Review of Disgust

     Disgust is an interesting thing. I wish people recognized that most of what triggers their reaction of disgust is purely a product of conditioning and learning. Naturally, disgust is also a physiological trigger to warn you of danger; but that function has almost completely been eradicated due to the invention of the refrigerator and the fact that people now recognize that green fuzzies are the universal indicator of nasty, spoiled crap. Nature’s response is not what I am referencing here, I’m referencing people’s inability to think past their conditioning and experience.

     Case in point, food. I have been doing a fair amount of travelling lately and have come in contact with all kinds of international cuisine. In order to enjoy travel, I believe that you need to embrace the culture and food of the region and keep an open mind. I find it hilarious that a billion people can eat something every day that another part of the world thinks is absolutely disgusting, and the feeling is reciprocated. If you try it with an open mind, thinking about what it is about this food that makes it appealing to them, you will likely enjoy your trip much more and actually find that your preconceived notions are completely without merit.

     Here is an example. In Sicily, it is quite common to eat horse. In the states, pretty horsies are not for dinner, but rather for exotic women to ride on beaches partially or completely disrobed. I was among Sicilian natives and was offered horse, so I partook. It wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t bad either. I could see how they eat it. When I got back and described this as one of my “adventures” I was shunned by my family and reprimanded by my mother. Not only was the meal disgusting in their eyes, but now that I had fully digested it, I had become disgusting as well, not to mention cruel.

     I see the same thing when I describe eating fish eyes, frogs, chicken feet, or pig organs on my travels. Eating insects is completely disgusting to most, yet other people eat them every day. Why can I flip the disgust switch and try things when so few others can? It is mental control people. Eating a monstrous fish eye is daunting, but if you consider that you eat cow ass almost every day, the eye is really the least offensive of the two. If you further consider that you grind up and extrude into a skin tube every filthy part of the pig that is unfit for dining and then throw in on a bun with mustard and pickle guts, maybe you will get my drift. It is all in your head, and to half of the rest of the world, your food is gross too. I try to explain this to people all of the time, but nobody gets it. They just say, “That’s so gross” and they are done. It never crosses their mind as to the reasons they feel the way they feel.

     If I poured milk chocolate into a mold the shape of a dog pile, could you eat it? If I put chocolate pudding into a clean baby diaper, could you mentally convince yourself to take a bite? Chocolate is chocolate, no matter the shape. Just ask an inebriated group of ladies at a bachelorette party.

Sure, I’ve been talking about food, but this also easily translates to …………. At first glance, a “filthy Sanchez” may seem disgusting to you…but have you tried it? And if you did, did you really do it with fervor and an open mind? Maybe the first time you saw a “Cincinnati bowtie” you puked ever so slightly in your mouth… but why? Was that just conditioning put in your brain by some mind closing preacher on Sunday?
    
     Try a “Crimson Scourge”, try it again; it may be twice as nice the second time around.

So ladies, quit thinking of your man’s freakish requests as disgusting, like that fish eye and horse meat. The disgusting part might just be in your head as a result of social conditioning. Besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen? The experience is truly horrifying and will be absolutely awful?..so …really, nothing has changed.

     I hate people’s preconceived notions of what is disgusting, but will give it 1 star because it just might protect you from Hep C.