In Yasmin Tayag’s Atlantic essay, “America Is Done Pretending About Meat,” she slices through the tofu-thin veneer of plant-based hype with surgical clarity. Her subtitle—“Plant-based has lost its appeal”—isn’t just a culinary observation; it’s a cultural postmortem. In today’s ideological food fight, meat isn’t just food. It’s masculinity on a plate, red-state swagger served rare. Meanwhile, the plant-based lifestyle—once the darling of climate warriors and West Coast yoga instructors—now reeks of smugness and crumbling coastal elitism.
Pre-pandemic, faux meat had its moment. Impossible Burgers sizzled their way into fast food joints, and Beyond Meat strutted onto grocery shelves like it was about to win a Nobel Prize in moral superiority. But somewhere between mask mandates and mutual loathing, America got bored with pretending its black bean patty was filet mignon. Political tribalism hardened, and nothing says “I vote red” like a slab of charred ribeye.
Beyond the performative virtue signaling, there’s a more primal truth: meat is delicious. Our conscience may wag its finger over climate guilt and industrial cruelty, but our mouths water for seared fat and sizzle. And let’s be honest—those plant-based patties? Nutritional Trojan horses. They’re packed with sodium, industrial oils, and the kind of pea protein that leaves you hungry two hours later. A real burger satisfies. A fake one is cosplay.
Tayag throws another burger on the grill: half of all self-proclaimed vegans and vegetarians are liars—“faketarians,” as my cousin calls them—quietly munching chicken wings when no one’s looking. The moral high ground is slippery when coated in barbecue sauce.
Personally, my culinary choices are less about ethics and more about domestic diplomacy. My wife and daughters are carnivores, and I’m not about to start a civil war over tempeh. Sure, I dabble in lentils and drizzle tahini on roasted vegetables, but I still rely on Greek yogurt and whey protein to keep my muscles from filing a grievance.
So yes, I lean plant-based, but only enough to stay credible in a Whole Foods aisle—not enough to trigger a household mutiny. Call it “functional tribalism.” Call it “married life.” Just don’t call it vegan.
