Now Reading
Why Are Jews So Obsessed With Bacon?
Slut for Slicha
A Very Jewcy Rosh Hashanah
Snipped and Satisfied
Schtupless in Seattle
Gefilte Guilt
Messy Meshugane. Again.

Why Are Jews So Obsessed With Bacon?

Earlier this month, the condiment company J&D’s (“Everything should taste like bacon”) released—and quickly sold out of—a line of bacon condoms. The product is now only available by waiting list, and if you don’t believe that artificially-flavored latex prophylactics would sell, see for yourself.

Not surprisingly, J&D’s is a half-Jewish enterprise, the Jewish half being Dave Lefkow. In an interview, Lefkow said that he thought it would be funny to get J&D’s seminal product, Bacon Salt, kosher certified (it contains no actual bacon).

Traif is a hip(ster) restaurant in Brooklyn whose executive chef is, no surprise, a Jew—and whose tag line is “Celebrating pork, shellfish & globally inspired soul food.” The late David Rakoff wrote about his experience of eating pork in Germany, which made him feel very aware of his own Jewishness. Luzer Twersky, a former Satmar who left his Hasidic community (and may soon star in a reality show about it), told the New York Post, “When I had the first bite, I felt angry…I felt how could my parents keep this from me?”

Bacon is more than a pig product. It’s a cultural statement. The fetish, the joke, and the irony justify consuming bacon, though it is fattier than fat, and the trayfiest of trayf. Did the Post ask an ex-Hasid about an innocuous non-kosher food like Starburst Fruit Chews or Jell-O? No. Because who cares about Starburst Fruit Chews and Jell-o? They went right to the bacon. Bacon carries cultural currency.

As an observant Jew, here’s what bacon represents to me: If you’re Jewish, even if you’re a secular Jew, eating bacon is saying, ‘I am Jewish, but I think I am refuting my Jewishness by eating trayf in public, so therefore I am totally affirming my Jewishness.’

I myself am stringently, stubbornly kosher. When it comes to bacon, though, I’m an outsider. I didn’t grow up kosher, so I’ve tasted it—and I think it’s gross. I’ve thought it was gross since way before I even considered going kosher. Smelling it as I walk by the bodega every morning makes me nauseous. I usually hold my nose past the coffee carts selling egg and bacon sandwiches on my way to work. My worst nightmare is to be feeling a little sick on a warm, poorly-ventilated, rocking subway car only to have some pork eater get on the car eating a bacon-and-egg sandwich. I feel like puking into my messenger bag. (I actually carry barf bags with me in case of this very situation.)

The weird resurgence of bacon in the past five years as an object of culinary fetish seems to me to be a direct reaction to increased awareness of healthy food (Skinny Bitch, Fast Food Nation, et al.), and also to what is basically the emergence of the second wave of American baalei teshuva (the first being in the 1960’s). Suddenly every dudebro and his “ironic” hipster cousin are indulging in bacon as a statement.

That statement is a lot like that of the “bad kids” I went to high school with, the most obnoxious of whom used to sing in the halls to his Rage Against the Machine tape on his walkman, “F*ck you, I won’t do what you tell me.” Except he totally did what people told him. He’s for sure making more money now than I am—and playing a lot of golf. (I know that because of Facebook.)

At Pardes, Brooklyn’s boundary-breaking gourmet kosher restaurant famous for its unlikely combinations of flavors, the chef occasionally makes beef “bacon” ice cream. Pushing the porcine flavor of bacon in the already revolting medium of parve ice cream has to be done to make a point (because there is no way it could be done for flavor). The point is, as Dr. Evil said in Austin Powers, “I’m with it…I’m hip.”

I don’t really care what other people eat, as long as they don’t strap me to a chair, hold my nose, and shove their nasty food in my mouth. But the Jews and bacon shtick—and it is completely shtick—it’s a fetish. It’s a symbol. If Jews want to eat bacon in private because they have a compulsion for it, that’s none of my business.

But Jew fools himself if he eats bacon. No matter what he eats, if he two-fists bacon-wrapped scallops covered in mayonnaise on white bread and washes it down with a glass of milk while kneeling down to idols, he will always be Jewish. In that case, why not give the Jewish soul what it actually wants: kosher food.

From this author: It’s Hard to Be a Mensch at a Crowded Kosher Supermarket on Thursday Night

Previously on Jewcy: Kosher Salt: I Don’t Eat Pork
Hebrew National and Me: Answering to a Higher Authority
Insane Trayf Item of the Week: Bacon Coffin
Exposed: The Jewcy Bacon Fetish

View Comments (39)
  • Hi, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
    When I look at your blog in Chrome, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer,
    it has some overlapping. I just wanted to
    give you a quick heads up! Other then that, superb blog!

  • I know this web site presents quality based posts and additional information, is there any other web site which offers these kinds of data in quality?

    Here is my web-site – tracfone

  • When someone writes an paragraph he/she retains the image of a user in his/her brain that how a user can be aware of
    it. Thus that’s why this paragraph is perfect. Thanks!

  • Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i subscribe
    for a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had
    been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea

  • You could certainly see your expertise in the work you write.
    The sector hopes for more passionate writers such as you who are not afraid to say how they
    believe. All the time follow your heart.

  • Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this
    board and I find It really helpful & it helped me out much.
    I’m hoping to give one thing again and aid others such as you helped me.

  • Nice blog here! Also your web site loads up very fast! What web host are you using?
    Can I get your affiliate link to your host?
    I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol

  • An interesting discussion is worth comment. I believe that you should publish
    more on this subject, it may not be a taboo matter but typically folks don’t discuss these subjects.
    To the next! All the best!!

  • My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.
    I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less.
    I’ve been using Movable-type on a number of websites
    for about a year and am nervous about switching to
    another platform. I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net.
    Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it?

    Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!

  • Thanks , I’ve just been searching for info about this
    topic for ages and yours is the best I have came upon till now.
    However, what about the bottom line? Are you sure about the supply?

  • My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different web page and thought I may as well check things out.
    I like what I see so i am just following you.
    Look forward to finding out about your web page for a second time.

  • Admiring the dedication you put into your blog and detailed information you present.
    It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while that
    isn’t the same old rehashed material. Excellent read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  • Hmm it appears like your website ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m
    thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to the whole thing.
    Do you have any tips and hints for beginner blog writers?
    I’d really appreciate it.

  • I think that everything said was very logical.
    However, think about this, suppose you added a little content?
    I ain’t suggesting your information isn’t solid., but suppose you added a post title that makes people want more?
    I mean Why Are Jews So Obsessed With Bacon? – Jewcy is a little vanilla.

    You could glance at Yahoo’s front page and see how they create
    article titles to get people to click. You might add a related video or
    a picture or two to get people excited about
    everything’ve written. Just my opinion, it could bring your posts a little livelier.

  • Hey I am so glad I found your weblog, I really found you by accident, while
    I was browsing on Digg for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a marvelous post and a all round entertaining blog
    (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at
    the minute but I have bookmarked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read
    a great deal more, Please do keep up the fantastic work.

  • At this time it sounds like Drupal is the preferred blogging platform available
    right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?

  • Spot on with this write-up, I really think this web site
    needs far more attention. I’ll probably be returning
    to see more, thanks for the information!

  • These are truly wonderful ideas in about blogging.
    You have touched some fastidious things here. Any way keep up wrinting.

  • Undeniably believe that which you said. Your favorite
    justification appeared to be on the internet the easiest thing to be aware
    of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed while people think about worries that they
    just don’t know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole
    thing without having side effect , people can take a signal.
    Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

  • We’re a group of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community.
    Your website provided us with useful info to work on. You’ve performed a
    formidable activity and our whole group will probably be thankful to you.

  • Fantastic beat ! I wish to apprentice while you
    amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog website?

    The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this
    your broadcast provided bright clear idea

  • Great weblog right here! Also your site quite a bit
    up fast! What host are you the use of? Can I am getting your
    associate hyperlink for your host? I want my website loaded up as fast as yours lol

  • Your mode of describing all in this piece of writing is really pleasant, all
    be able to without difficulty be aware of it, Thanks a lot.

  • After looking at a number of the articles on your web site, I seriously appreciate your technique of writing
    a blog. I added it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back
    in the near future. Take a look at my web site too
    and tell me how you feel.

  • hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve
    definitely picked up anything new from right here.

    I did however expertise some technical points using this site, since
    I experienced to reload the website lots of times
    previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web host is
    OK? Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times
    will sometimes affect your placement in google and can damage your
    quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
    Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and
    can look out for a lot more of your respective
    exciting content. Ensure that you update this again very soon.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top