Abstract

The mainstreaming of plant-based, imitation meats in fast food restaurants has introduced a discourse surrounding the significance of meat consumption to the consumer. Imitation meats not only offer an alternative to consuming animal products but also work to replicate the sensation of eating meat. While an immense amount of research demonstrates the importance of meat consumption to masculinity and identity work, there is little research on the role of imitation meat. Through an exploratory content analysis, this study analyzes 243 responses on Twitter to a tweet about a Burger King commercial advertising the Impossible Whopper. This project found several themes that align with previous research on masculinity and meat consumption. Twitter responses referencing political affiliations populated the findings as well. The article further explores the implications of these findings and next steps in understanding the cultural context of imitation meats.