Almost every man I know loves sitting down with a big ol’ juicy steak. I know plenty of women who do as well, though my wife is just as likely to order chicken or something else at a restaurant. But almost every guy wants a huge slab of meat dropped on his plate.
And, apparently, in so doing, we perpetuate the patriarchy and stuff:
Do you love a good steak? Fancy a juicy hamburger or prefer to pile on the bacon?
Congratulations! According to a sociology professor at Pennsylvania State University, you’re responsible for perpetuating the “hegemonic masculinity” that sustains the Patriarchy and keeps feminists so angry.
Professor Anne DeLessio-Parson published her article, shaming meat-eaters for their anti-feminism, in this month’s “Journal of Feminist Geography” (a publication we’re sure Daily Wire [From Tom: And PJ Media] readers are just itching to put on their holiday wish lists). In it, she claims that “hegemonic masculinity implies an imperative to eat meat” and that people who follow that imperative reinforce other power hierarchies as well, including the Patriarchy.
DeLessio-Parson interviewed a grand total of 27 vegetarians to get their thoughts on how male oppression and vegetarianism are related, and from those interviews, theorized that women become vegetarians to push back against the “meat-centric” culture and “destabilize” the gender binary.
“The decision to become vegetarian does not itself destabilize gender, but the subsequent social interactions between vegetarian and meat-eater demand gender enactment—or resistance,” DeLessio-Parson wrote. “Refusing meat therefore presents opportunities, in each social interaction, for the binary to be called into question.”
Let’s ignore the fact that “hegemonic masculinity” is a kick-ass band name (good luck ignoring that one!) and look at the claims themselves, which are frankly idiotic.
First, how can anyone draw any conclusions about anything from a sample size of 27 people? DeLessio-Parson grabbed a couple dozen vegetarians, then apparently codified their answers as an overarching concept of gender-relations regarding meat-eating.
The truth is that eating meat is what allowed our brains to grow and for us to evolve out of an arboreal race into the dominant species on the planet despite lacking any physical advantages previously. DeLessio-Parson would have mankind ignore that fact.
Of course, in the process, she may have established something she didn’t intend. You see, DeLessio-Parson essentially connects men who are vegetarians with more feminine qualities. She tries to prove that not eating meat is a feminist act — but in the process, she appears to be making the claim that real men eat meat.
Maybe the next edition of my non-fiction book on masculinity will include a section on her findings. I don’t think she’ll be a fan of my interpretation of her nonsense, however. Such a shame.
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