In an interview with the MIT Technology Review, Bill Gates suggested that, in order to avoid a major climate disaster, more wealthy countries should shift to production and consumption of "100% synthetic beef."
Immediately this struck a cord with the conservatives of Twitter, who retaliated in the silliest ways possible.
For example, seditionist Congresswoman Lauren Boebert simply tweeted a picture of a raw steak and said "Come and take it, Bill."
Come and take it, Bill. https://t.co/9bjFrfVn3Q— Lauren Boebert (@Lauren Boebert) 1613485451.0
Other conservative voices across Twitter got increasingly hostile toward Gates as well.
Bill Gates can stick his synthetic beef where the Sun doesn't shine. https://t.co/RIQOEulEVD— David Kurten (@David Kurten) 1613483358.0
Bill Gates saying western countries should switch to "100% synthetic beef" while himself being a vociferous carnivo… https://t.co/UpI9HuK1sQ— Paul Joseph Watson (@Paul Joseph Watson) 1613490037.0
Bill Gates says “Rich nations should shift entirely to synthetic beef.” I’m thinking Americans will be eating real… https://t.co/fiomOCVXLS— Thomas Massie (@Thomas Massie) 1613489406.0
I gave @BillGates 10 min to meet my offer to donate $1 million to our restaurant worker relief fund and I’ll never… https://t.co/TqYJnAisGa— Chef Andrew Gruel (@Chef Andrew Gruel) 1613521386.0
Count me out: Bill Gates: Rich nations should shift entirely to synthetic beef— Senator John Cornyn (@Senator John Cornyn) 1613480876.0
The idea was somehow so outrageous to conservatives that the info made it all the way to Fox News.
100% SYNTHETIC BEEF https://t.co/F7Hy4eUOzD— nikki mccann ramírez (@nikki mccann ramírez) 1613601814.0
just took a huge bite outta the new bill gates approved synthetic beef burger https://t.co/vJhXy5iRL9— Logan Hall (@Logan Hall) 1613510023.0
This is how they control our food supply. This is technocracy. Australia must never give in to this delusion. https://t.co/egzqoflxVr— Dr.Sanjeev Balakrishnan (@Dr.Sanjeev Balakrishnan) 1613522182.0
Why does Bill Gates assume eating synthetic beef won’t have any long-term health effects..?— Rob Boyd, Esq. (@Rob Boyd, Esq.) 1613669959.0
So Daddy Bill says we need to all switch to "synthetic meat." Since when was eating "synthetic" food a healthy choi… https://t.co/dmm2ptEbjL— John Rich (@John Rich) 1613505569.0
This isn't the first time conservatives have gotten really defensive over cow flesh.
In 2019, Laura Ingraham attempted to drink a steak stuffed with lightbulbs through a plastic straw to "trigger" liberals on air.
Meat identity politics is an underrated right wing micro-genre IMHO https://t.co/yu1S5wbtng— Luke Savage (@Luke Savage) 1613661048.0
Not to be outdone, next Hannity will drink Flint water, Dobbs will bathe in RoundUp and Tomi Lahren will sniff asbe… https://t.co/acXtauN2Kb— Ray Hawkins🌊🏳️🌈 (@Ray Hawkins🌊🏳️🌈) 1567910668.0
We mustn't exclude Laura Ingraham's iconic lightbulb steak 💅🏿 https://t.co/K6S5QDVg89 https://t.co/42Pldyo9ph— Lovecraft Hunty (@Lovecraft Hunty) 1613686656.0
Sometimes, to own the libs, a conservative woman has to offer a man named Bill her meat. The ways of conservatism a… https://t.co/oeCHdVrluj— Gapeway Pundit (@Gapeway Pundit) 1613597194.0
@LukewSavage @FaultierOssi The conservative obsession with eating meat is a perfect example for Freud's phallic obs… https://t.co/oEvr2bOVHA— ツ 2021 Unvaccinated Individual 🧢 (@ツ 2021 Unvaccinated Individual 🧢) 1613741778.0
It Is unclear why conservatives are so defensive of their beef.
Former White House adviser Sebatian Gorka suggested Democrats all want to "take away your hamburgers," and beef being taken off the table was "what Stalin dreamt about but never achieved," though Stalin was notoriously pro-hamburger.
It almost seems like conservatives look for reasons to be upset.