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Food snobbery does occasionally induce enough cognitive dissonance that fish gets promoted to "not meat," yes. Such faux pas are expected to be politely ignore

Food snobbery does occasionally induce enough cognitive dissonance that fish gets promoted to "not meat," yes. Such faux pas are expected to be politely ignored, especially when serving to distinguish our polite selves from the hoi polloi. You can even get away with pretending chicken isn't quite meat when you can't pretend to have the means to afford a fish diet. For the purposes of social status beef and pork are the meats that are understood to be low class.

aaronblohowiak 7y ago
This is an awful take. What is “meat” is culturally mediated, and in many places around the world the views are different. So too is your view that beef is lower class than chicken(!) So some people, “meat” is just red meat. But to still others the phrase “coconut meat” is sensible, meaning the soft white part of the coconut. “Fish meat” would make sense to someone who says coconut meat, but probably not to someone who wonders if pork counts as meat..
- KMag 7y ago
  I'm pretty sure the GP was being sarcastic, especially since they started out referring to such distinctions as snobbery.
  - topspin 7y ago
    I don't need explanation. These are my admittedly US centric observations of social gymnastics. They're honest, sincere and correct and I'm perfectly aware that they risk offence among the prevailing audience.
    - dmos62 7y ago
      Same gymnastics, as you've eloquently put, can be found in Eastern Europe as well. In my view it's a byproduct of certain meats/animals being in low-supply/high-demand, especially during the previous decade. The resulting indoctrination can be extensive. As an anecdote, I've seen a vegetarian being served chicken, because it's not meat.
    - KMag 7y ago
      Maybe I should have said "mocking" instead of "sarcastic". I believe you were mocking the idea that beef is low-class, and it went over the head of the person to whom I replied. My apologies if you really do believe beef is low-class, but I really doubt that's your belief.
leetcrew 7y ago
ground beef maybe, but certainly not the $24/lb ny strips at whole foods.

aaronblohowiak 7y ago

This is an awful take. What is “meat” is culturally mediated, and in many places around the world the views are different. So too is your view that beef is lower class than chicken(!) So some people, “meat” is just red meat. But to still others the phrase “coconut meat” is sensible, meaning the soft white part of the coconut. “Fish meat” would make sense to someone who says coconut meat, but probably not to someone who wonders if pork counts as meat..

KMag 7y ago
I'm pretty sure the GP was being sarcastic, especially since they started out referring to such distinctions as snobbery.
- topspin 7y ago
  I don't need explanation. These are my admittedly US centric observations of social gymnastics. They're honest, sincere and correct and I'm perfectly aware that they risk offence among the prevailing audience.
  - dmos62 7y ago
    Same gymnastics, as you've eloquently put, can be found in Eastern Europe as well. In my view it's a byproduct of certain meats/animals being in low-supply/high-demand, especially during the previous decade. The resulting indoctrination can be extensive. As an anecdote, I've seen a vegetarian being served chicken, because it's not meat.
  - KMag 7y ago
    Maybe I should have said "mocking" instead of "sarcastic". I believe you were mocking the idea that beef is low-class, and it went over the head of the person to whom I replied. My apologies if you really do believe beef is low-class, but I really doubt that's your belief.

leetcrew 7y ago

ground beef maybe, but certainly not the $24/lb ny strips at whole foods.