--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eating organs, in 1943, could degrade…" description: "\"“Eating organs, in 1943, could degrade one’s social standing. Americans preferred bland preparations of muscle meat partly because for as long as they ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8df/mary-roach-635_upper-class_eating-organs-in-1943-could-degrade-one_2488329.jpg" --- # Eating organs, in 1943, could degrade one’s social… ![“Eating organs, in 1943, could degrade one’s social standing. Americans preferred bland preparations of muscle meat partly because for as long as they could recall, that’s what the upper class ate. So powerful are race- and status-based disgusts that explorers have starved to death rather than eat…” quote by Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8df/mary-roach-635_upper-class_eating-organs-in-1943-could-degrade-one_2488329.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8df/mary-roach-635_upper-class_eating-organs-in-1943-could-degrade-one_2488329.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8df/mary-roach-635_upper-class_eating-organs-in-1943-could-degrade-one_2488329.jpg) > ““Eating organs, in 1943, could degrade one’s social standing. Americans preferred bland preparations of muscle meat partly because for as long as they could recall, that’s what the upper class ate. So powerful are race- and status-based disgusts that explorers have starved to death rather than eat like the locals. British polar exploration suffered heavily for its mealtime snobbery. “The British believed that Eskimo food . . . was beneath a British sailor and certainly unthinkable for a British officer,” wrote”” [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Social class and cultural disgust shape food choices, sometimes leading to extreme behaviors like starvation. **In simple terms:** Class and disgust affect what we eat. Key Takeaway Recognize bias in food preferences. Themes culture class disgust exploration food Mood reflective analytical Type cultural historical When to use this quote - colonial expeditions - modern diet choices - food marketing - anthropology studies Key Concepts social hierarchy cultural norms psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do modern food trends reflect class bias? - Can we overcome ingrained disgust? A Different Perspective Class biases can limit survival and cultural exchange. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disgusts Explorers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgusts-explorers-939063/) [Eating Organs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating-organs-939059/) [Eskimo Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eskimo-food-939062/) [Explorers Starved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explorers-starved-939061/) [Mealtime Snobbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mealtime-snobbery-939060/) [Upper class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upper-class/) ## Related quotes > [“So powerful are race- and status-based disgusts that explorers have starved to death rather than eat like the locals. British polar exploration suffered heavily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/so-powerful-are-race-and-status-based-disgusts-that-explorers-have/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“For Arctic nomads, eating organs has, historically, been a matter of survival. Even in summer, vegetation is sparse. Little beyond moss and lichen grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-arctic-nomads-eating-organs-has-historically-been-a-matter-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [The piano is just a different animal. It's expensive, it's big, it's heavy, and it doesn't fit in the mix easily. Everyone grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-folds/the-piano-is-just-a-different-animal-it-s-expensive-it-s-big-it-s/) [Ben Folds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-folds/) > [I grew up in a wealthy upper-class household in Jamaica, which was run along militaristic lines by my mother, Gloria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-colin-campbell/i-grew-up-in-a-wealthy-upper-class-household-in-jamaica-which-was-run/) [Lady Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-colin-campbell/) > [When I first left drama school, I was too posh for the working-class parts and not posh enough for the upper-class roles. You know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chaplin/when-i-first-left-drama-school-i-was-too-posh-for-the-working-class/) [Ben Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chaplin/) > [There were a lot of upper-class or royal roles and I felt like I was always searching for other stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-dickinson/there-were-a-lot-of-upper-class-or-royal-roles-and-i-felt-like-i-was/) [Harris Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-dickinson/) > [I'm interested in illuminating the enormous disparity between vast poverty and the tiny upper class... This vast inequity is unfair by definition, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-mcdonell/i-m-interested-in-illuminating-the-enormous-disparity-between-vast/) [Nick McDonell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-mcdonell/) > [In the United States, the working class are Democrats. The middle class are Republicans. The upper class are Communists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/in-the-united-states-the-working-class-are-democrats-the-middle-class/) [Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/) > [And that's where I think vulnerability comes in - the fact that we're figuring out that there is strength in actually being vulnerable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rege-jean-page/and-that-s-where-i-think-vulnerability-comes-in-the-fact-that-we-re/) [Rege-Jean Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rege-jean-page/) > [I was born in Paris in 1950. I had a strict upper-class Catholic education but I never really fitted in the system and revolted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-gautier/i-was-born-in-paris-in-1950-i-had-a-strict-upper-class-catholic/) [Francois Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-gautier/) > [“We spend to pretend that we’re upper-class. And when the dust clears—when bankruptcy hits or a family member bails us out of our stupidity—there’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/we-spend-to-pretend-that-we-re-upper-class-and-when-the-dust-clears/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [Tomorrow everybody - or practically everybody - will have had the education of the upper class of yesterday, and will expect equivalent opportunities. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/tomorrow-everybody-or-practically-everybody-will-have-had-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [How shall we ever know if it's morning if there's no servant to pull up the blinds?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-barrie/how-shall-we-ever-know-if-it-s-morning-if-there-s-no-servant-to-pull/) [James M. Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-barrie/) > [The American middle class always wants to be upper class and is scared to death of being lower class. It's a highly mobile group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloan-wilson/the-american-middle-class-always-wants-to-be-upper-class-and-is/) [Sloan Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloan-wilson/) > [I have a class prejudice - against the upper class, which is foolish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-margolyes/i-have-a-class-prejudice-against-the-upper-class-which-is-foolish/) [Miriam Margolyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-margolyes/) ## More by Mary Roach > [“Rawson points out that although snakes can’t taste, they have a primitive sense of smell. They’ll extend their tongue to gather volatile molecules and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/rawson-points-out-that-although-snakes-can-t-taste-they-have-a/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“As the number of Inuit who hunt has dwindled, so has the consumption of organs (and other anatomy not available for purchase at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/as-the-number-of-inuit-who-hunt-has-dwindled-so-has-the-consumption/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [For the most part, if somebody approaches me and says, 'I'd like to interview you,' who am I to say no, when I spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-the-most-part-if-somebody-approaches-me-and-says-i-d-like-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [To me, death is dark, pain, grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-me-death-is-dark-pain-grief/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“If you look at survivable crashes, it’s rare that even half the emergency exits open,” says Shanahan. “Plus, there’s a lot of panic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/if-you-look-at-survivable-crashes-it-s-rare-that-even-half-the/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“…he was doing a breath hydrogen test. If you know the amount of hydrogen someone is exhaling orally, it's a simple matter to extrapolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/he-was-doing-a-breath-hydrogen-test-if-you-know-the-amount-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Viagra isn't the only drug being prescribed off-label for women with arousal problems. Los Angeles urologist Jennifer Berman told me some doctors are prescribing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/viagra-isn-t-the-only-drug-being-prescribed-off-label-for-women-with/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Sharing a room with a cadaver is only mildly different from being in a room alone. They are the same sort of company as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/sharing-a-room-with-a-cadaver-is-only-mildly-different-from-being-in/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Every now and then, someone will tell me that one of my books has made them laugh out loud. I never believe them because:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/every-now-and-then-someone-will-tell-me-that-one-of-my-books-has-made/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“panel applicants at the initial screening were asked not only to describe the cat foods but also to rate them according to how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/panel-applicants-at-the-initial-screening-were-asked-not-only-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“\* Kissing is a less aggressive form of bacterial transplant. Studies of three different gingivitis-causing bacteria have documented migration from spouse to spouse. Periodontically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/kissing-is-a-less-aggressive-form-of-bacterial-transplant-studies-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Nirlungayuk reached a similar conclusion. I tracked him down, seventeen years later, and asked him what the outcome of his country-foods campaign had been.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/nirlungayuk-reached-a-similar-conclusion-i-tracked-him-down-seventeen/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Astronauts are like these mythic legends, but really, they are just regular people, people who wear chinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/astronauts-are-like-these-mythic-legends-but-really-they-are-just/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Olive trees grow in the same climate and soil conditions as grapes. The olive oil people have been up in Napa Valley all along,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/olive-trees-grow-in-the-same-climate-and-soil-conditions-as-grapes/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“A patient on the way to surgery travels at twice the speed of a patient on the way to the morgue. Gurneys that ferry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/a-patient-on-the-way-to-surgery-travels-at-twice-the-speed-of-a/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) [Explore all 435 Mary Roach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) ## More Upper class quotes > [I have a class prejudice - against the upper class, which is foolish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-margolyes/i-have-a-class-prejudice-against-the-upper-class-which-is-foolish/) [Miriam Margolyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-margolyes/) > [The American middle class always wants to be upper class and is scared to death of being lower class. It's a highly mobile group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloan-wilson/the-american-middle-class-always-wants-to-be-upper-class-and-is/) [Sloan Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloan-wilson/) > [How shall we ever know if it's morning if there's no servant to pull up the blinds?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-barrie/how-shall-we-ever-know-if-it-s-morning-if-there-s-no-servant-to-pull/) [James M. Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-barrie/) > [Tomorrow everybody - or practically everybody - will have had the education of the upper class of yesterday, and will expect equivalent opportunities. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/tomorrow-everybody-or-practically-everybody-will-have-had-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [“We spend to pretend that we’re upper-class. And when the dust clears—when bankruptcy hits or a family member bails us out of our stupidity—there’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/we-spend-to-pretend-that-we-re-upper-class-and-when-the-dust-clears/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [I was born in Paris in 1950. I had a strict upper-class Catholic education but I never really fitted in the system and revolted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-gautier/i-was-born-in-paris-in-1950-i-had-a-strict-upper-class-catholic/) [Francois Gautier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-gautier/) > [And that's where I think vulnerability comes in - the fact that we're figuring out that there is strength in actually being vulnerable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rege-jean-page/and-that-s-where-i-think-vulnerability-comes-in-the-fact-that-we-re/) [Rege-Jean Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rege-jean-page/) > [In the United States, the working class are Democrats. The middle class are Republicans. The upper class are Communists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/in-the-united-states-the-working-class-are-democrats-the-middle-class/) [Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/) > [I'm interested in illuminating the enormous disparity between vast poverty and the tiny upper class... This vast inequity is unfair by definition, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-mcdonell/i-m-interested-in-illuminating-the-enormous-disparity-between-vast/) [Nick McDonell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-mcdonell/) > [There were a lot of upper-class or royal roles and I felt like I was always searching for other stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-dickinson/there-were-a-lot-of-upper-class-or-royal-roles-and-i-felt-like-i-was/) [Harris Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-dickinson/) > [When I first left drama school, I was too posh for the working-class parts and not posh enough for the upper-class roles. You know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chaplin/when-i-first-left-drama-school-i-was-too-posh-for-the-working-class/) [Ben Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chaplin/) > [I grew up in a wealthy upper-class household in Jamaica, which was run along militaristic lines by my mother, Gloria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-colin-campbell/i-grew-up-in-a-wealthy-upper-class-household-in-jamaica-which-was-run/) [Lady Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-colin-campbell/) > [The piano is just a different animal. It's expensive, it's big, it's heavy, and it doesn't fit in the mix easily. Everyone grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-folds/the-piano-is-just-a-different-animal-it-s-expensive-it-s-big-it-s/) [Ben Folds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-folds/) > [So often in English fiction, people are either upper-class twits, or else they're knockabouts, less than human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/so-often-in-english-fiction-people-are-either-upper-class-twits-or/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [While some multimillionaires started in poverty, most did not. A study of the origins of 303 textile, railroad and steel executives of the 1870s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/while-some-multimillionaires-started-in-poverty-most-did-not-a-study/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) [Browse all 167 Upper class quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upper-class/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Eating organs, in 1943, could degrade one’s social standing. Americans preferred bland preparations of muscle meat partly because for as long as they could recall, that’s what the upper class ate. So powerful are race- and status-based disgusts that explorers have starved to death rather than eat like the locals. 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