to the other side"
Or "A skeptics journey into Veganism". Open with Tom ordering breakfast at the Mc Donald’s drive through.
Tom is a regular guy, is into his skiing and hiking, doesn't mind a few beers and enjoys a good burger. There is nothing he likes better than grabbing breakfast at Mc Donald’s on the way up to a day playing in the mountains.
Live and let live is his general attitude to life.
That is until he sees Morgan Sporlocks "Supersize Me" on TV and watches Sporlock vomit out his car window after eating a Mc Donald’s meal.
Tom is an enthusiastic meat eater and is offended by Sporlock, who is a Vegan, denigrating one of things in life he thoroughly enjoys. "What's that bloody vego doing in Mc D's eating meat anyhow!, I would probably be sick if I ate too much of his type of food".
The sense of injustice won't go away and he watches "Supersize Me" again and is even more offended by Sporlocks insinuation that the food he loves is bad for him. Tom is fit and healthy and proud of it.
Some thing has to be done. Tom reasons that Sporlock invaded his world and found lots to criticize so maybe he should return the favor and have a good look around Sporlocks Vegan world.
Tom makes a decision to become a temporary Vegan. An Iron Man competition is coming in three months and he resolves to live a strict Vegan lifestyle while he trains for the event and record the effects, which he is sure will be awful.
Tom researches the Vegan philosophy, sees a doctor to record his condition and clears the fridge out. A party is held with friends and girl friend. Every body can only be a bit shocked and disbelieving that Tom is doing this to himself.
The camera continues to follow Tom as he starts to live his Vegan lifestyle and train for the Iron Man. The Vegan philosophy of “total animal product free living” will be a much bigger change than he thought. The tiredness, lack of virility, not being able to wear his favorite clothes(Ice Breaker) will be hard to deal with. Unexpected situations will come up, like visiting with his girlfriends sheep farmer father and not being able to enjoy a roast lamb meal.
“You trying to put me out of business boy?" His mates taking the piss out of him, "Hey Vego you going to try snow boarding next?" Ordering a salad and an apple at the Mc Donald’s drive through “Is that all today sir” etc etc.
Tom trains for the Iron Man amongst some of New Zealand's most spectacular scenery.
We can expect him to loose weight and show the effects of the diet change, the doctor advises him to take vitamin pills, but remaining true to the rules he will probably continue on with out them. Tom will have to have a rescue boat with him during the swimming and generally struggle with the physical exercise, but the next day he will be out there again and slowly he should adapt to the Vegan diet and his energy levels will improve.
We use interviews with any body interesting interspersed through the story. Vegan athletes, Mc Donald’s executives/business owners, Doctors, Animal rights campaigners, Sporlock if possible, Farmers, extreme people on the fringe of the Vegan Movement PETA, Meat marketing people, Clothing & shoe manufacturers etc etc. The big day comes, the race starts and the cameras stay with Tom, will he make it through? He has done it once before, but can he do it again as a Vegan?
The race is over, whether or not he completed it, Tom now has to decide whether to stay with his new life style or go back to the old ways.
Has he lost his appetite for meat?
Has the Veganism got him?
Has he been converted?
We won't know till we all go out on the town the evening after the race.
Will he have the burger or the salad?
Epitaph, Tom talks about his decision and the changes that have happened to him over the last three months, The doctor gives us a medical evaluation, His girl friend and friends share their observations.
Close with Tom ordering at a Mc Donald’s drive through.
The End.
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