the yuck face
I’ve seen it so many times when an American is offered foreign food, or when someone mentions something they don’t like. Look, everyone has a right to dislike something, and I know to a certain extent it’s a reaction. But, it’s rude to make the yuck face period, and as an adult you should practice self-control and not do it, especially around strangers or when you are in a foreign country. I felt embarrassed so many times in Japan when an American colleague would make the yuck face at someone who offered them something different and refused to try. So immature and wrong. It’s fine to say no to an offer of food, but I think it’s rude to make the face. To me, the face says, “Gross! I can’t believe you eat that shit!”
Self-centered as many Americans are, they seem to think it’s the food’s fault when they don’t like the taste. The fact that many people like the foods you dislikes means that it’s something about YOU that doesn’t mix with the food. Honestly, I think it’s a result of bad parenting. Parents need to expose kids to lots of different foods and cultures, and teach kids to be polite when they come across food they don’t like. Of course, your food habits are often inherited from your parents, and if they were eating nothing but hot dogs and hamburgers and crap food, you probably weren’t exposed to various flavors, and have a retarded palate. Yes, your tongue is retarded. I remember seeing a documentary on Marilyn Manson going to Tokyo. He went searching for a McDonald’s because he didn’t want to try anything new. Unbelievable considering all the great food that is in Tokyo. For a guy who wants to be outrageous and cutting edge, his eating habits were so tame and backward.
As a rule, I think you should try everything before you reject it. There’s some great foods out there. I found a delicious salumi deli that made great beef tongue salami sandwiches. Blood sausage, sea urchin, octopus, fishheads, intestines, chicken feet, etc… Learn to love it. If you can’t, just smile and say no thanks.
so good
June 10th, 2010 at 11:17 am
I’ll yuck-face at any and all processed foods. When I walk into my Shanghai Starbucks to order a black coffee and they try to talk me into “upgrading” into the sugar fat green tea sesame chai latte sugar fat sugar fat, I make my own version of the yuck-face: disgust, loathing, and oh-realamente? I have yet to vaporize a barista with my glare, but I’m working on it.
I like non-anglo foods; I love stinky tofu, and subsist on tea eggs. I believe in keeping an open mind. But I also think some things, particularly processed crap, but also most dead carcasses, are rather disgusting. I reserve the yuck face.
The thing is, and your point perhaps, is that Americans are largely used to ingesting plastics, chemicals and rancid carcasses, but all so blandified that they can’t eat actual food with actual flavor. They can only handle the genetically and chemical engineered food-like substances.
Asia remains much closer to its healthy, fresh, real food roots, but it is becoming ever more corporatized and corpulent. Check out my friend Paul French’s new book “Fat China” for what is happening here.
June 13th, 2010 at 9:09 am
chinks make that face all the time…oh wait, you always look like that.
Look you myopic asswipe, who the fuck do you think you are placing stereotypes and judgements on whitepeople? What white person has wronged you? Did you not get a chance to bang any white girls in your life? Did you get beaten up or picked on in high school?
June 18th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
johan, you ignorant slut. the dude was just making an observation. chill out wonder bread. you attack, i counter-attack. you cockaroach.
why do you have to say “chinks”? what does that accomplish?
what, white people never place stereotypes or judgements on asians and other racial minorities? Why you act as if whites are the only ones privileged enough to generalize?
I can’t believe you are actually offended by the post. i don’t get it.
and what does banging white girls have anything to do with appreciation for foreign foods/dishes? or being picked on/beaten up in school?
you’re an idiot.
June 18th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Shanghai Meimi got his point. and i agree with her.
and i’ll admit. as an asian guy, when i was in europe, i went to burger king. i sure did. i was craving a juicy greasy whopper with fries and coke. so i’m guilty.
i try to keep an open mind about different kinds of food. but i won’t eat dog meat, turtle soup, or bull testicles.
also, i agree with shanghai meimi, that most americans eat shit/junk – GM foods, fast foods, processed foods, chips, dips, sweets, soda, frozen dinners…it’s all shit food. it’s not real food.
but yeah, i do love those “chicken” mcnuggets. with BBQ sauce.
June 18th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
But then again, I can’t blame sometimes for people to get that face or say something when the smell is so strong and rank. Like certain asian foods have a very control smell. but it’s delicious. and if they have never tried it, i can see how they’d get grossed out since smell is such a powerful sense.
July 17th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I don’t think that it is wise to judge the whole white people just because you see some White Americans doing that in the public. I mean, what about the White people that live in UK, France or Germany?
July 26th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Hi, first of all, I would like to let you know that I think it’s a excellent website you have here. What I wanted to ask is, I haven’t find out the way to include your blog feed in my rss reader – where is the link for the feed? Many thanks
July 26th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Thanks, Wilbert. I’m not an expert of RSS, but we have the two links on the right hand side of the homepage:
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
Is this what you need?
August 5th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
What is RSS? this is a test
August 8th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Please cancel that last post, since I didn’t finish. Thanks
August 8th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
I registered for this website because I was somewhat sympathetic to your views on white men dating Asian women, and I find this bigoted rant on the front page. Wow. Maybe you should just wall yourself further off from gwailo if you hate us that much. I consider myself someone who has tried many cuisines and enjoyed most. The “yuck face” is a cross-cultural facial expression that apparently has been suppressed in your culture. I don’t do it. At worst, I furrow my brow. I have a strong suspicion that you would make noticeable, offensive gestures and make offensive comments if I offered you freshly cooked food from the place I grew up.
There are many cultural reasons that people have for eating what they eat. You don’t seem to understand that there is no one “American culture.” I suspect that your “yuck face” was observed more in young, white females, who constantly struggle to conform and express disapproval as a way of expressing their inchoate identity.
I suggest you eat with people of your own kind. Then no one will offend you enough to rant on the internet about facial expressions.