In a time where vegan campaigns and environmentalism are at the forefront of food blogging culture the divide between carnivores and herbivores is at an all-time high. Combatting those who choose to cut out meat and dairy is trending. And I think I know why.
Male breadwinners are on a decline, instead we’re seeing women making their way to the top of corporate food chains. The traditional nuclear family dynamic is being abolished and for good reason. But what does this mean for the men? Well, they take it out on food.
For centuries, we let each other believe that the right way for men and women to live is for the man to be more powerful. After years of campaigning and change we have seen a massive decline in this way of thinking. But the undertones of misogyny are at the roots of society and although to a modern ear, it sounds outrageous and even offensive, it’s still relevant today.
We’ve worked so hard for women to be seen on the same level as men in hundreds of different outlets so surely this outdated view has been abolished. And yes, I would agree we have worked incredibly hard to be respected and treated as men are in the corporate world specifically. But it’s important to note that this undertone of combatting male fragility still runs through our consciousness.
Veganism, a primarily female led campaign in its early days, outraged the nation. Cutting out meat and dairy seemed crazy, it didn’t fit with the traditionally British lifestyle, and its increase scared people. Tofu coming on to the scene became catastrophic, to many it was disgusting, it doesn’t matter how you cook it or what you put on it you couldn’t pay people to eat it…out of principle.
Journalist Richard Gray put out in article in 2020 on the BBC arguing vegan food wasn’t even that good for the environment stating that trying to prevent the 1.3 billion land animals being killed for meat in the UK each year was actually terrible for the planet and the vegans were completely in the wrong…of course.
We’ve seen this attitude to veganism for years now primarily from men and therefore I would argue how men react to tofu is an inner manifestation to how they feel about feminism. Yes, its sounds outlandish but if we look at the facts, a female led campaign that goes against traditional British farming (a male led industry) is often perceived as being outrageous and must be stopped.
So next time you’re offered tofu instead of turning your nose up at it why don’t you give it a go? Veganism isn’t scary or weird it’s just different from the norm and that’s something that should be celebrated not berated by men on national TV who fear a shift in traditional British culture. Tofu is so much more then dried soybeans; it represents change, which is exactly why there are so many preconceptions. It's political.