My professor posted an image for this week that can be found at the end of this post. There is a cutting board suspended in white oblivion, and on top of the cutting board is what looks to be meat. Pork, maybe? Then, what looks like the cousin of the Pillsbury figure, is cutting slices of the meat for consumption with a sharp over-sized knife. Pillsbury’s cousin appears to be a male chef, pushing the narrative that meat is for men.
With a description of this image in mind, I began pondering over the gendered foods and associations within our modern-day society. Men have always been portrayed as the meat-eaters, because for some odd reason, to eat steak and bacon is to “eat like a man.” (Zoe Eisenberg, Huffpost) When I watch commercials for Outback Steakhouse, for example, it is accompanied by a white Western male eating a hearty burger. Many male athletes are even featured in commercials in which they glorify meat consumption. In addition, there is this circulating stigma that women are expected to order a salad when out on a date and men- you guessed it- meat.
These associations were of no natural process. In fact, the media industry is one of the huge driving forces that actively work to normalize the idea of gendered foods.
“Backed up by the entertainment industry is the idea that the bloodier the steak, the more manly the man” (Aynide Howell, vegan chef )
It is bizarre to consider that some men actually believe that eating plant-based foods and refraining from non-human animal meat would make them less of a man. That vegetarianism is somehow emasculating. And yet, this is the world we live in. Greta Gaard explains how eco-feminists perceive our relationship to food and non-human animals. In her reading, she spoke about how she believes there is a linkage “between the oppression of women and the oppression of animals.” (Gaard, 20) Animals were never purposed to be domesticated. They are, after all, apart of nature. They belong in the while. Yet, humans have them in factories.
“To be a pet is to have all one’s life decisions controlled by someone else: when and what to eat, how to act, whom to socialize with, whether or not to reproduce. If the situation were offered to humans, we’d call it slavery.” (Gaard, 20)
She goes on to point out that modern society has linguistic associations with women and animals, thus dehumanizing us. We’ve all heard it before, I’m sure. The cat-calling. It’s gross and undeniably uncomfortable. Yet, again, the world we live in right?
Deane Curtin is another ecofeminist who highlights the effect food has had on women in relation to their bodies. Curtain believed the body should always be a “moral agent” (Curtin, 68) when deciding what foods to consume. The body is a precious vessel and should be taken care of. But for many women, in particular, the obsession with food or lack thereof can evolve into anorexia.
“Anorexics typically feel alienation from their bodies and the hunger “it” feels.” (Curtin, 68)
I believe its important to take care of your body. After all, you only get one. However, I reject the idea that you are apart from your body. We cannot let society’s standards of beauty cause us to starve ourselves because we’d be hurting none other than ourselves. Eat that salad if you wish, but eat, eat, eat! Curtin tells readers that being a “contextual moral vegetarian,” doesn’t mean you need to cancel meat altogether. If the time calls for it, you answer. If your child is starving and without a vegan source of food, you can feed them meat.
“The point of a contextualist ethic is that one need not treat all interests equally as if one had no relationship to any of the parties.” (68)
I like this idea better because although I would love to cancel meat from my diet, a vegan lifestyle is not one I could afford right now. Also, I don’t have the resources available to actively engage in this lifestyle… ONE DAY.
Lastly, I’d like to tackle the idea that gendered foods stem from patriarchy. To begin, YES. Curtin said it best:
“Vegetarianism is not a gender neutral issue. To choose one’s diet in a patriarchal culture is one way of politicizing an ethic of care. It marks a daily, bodily commitment to resist ideological pressures to conform to patriarchal standards, and to establishing contexts in which caring for can be non abusive.” (Curtin)
Sources:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/meat-heads-new-study-focuses_b_8964048
http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-m/curtin01.htm
https://www.academia.edu/2489929/Ecofeminism_on_the_Wing_Perspectives_on_Human-Animal_Relations
“ I believe its important to take care of your body. After all, you only get one. However, I reject the idea that you are apart from your body. We cannot let society’s standards of beauty cause us to starve ourselves because we’d be hurting none other than ourselves. Eat that salad if you wish, but eat, eat, eat! Curtin tells readers that being a “contextual moral vegetarian,” doesn’t mean you need to cancel meat altogether. If the time calls for it, you answer. If your child is starving and without a vegan source of food, you can feed them meat.”
I loved how you worded yourself, I’ve been someone who fluctuates weight because of the fact at times I feel so huge and at times I feel too small. Society has made me this way, there are so many perfect bodies I wish I resembled. I’ve forced myself to starve before so I could lose weight. Seeing pictures of women eating salads makes me so guilty when I order a steak. I’ve even been told “a little lady like you eating a steak for a man”. I totally agree with you, but I also agree it is easier said than done. I’m working on it and hopefully one day I’ll be comfortable in my own skin. Until then I will continue to support healthy eating habits and making sure you’re okay :)! This was so eloquently typed. Thank you for your insight can’t wait to see more!
xoxo gossip girl
I feel your statement that this association is of no natural process is incorrect. I agree that advertising has stigmatized this association and further pushed for a gendered gap, but I feel this association stems back to our hunter gatherer ancestors. Men played the role of the hunter and women played the role of gatherer. Maybe some women were hunters and some men gatherers, but I imagine since that existence there has been an association. When agriculture sprouted, it was rare for the vast majority to get meat, mostly eating grains and other plants. with occasional meat access. With your other point about animal women association I also feel stems from an instinct of men to dominate. That I am sure women like to feel a sense of power, but I feel there is an animalistic feeling in men to be in charge to show how powerful they are by putting others down. I would say it is not so much that men see women as an animal, but men see women and animals as a thing they can dominate, but can does not mean you should. We have developed brains with reason and need to learn to overcome our animal instincts and start protecting what is ours with respect. To not just speak, but listen. That more people should be a moral vegan, but that it is ok to eat meat. That you need to respect your food whether it is animal or plant, we should be thankful for the food we have been able to provide through nature and now through nature and our own means we developed through nature.