Meat: Not Just For Pussies Anymore?

In one corner we have author John Joseph, who is heckling male meat eaters by calling them pussies in his new book, and in the other corner: Mike O'Dea, carnivore and intern at Brooklyn's the Meat Hook. As a battle plays out in the comments of yesterday's post about Joseph's book, O'Dea is here to serve up a side of criticism, well-done:

I'm fairly sure humans didn't get to the top of the food chain by eating nuts and berries from day one. If it wasn't for meat in our diets (amino acids, protein etc) we probably wouldn't be having this exchange via electronic mail—and would instead be tossing rocks at one another from behind our primitive huts.

Pretty tough talk for a pussy! But O'Dea goes on to offer a nice perspective—which you can read after the jump—that perhaps, gasp, both sides can relate to? Either way, spoken like a man who has seen Food, Inc. a time or two.

Without reading the book I don't think I have much of an opinion about what he's getting on at. What I can say is it's true the majority of meat fabricated and sold in the US today is gross —antibiotics, hormones, feed and processing are all factors. Ever seen ground turkey at the grocery store? It's beige paste (that's made from a percentage of turkey meat but also other gross turkey-part fillers). Since this is the majority of meat that is consumed, the "bad" eventually ends up in the ultimate consumer: meat eaters.
I'm a huge proponent of knowing where all my meat comes from, how it was raised, what it was fed, how it was slaughtered and processed. If the option is available I'll always go for meat/poultry that has been humanely raised, fed natural feed—does everyone have this option? No. Do I hope that some day the way Americans eat will change for the better? Yes.

I have many Vegetarian/Vegan friends—when I explain my stance, I tend to get a level of acceptance from them. Do I understand why people want to be vegetarian? Yes. Do I respect it? Yes. Do I care for the over the top ultra militant "meat is murder" types? Not really. I work as an intern in a butcher shop in hopes that as I learn I can continually spread the understanding that not all meat is bad, and there are alternatives to large scale production-line farmed beef.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Food on June 4, 2010 2:19 PM

Comments [rss]

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Handsomedevil is so lame to try to impersonate you. What a tool and disrespect for this blog and those who read it. I least I post what I believe and know and not making a satire of other commenters. stupid fcks

handsomedevil

I am not impersonating anybody I just write what I feel and when I think of how nobody cares about animals it makes me so damn mad

handsomedevil

and I don't understand why you don't appreciate it felix because we are on the same side now and just they other day you said my posts were awesome so whats wrong

jaycjay

I love the smell of bacon in the morning. It smells like freedom.

handsomedevil

It smells like freedom cruelty

there fixed it for you you didn't know I knew html did you actually I don't my friend stephanie was over and she told me how to do it LOL. but seriously you are cruel bacon is inhumane

handsomedevil

the crossout showed up in the preview

Guest

yes, the preview! i've always been afraid of using html for the fear that it would come out all shitty, subject to ridicule, but now i know!!!

power. power! power! mwahahahahahaha*!!!!!

*“Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind.”

--Terry Pratchett

handsomedevil

I dont think I will have time to learn how to use those fancy codes because when I think of animals I get really excited adn I type fast thats the way I write the way I do

718born

While an extremely small minority of privileged folks can attempt to satiate their guilt and their desire for the flesh of other dead animals by convincing themselves that their meat is somehow killed humanely (humane slaughter...what an oxymoron) the fact of the matter remains that there is simply no ethical way to kill 10 billion animals per year in anything approaching a "humane" manner.

I can't wait until this ridiculous hipster trend of butchering goes the way of pointy shoes.

Want a more compassionate, humane, just world? Well a good way to do that is by starting with your fork.

eah2002

That is ridiculous. Is it any more ethical to eat vegetables that were harvested by poor and abused migrant workers? Or fruits and vegetables that is shipped in from thousands of miles away simply because it is out of season wherever you currently live? Do you know how many native species of plants and animals die/are endangered by farms around the world? If you eat any food that isn't locally sourced it is extremely likely that a great deal of abuse to people, animals, and/or the environment was necessary to get it on your plate. The only way to mitigate any of this is to know and care where your food comes from. Of course not everyone has this luxury, but unless you actually care about where your food comes from and support local farmers/hunters/butchers/etc then you are just as guilty of propping up the factory farm establishment, regardless of what you eat.

Guest

oh, and ps: thanks for saving my soul. i'm happy at last. :)

718born

This has nothing to do with a gnat or making anyone feel guilty. I ate meat for most of my adult life and I don't condemn any of my friends or family who do. There's just a whole lot of suffering in this world... both human and non-human and if I can reduce that is some small, easy way, well then, why not?

Guest

that was a close call!

well, i'm kinda undead anyway; hope you weren't that concerned about my life. i don't, either.

:)

Guest

shit! now you're really making me feel guilty about the gnat.

i'm gonna hang myself. right now. good-bye.

Angela

You don't need to be militant to make a simple connection: no killing can be humane.

HymietownHero

I can easily envision several scenarios in which killing would be humane, and I am betting you can too. If not, give your friend a loaded handgun and proceed to douse your body in hydrochloric acid.

Guest

i know. a few days ago, a gnat went up my nose and died in my nostril, of all places.

i still feel bad about it.

girlfriday

having recently converted back to my meat eating ways (after a 15 year hiatus), i'm astonished that I resisted my longing for steak - when it's probably something that my body needed (hence the craving).

I wasn't unhealthy as a vegetarian, nor did I have balls of granite (or balls of any kind - for any reason), by maintaining my diet in such a manner - but I was lacking iron, and protein that you only obtain from meat (sorry vegs - but it's totally true.).

In general, I think it actually takes more balls to recognize that you should change a long term lifestyle choice in order to better maintain your health. and in doing so, explain to everyone who knows you as a vegetarian that you were just sick of turning down aged rib-eyes. and by "your" health, I mean MY health. as in, it's what was best for me.

and - btw? meat is NEVER for pussies. nothing that tastes that good should be consumed by a pussy.

handsomedevil

good for you enjoy heart disease

dadoc

All things in moderation. If one (girlfriday perhaps), enjoys an occasional ribeye while maintaining a good BMI, avoiding cigs, partaking of moderate sweets, treats and alcohol, exercises regularly, de-stresses appropriately and enjoys a good life, the ribeye will not cause heart disease, but will only provide needed Iron and proteins. (BTW, not meaning to speak for you, girlfriday). Monomaniacal, frustrated and misdirected behavior, regardless of diet will, however, affect the stress chemicals and -kines that bring about untoward health effects. Each time handsomedevil clenches its jaw, and, in its vehemence, fails to recognize the shift key, while hammering away with no regard for punctuation, that, yes that, is what brings a myocardium to its early standstill.

Enjoy to all, in moderation.