5 ms·

I'm a vegetarian, but I think he's underestimating the cultural significance of meat for a lot of people. As a male, I've seen a fusion between meat and perceiv

I'm a vegetarian, but I think he's underestimating the cultural significance of meat for a lot of people. As a male, I've seen a fusion between meat and perceived masculinity at many BBQs. It's on par with owning a gun or driving a big truck, etc. It's more than a food, it's often used as bonding ritual for men. Sure, pockets of New England, California and other liberal towns might widely adopt meat substitutes but I wouldn't be surprised if many other communities don't. Asking them to give up meat is like asking them to give up part of their identity. I don't think price will change things, only a cultural shift.

llukas 8y ago
You can grill impossible burger just fine.
- everdev 8y ago
  And there are tons of cars that work just fine and use less gas but people still buy SUVs. Price and mechanics will move some people but don't underestimate how strong culture is. Plus it's veggie patties or the Impossible Burger gets locked with hippies, vegans, California, liberals, etc. there will be tons of people who will never touch it.
  - dc_gregory 8y ago
    Never is a strong word; especially when people idolise high end athletes that turn to a vegan diet for an edge (i.e. MMA)
  - slfnflctd 8y ago
    > there will be tons of people who will never touch it Having spent some time in the southern central U.S. in the past, this is right on the money. Preserving the cornerstones of the culture they grew up with is orders of magnitude more important to some of these people than just about any other criteria. However, their children are increasingly realizing the ridiculousness of it and making smarter choices. This results in them doubling down, further entrenching themselves and becoming more alienated from 'outsiders'. Eventually it will stabilize down to a handful of freaks left with their little collection of hobbies they manage to get a tiny fraction of folks interested in every generation, and the rest of the world will have long since moved on.
claudiawerner 8y ago
There is also (perhaps unsurprisingly) a sustained criticism of the meat industry from vegan feminist academia, which links it not only to the idea of meat as something masculine, but also the way we speak of women and meat (or even food in general), from "fine piece" to "chick"/"bird", "cow", "Christmas cake" etc. This is further linked to the exploitation of female animals. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the main proponent of the theory right now.
Buldak 8y ago
It's funny how different aspects of one's identity hang together. You'd think that diet should have little to do with someone's views on politics or gender, but when I learned that Jordan Peterson adhered to an all beef diet, I thought "Yeah, sounds about right."
- pell 8y ago
  It's very difficult having a conversation with his fans, I learned.

llukas 8y ago

You can grill impossible burger just fine.

everdev 8y ago
And there are tons of cars that work just fine and use less gas but people still buy SUVs. Price and mechanics will move some people but don't underestimate how strong culture is. Plus it's veggie patties or the Impossible Burger gets locked with hippies, vegans, California, liberals, etc. there will be tons of people who will never touch it.
- dc_gregory 8y ago
  Never is a strong word; especially when people idolise high end athletes that turn to a vegan diet for an edge (i.e. MMA)
- slfnflctd 8y ago
  > there will be tons of people who will never touch it Having spent some time in the southern central U.S. in the past, this is right on the money. Preserving the cornerstones of the culture they grew up with is orders of magnitude more important to some of these people than just about any other criteria. However, their children are increasingly realizing the ridiculousness of it and making smarter choices. This results in them doubling down, further entrenching themselves and becoming more alienated from 'outsiders'. Eventually it will stabilize down to a handful of freaks left with their little collection of hobbies they manage to get a tiny fraction of folks interested in every generation, and the rest of the world will have long since moved on.

claudiawerner 8y ago

There is also (perhaps unsurprisingly) a sustained criticism of the meat industry from vegan feminist academia, which links it not only to the idea of meat as something masculine, but also the way we speak of women and meat (or even food in general), from "fine piece" to "chick"/"bird", "cow", "Christmas cake" etc. This is further linked to the exploitation of female animals. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the main proponent of the theory right now.

Buldak 8y ago

It's funny how different aspects of one's identity hang together. You'd think that diet should have little to do with someone's views on politics or gender, but when I learned that Jordan Peterson adhered to an all beef diet, I thought "Yeah, sounds about right."

pell 8y ago
It's very difficult having a conversation with his fans, I learned.