3 ms·

I honestly don't understand why it's such a big deal that so many people insist meat must be part of a meal? To the degree that in Argentina they say "si no hay

I honestly don't understand why it's such a big deal that so many people insist meat must be part of a meal? To the degree that in Argentina they say "si no hay carne, no hay comida" (if there is no meat, it is not a meal). It feels like if I insisted on having bread at every table sitting. Clearly, it can be seen as just a habit and not a requirement?

inscionent 7y ago
Every experience I've had with "no meat, no meal" has also been associated with a heavy dose but "I'm a man". YMMV
- fromthestart 7y ago
  Perhaps because vegans and vegetarians are substantially more likely to be thin and, well, less traditionally manly, both in appearance and in values. It's a different set of cultural values and it isn't invalid just because it differs from yours.
  - inscionent 7y ago
    Having a meal with no meat doesn't make one vegan/vegetarian. > vegans and vegetarians are substantially more likely to be thin and, well, less traditionally manly, both in appearance and in values I can point you to many fat vegans, and I've heard this 'need meat' BS from guys who were literally 135 lbs, soaking wet, so.... exactly this kind of attitude that 'meat makes you manly'. Who said that I disagreed with those values, that is a poor assumption on your part.
- jeltz 7y ago
  On the other hand most such people I have met have been women.
atorodius 7y ago
I always assumed it's historical. meat = wealth
- cr0sh 7y ago
  Meat still does equal wealth to a certain extent - have you priced a whole rib-eye roast, or a full-sized beef brisket lately? They ain't cheap (and if you buy one, they are daunting to cook - because you know if you screw it up, you've just wasted $100-200.00). Ground beef, or chicken, or pork - those are all still very inexpensive; though pork can get pricier for certain cuts - mostly it's still very inexpensive. But damn - if you've ever smoked a pork shoulder and made homemade pulled-pork sandwiches - you know there's no substitute for that.
Freak_NL 7y ago
Meat is not just a matter of taste, but also of habit and identity. In general, the lower the socio-economic class, the higher the resistance to vegetarian and vegan cooking. Society wide change is always hard, and meat is way too cheap (considering its environmental impact) to provide the economic stimulus for reducing the amount of meat in ones diet. Learning to cook vegetarian dishes is also non-trivial (although not too hard of course, but a barrier nonetheless). For people over fifty meat is also an indicator of welfare. Especially for people whose parents didn't have the luxury of eating meat on a daily basis. Fortunately, the shift to less meat is unmistakably happening, and has been gaining speed in the last few years.
fromthestart 7y ago
The big deal is the fact that being told that the "flavor won't be missed" or that I won't be able to tell the difference is condescending.

inscionent 7y ago

Every experience I've had with "no meat, no meal" has also been associated with a heavy dose but "I'm a man". YMMV

fromthestart 7y ago
Perhaps because vegans and vegetarians are substantially more likely to be thin and, well, less traditionally manly, both in appearance and in values. It's a different set of cultural values and it isn't invalid just because it differs from yours.
- inscionent 7y ago
  Having a meal with no meat doesn't make one vegan/vegetarian. > vegans and vegetarians are substantially more likely to be thin and, well, less traditionally manly, both in appearance and in values I can point you to many fat vegans, and I've heard this 'need meat' BS from guys who were literally 135 lbs, soaking wet, so.... exactly this kind of attitude that 'meat makes you manly'. Who said that I disagreed with those values, that is a poor assumption on your part.
jeltz 7y ago
On the other hand most such people I have met have been women.

atorodius 7y ago

I always assumed it's historical. meat = wealth

cr0sh 7y ago
Meat still does equal wealth to a certain extent - have you priced a whole rib-eye roast, or a full-sized beef brisket lately? They ain't cheap (and if you buy one, they are daunting to cook - because you know if you screw it up, you've just wasted $100-200.00). Ground beef, or chicken, or pork - those are all still very inexpensive; though pork can get pricier for certain cuts - mostly it's still very inexpensive. But damn - if you've ever smoked a pork shoulder and made homemade pulled-pork sandwiches - you know there's no substitute for that.

Freak_NL 7y ago

Meat is not just a matter of taste, but also of habit and identity. In general, the lower the socio-economic class, the higher the resistance to vegetarian and vegan cooking. Society wide change is always hard, and meat is way too cheap (considering its environmental impact) to provide the economic stimulus for reducing the amount of meat in ones diet. Learning to cook vegetarian dishes is also non-trivial (although not too hard of course, but a barrier nonetheless). For people over fifty meat is also an indicator of welfare. Especially for people whose parents didn't have the luxury of eating meat on a daily basis. Fortunately, the shift to less meat is unmistakably happening, and has been gaining speed in the last few years.

fromthestart 7y ago

The big deal is the fact that being told that the "flavor won't be missed" or that I won't be able to tell the difference is condescending.