Oh I wouldn’t take it too seriously. Back in the day it was very racially driven and definitely punching down so to speak. Nowadays it’s mostly directed at descendants of Europeans, perhaps as a reaction to the past, but if it’s happening in the Western world I see it as punching up and more along the lines of a harmless joke.

At our high school we managed to convince the teachers to allow a pepper eating competition. We had quite a few Hispanic and South Asian folk that could definitely handle their capsaicin but it was a white lad that won in the end through sheer force of will. He had to call out of school for a few days due to aftereffects. But it was clearly something important to him. He wore the mantle proudly despite the consequences.

Actually, I do genuinely think it’s a reaction to the past and things will balance out over time. When I was growing up spicy cuisine was very much met with disdain. Kids would make faces, pinch their noses, verbalize disgust (while eating their nutritionally rich lunchables). I know you’ll say well that’s children but it did continue into young adulthood and it was fairly clear the parents felt that way too. So I can’t help but feel a little vindicated by how those tables have turned. Especially since I and many others had to resort to eating blander foods to avoid ostracization.