💯 Growing up, I had my own experiences with field dressing, and I agree with you—it’s much easier to buy the “product” than face the truth. People use language to soften the reality... It’s not a baby cow, it’s veal. It’s not a deer, it’s venison. It’s not the flesh of a loving sentient animal, it’s “steak,” etc. Factory-farming conditions are horrific. Extreme survival is one thing, but in most civilized societies it’s not a necessity, it’s a choice.
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Totally agree 👍
I've always wondered why red meats get special names, but fish and poultry are just referred to by the animal's name 🤔
Indeed. I assume a major factor is that the larger the animal, the harder the slaughter is to deal with. That's why we say "beef" and "pork" instead of "cow" and "pig"—it creates distance. For years they thought fish didn't have feelings... they were wrong.
People do use demeaning terms like calling someone a chicken, or a dirty rat, or a fat pig, or a cow, or say that something smells fishy... All these things are mental gymnastics that create an us versus them.
Meanwhile domesticated animals like dogs get phrases like "puppy eyes" and "man's best friend"—we elevate what we don't eat and degrade what we do.
