Could The Game Changers Really Change the Game for the Vegan Movement?
About two months ago, a friend and I sat in one of six sold-out Asheville theaters to watch the new documentary The Game Changers.
I had timidly invited him at the last minute — not because he’s anti-plant (he ate a veg-heavy diet already), but because I’m always anxious when inviting non-vegan friends to a vegan event.
But as we sat in the crowded theater, surrounded by strangers just as eager to see the film as I was, something was different. It felt like a big deal.
And since then, the hype has only gotten bigger…
…More pre-orders from iTunes than any other documentary.
…Instantly making waves on Netflix.
…The talk of just about every vegan podcast out there.
But now that the film has been out in the world and the initial energy is starting to fade, has The Game Changers become as big — and important — as it felt sitting in that movie theater?
2 Reasons Why The Game Changers Has an Advantage
If you haven’t seen it, The Game Changers documents injured UFC fighter James Wilks’ journey as he discovers a new (to him) way to think about protein and nutrition for athletes.
Along the way he meets with Olympians, NFL players, bodybuilders and strongmen (even one of the strongest men in the world), sprinters and endurance runners, and countless doctors, all thriving on a plant-based diet.
It’s a bold message made even more powerful through the elite-level athletes featured.
With all the hype surrounding The Game Changers, I’ve been thinking a lot about what made this one feel so different than other documentaries promoting a plant-based diet, because there are plenty…
Cowspiracy, Forks Over Knives, What the Health, Earthlings, and Vegucated, just to name a few. All important and powerful films that made a splash both inside and out of the vegan community.
But while some of those hit the mainstream conversation and became popular on Netflix, as far as I know, none of them made it to the big screen or had this much anticipation before the release.
As I thought about it, two reasons immediately jumped out about why this one is different:
1. The vegan diet is having a moment.
From Impossible Whoppers going
Plants are a part of pop-culture like we’ve never seen before.
I’d love to give credit to James Cameron and the others for planning it this way, but I honestly think they just got lucky. Still the timing is great.
Speaking of James Cameron…
2. It has James Cameron, Jackie Chan, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Never before has a vegan documentary had such A-listers as The Game Changers has, nor people who know the film industry like James, Jackie, and Arnold.
The outro credits include James Cameron talking to you from the set of Avatar 2, for crying out loud. You can’t get much bigger than that.
And there’s just something wildly powerful about Arnold Schwarzenegger — the man many of us grew up picturing when we thought about “strong” — saying that you don’t need meat to build muscle… and, the kicker, that he was more successful without it.
Add in a long list of staple plant-based athletes and doctors like Scott Jurek,
Dr. Esselstyn, Patrik Baboumian, and Dotsie Bausch, plus NFL players and so many others, and the movie brings a level of clout that would have been hard to imagine not that long ago.
That all has to really help. But even with the big names and the good timing, I think there’s more to the story.
The Real Reason Why This One is Different
Documentaries have long played a major roll in convincing people to go plant-based, or at least warming them up to the thought.
But to me, the tidal wave of enthusiasm around The Game Changers has more to do with the subject matter than anything else.
See, c
(A reality I had to admit, by the way…)
But fitness — looking good, feeling strong, achieving your goals…
That appeals to our most primal desires.
And the “what if” feeling of hope that you could be as fast, strong, or fit as the people in the film if you just made a change.
The film promises results, and leads you to believe that the goals you already have — run a marathon, get stronger, complete a triathlon — are only going to be enhanced by taking a closer look at what you eat.
The Game Changers knew to tap into that desire. Not to try and get you focused something new, but to focus on what you’re already into and take it to the next level.
Something even the best eye-opening health or animal rights documentaries can’t compete with.
That’s why this one is different. And yes, why I believe it’s changing the game for the vegan movement.
Remember My Non-Vegan Friend?
Guess what, he now eats a plant-based diet.
When we got in the car on the way home, I was nervous to ask him what he thought. I anticipated some push-back or questioning of the science.
But instead it was him processing the film, asking questions, and talking through what the transition would look like for him.
Something about that movie struck a chord — hitting him with the right message at the right time — and almost immediately, he started eating only plants.
Two months later he’s going strong, and while I’m not sure he’d call say he’s all in just yet, I can confidently say that right now he’s thriving.
Being a Vegan in a Post-Game Changers World
Alright, I admit, that header is a bit dramatic. Waking up today doesn’t look all that much different than it did a few months ago.
But I do think that this documentary has presented us with a golden opportunity…
Everyone is paying attention.
But how do we act on that attention?
For starters, we can encourage people to watch the movie, and all the countless other great vegan documentaries available on the big streaming services.
But more than that, we need to lead by example.
People are watching, so let’s show them what’s possible.
Do big things. Train hard. Eat well. And don’t be afraid to share books and resources, or get personal about your lifestyle.
Take a page out of The Game Changers playbook and tap into the primal desires of others, and inspire them to do something great.
The vegan movement is having a moment. Let’s not let it slip through our fingers.
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As you’ve no doubt heard the Film’s Director, Louis Psihoyos, has been selected as the Guest Director of the upcoming MountainFilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado. The Festival dedicates itself each year to making the world a better place and their 2020 Symposium topic, “Visionaries”, couldn’t be more appropriate.
I watched Game Changers and finally decided to give up red meat. I am not ready to go vegan but I think after trying everything possible to reduce my BP and Cholesterol my diet is the only thing left.
However Game Changers left me feeling rather uncomfortable. I was not at all impressed by pointing at one of the very few losses that Colin McGregor suffered and saying it was because his opponent was a Vegan. The Appalachian Trail record has been smashed by an omnivore and Arnold regularly consumes his fair share of steak.
I though the Gladiator link was tenuous and the blood sampling comparison did not stand up to real scientific examination.
However nobody could fail to be impressed by the food prepared by the wife of the footballer. That was probably the best advert for a plant based diet the film possessed.
I’m afraid as a marketing tool for veganism it fell very short. Already Netflix is flooded by productions picking the film apart bit by bit, and some with compelling arguments.
Personally I feel we should stop relying so heavily on meat. It should be seen much more as a treat, consumed sparingly and be much more expensive. That would be good for the environment and animal welfare.
Personally I intent to remain as vegetarian as possible and see how my BP and cholesterol reacts to the change in diet then I will be able to make an informed decision.
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Did you are are the difference in mussle between MC Gregor and Nate Diaz? MC Gregor is Just better, but in that fight it came down to 1 thing, and that was stamina. Nate Diaz only accepted the fight two weeks before the battle was on. I am convinced that it will bring you better health on the long term and will increase your health in the short turn and there by increases your performance. I became vegan like 2 months ago and i’m feeling better then before and i even gain some mussles. I have been training for 15 years now and my motivation to train has never been this high.
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“see”
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It changed my life and 3 of my friends. Since seeing it we have gone 100% vegan. It’s been 2 weeks. Hopefully 2 years from now I can say the same. The one thing I learned in this two weeks is. DON’T SUBSTITUTE MEAT. Don’t buy stuff that looks like meat to keep your meal looking normal. Forget it. The experiments to make meals without meat actually tastes better than meals with meat. I was semi inboard with the movement. Watching what the health the next day, sealed it for me. I can’t look at meat or milk the same
I switched gyms in September 2019. The AM Crossfit class I was the only Vegan (no vegetarians). As the oldest in class, 60, and female I quickly left the female side and began grabbing a male for a partner. I mean when a 60y old woman lands in class and scales UP instead of down they asked why and I told them 100% diet. After 2 months a man began halving his meat days. Then The Game Changers came out. After watching the movie, that male, another and the Instructor are adapting to vegan diets. === On the side I tell them about your book to get them started!
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That is awesome Skye!
I have gone vegan and have begun a journal besides entering every food source I have eaten over the last 29 days. The only exception I have kept is using half-and-half in my coffee which is one cup in the morning since all of the milks change coffee into a different type of a beverage.
However, I am suffering from bloating on a regular basis while eating exactly as recommended. I am wondering if adding very high-quality small amounts of fish will either negatively impact or help digest food in my stomach.
I have attempted to speak to the researchers in the game changers and not have responded. In the documentary, meet was clearly the focus along with chicken to be eliminated but never was there any comparison regarding the ingestion of high-quality sushi level fish.
I have attempted to speak to the researchers in the game changers and none have responded. In the documentary, meat was clearly the focus along with chicken to be eliminated but never was there any comparison regarding the ingestion of high-quality sushi level fish. Any researcher that has information about this would be greatly appreciated if they would share with me since I am going through this metamorphosis and not sure if it will be permanent or modified. Thank you to all.
I think this movie was important not because it insisted that if you adopt a vegan diet, you will become an elite-level athlete, but because it shows that there ARE elite level athletes who are vegan. In other words, you clearly don’t need meat to fuel your athletic performance. I consider this movie to be more of a seed-planter or paradigm shifter than a proof-positive recipe for success.
Incidentally, I had quite the opposite reaction to the football player’s wife’s food than the commenter below: she was serving a heck of a lot of high fat, high salt food and I don’t think it promoted all of the vibrant colors and flavors found in a vegan diet….though it did show that you could replicate your comfort foods. Please note: coconut oil (or any other saturated fat) is going to raise your cholesterol level even if you don’t consume animal products, particularly if you have a genetic tendency to do so.
I think one more thing to remember: for men at least it really challenged their ability to perform sexually. With some amount of proof. I get the sense that it was an important, unspoken factor for the person I watched it with to, if not go fully plant based, cut animal products to 2-3 times a week instead of every meal.