Why Do Men Carve The Turkey?

[snooper2]

Since we are deep into all the other threads/topics, might as well add one more-----




As Thanksgiving approaches, I am struck by something I see throughout the media (including print ads, television ads, movies, television shows, and more). The man is always the one who carves the turkey.

This is something of a reversal of the classic media rule that "women cook the food and men eat the food." (Paula Deen and Rachael Ray cook; Guy Fieri eats.) Although I suppose the question there is whether carving a turkey counts as preparing a meal or eating it.

http://femaletalk.com/article/why-do-men-carve-turkey

[treestar]

1. Interesting, don't know

it was traditional - maybe it's the man who should handle the knives in the house. Something about carving is OK - it's not cooking and is masculine enough. The man is the head of the house and head of the table, so he should do the honors, or something like that.

[snooper2]

3. When I cook the turkey I carve the turkey

outside of that I'm not responsible for anyone else's fuck-ups

[Buzz Clik]

2. "As Thanksgiving approaches..."??? Well, okay. Anyway, it's because:

It's actually a menial job that no one who actually cooks cares to do. So, dump it on the slob who hasn't done jack all day.

[snooper2]

6. you're single I take it?

[Buzz Clik]

8. Err... not right now. Have you been talking to my wife? Is there something I should know?

Dammit all. Nobody ever tells me anything.

[snooper2]

9. no..never mind...

you know nothing...

[Scootaloo]

26. "the slob who hasn't done jack all day"

Do you get your reality from sitcoms or something?

[Ghost in the Machine]

35. LOL!! I think you nailed it!!! n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Anatomical thing, I think.

[snooper2]

5. I call it the third leg

[Arugula Latte]

24. Drumsticking ...

[Fire Walk With Me]

29. Beat me to it.

[FarCenter]

7. Why do men fry the turkey? Women can't handle propane and peanut oil?

[Recovered Repug]

18. Outdoor cooking is man's work. I think it's a law.

I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

[raging_moderate]

10. The same reason that they make the medical doctor do it...

to make us look bad?? Without fail, any thanksgiving dinner I am at I am always, and mean ALWAYS, expected to carve the damn turkey. I must have missed that day in med school, so I actually had to go online to figure out how to do it half-way correctly so as to not embarrass myself too much. Hint - try cutting off all of the white meat from the carcass in one piece first, then slice it up nice and pretty (in theory anyway).

[Paul E Ester]

11. Thats a good question..nt

[liberal_at_heart]

12. sometimes I carve it, sometimes my husband carves it

Sometimes my husband gets in a hurry and wants to carve it while it is still steaming hot. If he wants to burn his fingers, go ahead. When I carve it, I let it stand for a little while so it doesn't burn my fingers.

[Paul E Ester]

65. I heard that if you chop up cooked meat right away

you'll lose a lot of flavor in the juice that runs out. If you wait a few minutes the juices gel up and stay with the meat.

[Buzz Clik]

13. In my sister's household, the answer was obvious.

My brother-in-law lost his right arm in Vietnam and had one of the prosthetic hook thingies. He could carry the bird right from the oven to the cutting board on his "hook", and she simply handed him the knife.

[alphafemale]

37. awesome.....nt

[Buzz Clik]

42. Actually, it's pretty ridiculous.

But, it seemed like a fitting tale for this thread.

[pipi_k]

66. Sorry...

It's not a laughing matter, and I really don't mean to laugh, but...

hahahahahah!!!!

The mental movie I get from this is awesome





PS...apologies for my warped sense of humor.

[Occulus]

14. We're all fucking tired of this trivial bullshit hairsplitting.

In my family whoever was closest did it. Picked up the electric knife and bzzzzzz.

Oh no, wait. My mom had prepared four other dishes which she got to the table simultaneously with my father, who.... oh no, wait my mom got all the food ready at the same time with the help of her mother-in-law, who despite stereotypes had raised five kids and was one unsinkable batty old bitch who got shit done.

I don't know which Thanksgiving is "proper" and "not sexist": before or after most of the women in my extended family were dead and gone

Each period was different

help

[Katashi_itto]

60. This must be more Benevolent Sexism because we progressive men are inherently evil

[kwassa]

15. Why Do Men Carve The Corn Beef On St. Patrick's Day?

This comes after Thanksgiving.

[winter is coming]

16. Beats me. My mom always carved the turkey when I was growing up

and it's a toss-up who does the carving in my household. Then again, a lot of media images make it look like one person carves and then plates and food get passed around. Damned stupid way to serve a crowd. We always put the food out on a sideboard and let people take a plate and get what they want. It's a lot faster, and if you really like or can't stand X, you can adjust your portion accordingly.

[Apophis]

17. I didn't know people still carved turkeys.

I get mine pre-sliced in a bag.

[Kalidurga]

19. I think that is just in movies...

It won't matter in my house though. We won't ever be having turkey here again since I gave up meat. But, back in the day I have seen many women carving turkey's and I did it myself on the holidays were we had turkey. So, I am pretty sure it's a movie thing.

[spanone]

20. is thanksgiving approaching?

guess i forgot to change my calendar....

[liberal_at_heart]

21. good catch!

[malaise]

82. Best answer on this thread

Still shaking my head - men have never always carved the turkey or any other bird.

[mythology]

22. Obviously

because the carving of the turkey skill is on the Y chromosome. It's a special skill that the womenfolk just can't handle on account of the intricacy.

[msongs]

23. same reAson that women carve the turkey - it's easier to eat in smaller pieces :-) nt

[Z_I_Peevey]

50. ^^^^thread winner^^^^

Nicely done

[olddots]

25. men carve the turkey because they're pigs

So pigs carve the turkey ? do turkeys carve the pigs ?
I'm so confused with this subject . Do pigs hold the door for turkeys ?

[jmowreader]

27. It's a "head of the household" thing

This is Norman Rockwell's famous painting "Freedom from Want."



Notice two things about it: the turkey has come to the table in one piece (these days, who does that? Who has a table that big anymore?) and Grandfather, the head of the household for this festive meal, has all the equipment sitting there to carve the bird. Oh, and he's wearing a suit. Once again, who does that now?

The Traditional Thanksgiving Meal is cooked by the matriarch of the family, and carved by the patriarch. His laying the slices of succulent turkey on each family member's plate symbolizes his role in giving the family a decent life.

[treestar]

64. ^^THIS

Exactly.

[Fawke Em]

68. Well, I know one thing...

That family has my china.

Actually, I inherited my china from my great-grandmother, so it was probably purchased sometime around the time this picture was painted, so it makes sense.

[Kali]

28. a picture perfect turkey that needs carving is a dry nasty disaster

sure the skin was nice right when it came out of the oven (and everybody should have just stood there picking at it until it was gone) but I usually cook turkey covered and breast down until the meat falls off the bone. not picturesque, but damn fine eating. whoever is handy can pile onto a serving plate, but it sure as hell isn't gong to slice like some ad on the teevee.

[JDPriestly]

30. In my house, by the time the turkey is on the table, the woman of the house (me)

is too exhausted to pick up the knife. That's why. It's not that my husband could not or would not cook the turkey. It's that I like to do it. And if he cuts it, we are all happy.

[onpatrol98]

55. Because I don't want to...

My husband always carves, because I never want to. So, in my role as mom and chief mischief maker, I hand him the knife and announce to the family that their father is going to carve the turkey. Then we all sit together as part of a collective joke and watch him battle the bird. Sometimes he wins, sometimes the bird wins. But, regardless a great time is had by everyone...well, everyone except the bird.

[JDPriestly]

80. Sounds like you spend Thanksgiving at my house.

[quaker bill]

31. Because I was trained and used to get paid

to carve roasted meat on a hot line. It was a cleaner job than carving raw meat, but not as much fun as baking.

[Honeycombe8]

32. Tradition. nt

[LeftofObama]

33. Here's how it works at my mom's house on Thanksgiving...

Since I love to cook I am the one who makes the turkey (and a damn good one too, I might add). After the turkey comes out of the oven I ask the first adult I see male or female if they know how to carve a turkey. If they say, "Well, I think you're supposed to start by....", I tell them to go get started carving. If they say, "No, I don't know anything about that sort of thing." I tell them to go find someone who does because dinner will be ready in a few minutes.

[The Straight Story]

34. For the same reason they hold doors - they hate and want to oppress women

That is the only motivation men have when it comes to women. Even if a man does not know it, he is being sexist and mind raping women every time he looks at them and does not see them in his mind's eye as a man.

Us men are terrible beings and women should just love women. And film it.

[Ghost in the Machine]

36. Two LOLs already this morning, and I haven't even made it to the Lounge to see Salmons LOLcats!

This might turn into a good day all around!

Peace,

Ghost

[olddots]

77. unfortunately this will go over a lot of people's heads

DU has to get its sense of humor back .

[dipsydoodle]

38. I'da thunk

it should be done by whoever is best at doing it.

[kdmorris]

39. In my case... because I suck at it

My husband does the cooking around here, too, so he cooks AND carves the turkey. I tried a couple of times, but it looked like I put the thing through a wood chipper, so it seems best to let him continue it so that they turkey looks edible.

[onpatrol98]

61. LOL...a wood chipper...

Had I been drinking coffee, my computer would be plastered.

[bike man]

40. In order to more easily distribute portions among the others at the table. Folks randomly grabbing

chunks from the whole dead bird is so zombie-like and many people would rather avoid that.

[Bay Boy]

79. Sounds more renaissance like to me

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTPnsW6h4JHiK0erk3l5sn2XO4Gk0CjBoZR2g5JFHgaBVnGGJyi

[Ghost in the Machine]

41. My mom always carved the turkey, or ham, even to this day. I'll cook a turkey, and take it to my....

... parents' house, 3 doors up from me, but mom likes to carve it. I'll carve it sometimes, if she isn't feeling well, bot other than that, she enjoys doing it. As for the hams, we haven't much worried about that lately since I've been buying the spiral sliced honey hams.

For most of my life, my mom has cooked the Holiday meals, but that all changed when I moved close to them about 12 years or so ago. Now, I cook the turkey or hame, the stuffing, green beans and mashed potatoes & gravy, leaving mom to cook pumpkin pies, sweet potato casserole and, sometimes, corn.

BTW... my Grandmother always carved the turkey and hams at her house, too, so I have no idea where this "men carving the turkey" bunk comes from, but I can take a wild guess just from the link...

Ghost

[MadrasT]

43. I wasn't aware they did. Not in my family.

In my family, the turkey gets carved by whoever is nearby and volunteers to do it.

[Puzzledtraveller]

46. They must be thinking of Norman Rockwell paintings

Some people still take them to be a representation of life in America.

[eShirl]

44. My Dad never carved the turkey, but he and my brothers would cut and split wood for the cookstove.

I even got in on the wood splitting; that's good exercise. One of my brothers has always "got in on" the cooking, too. Nobody ever complained.

[Puzzledtraveller]

45. What?

My dad never carved no turkey, jive turkey maybe, but no turkey.

[Helen Reddy]

47. Who carved Dubya's fake-o turkey?

What do you carve plastic with? Pliers? Maybe tin snips.

[ellie]

48. Not in my house

I carve the turkey. I also slice up pies, cakes, and quiches as well as dole out the food.

[Butterbean]

49. My husband carves it 'cause I don't want to and I suck at at it. *shrug* n/t

[yourout]

51. Cause my wife asked me to.

[peace13]

52. I worry about my husband...

He makes the gravy, drains the potatoes, and carves the turkey. Oh, I forgot to mention he loves to do the food shopping especially at holiday time.. His dad sat and ate the meals that were prepared for him. My son, doesn't know what all the fuss about holiday's is and while he prepares nothing, eats very little of the holiday feast. There is no hope. Tradition shifts from generation to generation....not always in the direction 'one' would call forward.

[Little Star]

53. I cooked the turkey and I wanted to carve the damn thing but...

Noooooo. My husband was so into the art of carving turkey that he looked for different methods to carve and found that he liked Bobby Flay's method best. I agreed with him, Bobby's way is great. I just wish he had been as into preparing the meal and cleaning up the mess! Funny how that works.

http://www.recipedirect.net/cooking-videos-mainmenu-46/25-poultry-cooking-videos/80-how-to-carve-a-turkey.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Squinch]

54. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CUT THE TURKEY!!!!

and he NEVER drank water. No. Never.

Did all these "stop calling me sexist when all I want is to be admired" threads put me into a coma? Is it Thanksgiving already?

[toddaa]

56. Cornish Game Hens for the win

Carve your own damn meat.

[d_b]

57. hahahaha

[matt819]

58. You have to ask?

Because if I don't carve the turkey, it doesn't get carved. I would have to put it on the table, and we would pick at it until it was gone. Come to think of it, that may not be a bad idea. Check in with me after Thanksgiving to see if I give this a try.

[flvegan]

59. Spoken like someone who has never seen Guy's Big Bite. n/t

[TheBlackAdder]

62. The carver is the 'Control Freak', controlling who gets what and how much.

The men in my family generally cook the Thanksgiving meals.

For me, I don't care who picks up the knife and serves... as long as it's not me.
I'm too busy trying not to burn the last minute dinner rolls or grabbing things from the kitchen.

===

I have noticed that those who do grab the knife are the ones who like to be in control.

[onpatrol98]

63. Thanksgiving???

Thanksgiving???

What month is this...clearly, I have been asleep at the wheel. I haven't done any Christmas shopping, either.

[pipi_k]

67. I let...

Mr Pipi do it because he's much better at dismembering dead bodies than I am...

[1-Old-Man]

69. I've been cooking Thanksgiving dinners for 40 years, and I never carve the bird

My wife cooks more now than she ever used to, I've been the primary cook for a very long time. I have always enjoyed making Thanksgiving dinner but when it comes to carving the bird you may as well hand the knife to a monkey as have me take a stab at it. My wife is more than happy to dismember the unfortunate fowl but mostly its been our son who has taken over the duty; he also does the cooking at most of the other yearly get-togethers.

[sylvi]

70. Nobody in my family has ever carved a turkey at the table

Nobody in my family has ever carved a turkey at the table, Norman Rockwell style. It gets whacked up in the kitchen by whoever is cooking and set out with the rest of the food. There's never been much formality when it comes to eating, unless you want to count saying Grace as a formality. Certainly not in the presentation. Maybe it's a Southern Thang.

[snooper2]

73. I didn't say Norman Rockwell style

I just meant doing it period....

I do it on the counter, put a plate full of white meat and another with legs and some dark meat (which I am the only who ends up eating) and people come get it

[hughee99]

76. My experience as well.

When my mother took the turkey out of the oven, she carved it. When my father did, he carved it. It was always done in the kitchen and not part of some display.

[NNN0LHI]

71. Around here the only one who is good at it is my brother

[fizzgig]

72. dad does it because he knows how to

it's not something my sister or i have really bothered to learn

[arely staircase]

74. to perpetuate patriarchy, through control and the subtle threat of violence (wielding a knife, which

which is both deadly and phallic).

[WinkyDink]

75. Because shooting it would be redundant?

[Jamastiene]

78. So it won't cross the road like the chicken did?

You can't rightly eat a turkey that crosses the road after it has been cooked, now, can you?

See? There is a reason for everything. At my house, I do the cooking, carving, and plating up the food, so it will last a couple meals. That way I don't have to damn wash dishes so fast and cook again so soon. The only man at my house, though, is my cat. He doesn't care who carves the damn bird, as long as he gets a few bites and some gravy to go along with it.

[NaturalHigh]

81. Why do women carve the pumpkins?

My wife won't let me near one.

[snooper2]

84. my wife has me cut the tops, vent, and gut it..

so then they can carve

[mercuryblues]

83. In my house

When the meal finally makes it to the table, no one in my house is stupid enough to put a carving knife and fork in my hand.

[one_voice]

85. I do it in my house...

my husband would fuck it up beyond all recognition, and he knows it, that's why wants me to do it. I cook it too.

[nolabear]

86. Because women let them.

Kidding! Kidding! I think it's just tradition and an archaic nod to men as head of the family. I like it. I'm usually whipped by then. But Mr. Bear and I are secure in our division, pretty much. We both take equally outrageous advantage of one another when we don't want to take on a task.