Emma’s food pet peeves: food shaming
I eat often, a lot and with great pleasure, and then I quite regularly notice things. Often they’re positive things, but it also frequently happens that something irritates me immensely. Whether that’s justified or not, sometimes I just need to vent. Hence this column: Emma’s food pet peeves, featuring something that has become increasingly common in recent years: food shaming.
It all started during lunch. I generously spread a sandwich with butter and put a thick layer of peanut butter on top. Across from me, I heard someone practically gag. “Ew, you eat butter AND peanut butter on your bread? Disgusting!” Slightly annoyed, I replied that I actually really liked it, and that I was really craving it. So could my colleague please keep quiet for just a moment? “Oh yeah, yuck, my dad always eats that too, it’s seriously so gross!” Um, what exactly did you not understand about what I said? Keep your mouth shut while I’m eating something!
Factory-farmed chicken
Since then, I’ve started paying attention, and guess what? Everyone has something to say about what you eat. Fucking annoying. Why, when someone has just decided to put something delicious in their mouth, do you have to bash it? Who cares that you don’t like something—let someone else enjoy it for a moment. What a mood killer you are.
The organic, artisanal and health trends don’t help either. “Are you still eating that cheap factory-farmed chicken from the supermarket?” “Did you know that a glass of orange juice contains just as many calories as a can of cola?” “White rice is truly the devil; you might as well be shoveling spoonfuls of sugar into your mouth.” One by one, comments nobody ever wants to hear.
Everyone decides for themselves
Most people are perfectly aware of the facts about health/the environment/animals, and make their choices based on that. Some people don’t think it’s important to buy organic chicken; your stupid comment really isn’t going to change that, you know. Yes, I only buy organic eggs and eat little meat, but I’m not going to shame my friends when they spread a delicious layer of supermarket filet américain on their bread. Just as irritating as people telling smokers that cigarettes are really bad for them. Ugh.
Keep your mouth shut
If your best friend enthusiastically tells you they’ve just booked a ticket to Thailand, you’re not going to tell them that you ended up in hospital there with dengue fever, that it was far too hot and that you didn’t like the curries at all. Right? Food works exactly the same way. Food should be delicious, you should enjoy it, and it should bring people together. So, guys, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
