Interesting discussion last night on whether or not you can gage a persons degree of Xenophobia by how much they love bacon.
Is Bacon and bacon merchandise the new confederate flag?
Here is the logic: a person who incorporates bacon as a major component in their diet is less likely to interact with other cultures where the use of bacon is considered offensive for example as in the Kosher diet or pick any handful of major religions that consider swine filthy. This person would eat at places that served bacon or with people for who the practice of eating bacon was culturally acceptable making few relations outside of their cultural norm. Over time this worse of bacon would culturally isolate the individual and reinforce social norms.
I was a little tipsy as this was being discussed but for some reason it almost started to sound plausible.
For the record I am a fan of bacon cheeseburgers.
For the record I wouldn't consider myself xenophobic.
But this could have to do with the amount of love I have for bacon?
How would I do this study? Especially since most people are unwilling to admit that they have racist or xenophobic tendencies?
I realize there is a huge issue with causality here but it is interesting to think about none the less.
Maybe someday there will even be a question on E-Harmony asking people to rank their bacon obsession.
7 comments:
I think that bacon is a result of the actual factors that drive xenophobia which is ignorance. Ignorance increases xenophobia.
Where is ignorance the greatest? I would claim that the further you get from a big city, the greater the ignorance of the populous. I would also claim that the further you get from a big city, the further you get away from those that stay away from bacon.
I am NOT saying that those that live outside of big cities are stupid, they are just more ignorant of other cultures, other ways of living etc... due to thier distance from the diversity of the city. No insult meant to rural folk. I have rural folk friends ;o)
I'm a big bacon fan, but not at all racist or narrow minded, except in my likes of certain foods.
Next we might as well debate whether all vegetarians are homosexuals.
Count me in the bacon lovers column.... Are there really people who don't like it (aside from those who don't eat it for other reasons)? I don't know anyone who doesn't! I agree with Rocket on this, which is why we need to work at bringing cultures together. Perfect example: When we work at Habitat houses, we often buy a grill to use during the build to feed the crew, and then give it to the homeowner. If the homeowner is Muslim, we have to buy all beef products - no mystery meat hot dogs, no pork and beans in a can. These kind of experiences help those that love bacon get an understanding of those that choose otherwise.
I LOVE bacon.
I think the theory is more, however, a correlation between how much one EATS bacon and their xenophobia, as opposed to how much one LOVES bacon, and their xenophobia.
Interesting argument!
Maybe i'm missing the fine points involved in this theory, but for the record:
I live in a rural state.
I like bacon a lot.
I am the opposite of xenophobic.
I am more sensitive to non-Christian religions [including those who eschew pork] than your average bear.
What does that do to the hypothesis?
I don't know, but I bet if we thought hard enough we are only 6 degrees of separation away from bacon lovers
I think Rocketstar makes a good point. It isn't "liking" the bacon that is an indicator of xenophobia but the thinking that results in eating massive amounts of bacon.
So if I am a big fan of panchetta and prosciutto, does that make me a latte-drinking liberal?
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