Another Thing To be Thankful For This Thanksgiving-That You Are Not Related To this Person

 Full Article Via NBC (LINK)

OPINION

Covid Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to smash the holiday gender binary

Even at holiday meals, the patriarchy places men atop a gender hierarchy that subordinates women

Even as families increasingly share culinary duties, Thanksgiving can also be a day for embracing, and reverting to, tradition. Even if a woman procured and prepared the turkey, gender norms often put a man at the head of the table to carve the bird. Norman Rockwell's famed "Freedom From Want," one of the more famous depictions of all-American (albeit outdated) family life, puts the family patriarch at the apex of the illustration. But again, some men might not be suited for, or want, that role. If a man in your family is an excellent carver, sure, give him the knife, but it's best to assign this duty based on actual skills. As a friend told me: "At my house, we do not let Dad carve the turkey. It would look like a crime scene." And that's OK.

Beyond how and by whom it's cooked and carved, the turkey boasts masculine prowess as the meaty king of the holiday menu and the centerpiece of the table. The bird's symbolism necessitates negotiation for vegetarians and vegans, particularly for men. More women are vegans than men, in part because our culture links meat with masculinity. Whether conjuring histories of hunter gatherers, cavemen cooking over fire or the diets of contemporary strength athletes, meat is an archetypal masculine food. Because of this, some men still feel that eschewing meat appears effeminate.

Relat

o relax the holiday gender binary

Even at holiday meals, the patriarchy places men atop a hierarchy that subordinates women. But it creates expectations that are bad for men, too

Even at holiday meals, the patriarchy places men atop a hierarchy that subordinates women. But it creates expectations that are bad for men, too