Food is essential to life and meat plays a huge role in that, however, there has been inequalities that have arisen in the food realm. Men have been stereotyped to be huge meat lovers, and if they eat healthy then it lowers their masculinity. On the other hand, women have been stereotyped to eat healthy and have more plant based diets. This has not been something that all of a sudden formed, but rather started during the hunter and gathers time period. In the article, “Having It His Way” by Carrie Packwood Freeman and Debra Merskin it illustrated how masculinity has been constructed in fast-food advertisements. It shows how men are in a way ashamed to eat healthy or have a plant based diet. As someone who is vegetarian, I was not able to wrap my head around why most men are so afraid to lose their masculinity. Just because they take care of their health and eat healthy foods should not make them any less of a man. To me it makes no sense why they would feel the need to fill their body with unhealthy substances and loaded with meat just to protect their masculinity.
When the domestication of animals occured, a long time ago, women were most likely the ones to invent plant argiculture. While, men were in charge of hunting animals and bringing home the meat. Therefore, this helps explains where these sterotypes arose. However, this was thousands of years ago, so things don’t have to be the same now. The authors included how Ecofeminism is the idea that females draw on the concept of gender to theorize on the relationship between humans and the natural world. They add to the conversation by applying how women are seen as objects or even worse just another meal. In fast food commercials the audience targeted is males which is something that the companies do not hide. In their slogans the word “man” is used such as Burger Kings, “Have it your way” commercial. In this commercial they clearly mock the feminist movement by using a parody of a feminist song. Being a female, this makes me mad because I feel like there was no need for them to do this. They could have just done a commercial to actually advertise their product rather than going out of their way to mock women.
Burger King was not the only one to fall into the growing of masculinity with food, but also many other companies. It was shocking to me to see how many other fast food companies made sexist commericals, and they felt that it was ok to do. In my opinion, I don’t see why the would feel the need to even make their commercials gendered since they are only advertising food. For example, in the article it explains how Carls Jr. made a commercial where a guy was fully checking out a girl while with his girlfriend. Then, afterwards mentioning that “it is more fun to eat wings when out with the guys”. If I saw this on TV I would be offended since it lowers a women’s status and also promotes a sense of cheating. Along with this, when women are featured in fast food advertisements they are only seen as objects meaning that they are sexualized and do not talk. Jack in the Box, Arby’s, Quizno’z, Subway, and more all contribute to this discriminations,
Meat is seen as this glourious thing to men when in fact the meat industry is extremely harmful. The animals are inhumanely killed, it contributes to global warming, labor explotation, and causes diseases. Yet, most men and even females fail to see this and continue eating meat. These are actually the reasons why I am vegetarian, and I am not angered at others for eating meat but it is kind of disgusting when they glorify it to such a huge extent. It also makes me mad when they immediately come for those that are vegan or vegetarian just because they don’t eat meat, and they go to the extent to mock them. It’s surprising how people especially males see healthy food as something peculiar. For example, when I cook meals at home my dad refuses to eat it because it’s “too healthy” or the fake meat seems “gross”.
Gender inequality is something very revelant in the fast food industry and food all together. The authors of the article help make that clear and even help show the root of it all. To me, it makes no sense why people have to sterotype food or why men refuse to eat healthy. However, this day in age eating healthy has grown greatly and more people have switched to plant based diets. Hopefully, with time men and women can eat whatever they want without having to feel discriminated. As well as, women no longer being viewed as objects when it comes to food advertisements.
Words that come to life 