Do you like tofu? The answer to this question could define more than just your dietary choices; it could reveal the depths of your masculinity and your thoughts on femininity. Or that’s what some women on social media claim.Recently, numerous female influencers have been recording men’s reactions to soy-based products as a sort of litmus test on how they view women. “Men’s views on tofu directly reflect their views on women,” a woman says in a video posted to TikTok that has gained nearly 3 million views.
What does it say about men?
Well, if a man responds to a tofu with “intense disgust” then it’s tied to their fragile masculinity and fear of place in society. Many others agree saying “tofu and soy hate is so forced and it’s because everybody is so uneducated,” pointing to debunked claims that eating soy products will raise males’ estrogen levels.
Is this true?
Well, it seems this one might be more than just a trend and has some truth to it. The idea that tofu maps on the femininity and that resistance to tofu reveals something about masculinity is not “off at all,” said Emily Contois, author of “Diners, Dudes, and Diets: How Gender and Power Collide in Food Media and Culture” to USA Today.Tofu now becomes more than just a dietary preference, it is a stance on the environment, on the view of it as a feminine edible. This is also because modern ideas of dating have reinforced the connection between manliness and meat.Earlier, plants were associated with nurturing and femininity whereas meat provoked the idea of hunters and eaters. A similar theme was explored in Carol J. Adams’ book ‘The Sexual Politics of Meat’ connecting meat-eating, power and oppression said Contois.The viral test not only highlights the interconnectedness between food and gender but also brings forward a man’s view of the world, femininity and culture, since Asian cultures have tofu as a staple.Contois even pointed out the role politics has to play in how the intricacies of life are viewed. “Under certain administrations, there was more conversation about climate change and the role of the kinds of foods that we eat, and particularly meat taking lots of resources,” she said while pointing out the Republican administration in the US where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been promoting the consumption of meat, with the ideas of masculinity, marriage and child health.
Be careful with trends
Social media trends have now transcended into real life. A person’s choice can be just personal and inconclusive about their personality or views. Someone who eats tofu can still be irrational and one who eats meat can still be environmentally attuned.Amy Chan, dating coach and author pointed out the concept of “fundamental attribution error” which is the human tendency to take one behavior and assume it reflects a person’s entire character. Just because someone doesn’t like tofu does not mean they are toxically masculine.The better question could actually be “What do you think about tofu?” “It opens the door to understand someone’s belief systems around those ideas about power and subordination,” said Contois.
