‘What? You don’t like chocolate?’ The British Airways attendant almost shouted at me in incomprehension as she was passing out little packets of chocolate digestives. I had had the temerity to ask (in economy, of course) whether there might be any other biscuits on offer. To which she had responded with a concerned enquiry about allergies. No, I said, I am not allergic. I just don’t like chocolate.
I can’t say I was surprised by the attendant’s reaction. Any suggestion that you might not share the current appetite – nay, fetish – for chocolate and you are treated as though you’re inexplicably withdrawing yourself from the cultural mainstream. This applies particularly to women. In the event that a man declines chocolate, this tends to pass without comment. So be it. A woman who declines chocolate, on the other hand, risks finding herself treated as somehow deviant. And if a conversation among women turns to chocolate, well, the best course by far is to keep quiet.
A conversation about chocolate will not be of whether, but what – preferences in taste, texture and brands, perhaps prices and outlets.
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