In isolated incidents, I think the selection of pepperoni may not be indicative of true stereotyping, but may actually be considered preference. This is rare, however, and generally speaking I believe this typifies the average pizza ordered by anyone that does not subscribe to any true or current theories about the proper concern that must go into the selection of his or her topping. There are other factors to consider. Were any third parties involved in the creation of that sausage, for instance, and was the anise that may be present there harvested by the environmentally-unfriendly farming methods so often used in its procurement, or was it done properly, and if so, was it done illegally in the back fields of central Asia?
These issues are relevant for a variety of reasons, not only relating to the environment and its immediate protection, but also in terms of discrimination and prejudice. Anchovies have long taken a bad rap, and the favor shown to other toppings may unfairly result in a continued decline in the fisheries that take on the hard work of anchovy harvesting. But in another world, the overfishing of anchovies might not only harm that species as a whole, but also do further damage to some of the more traditional Italian methods of meat curing that have lasted chiefly because of the sheer popularity of pepperoni.
Truly these are fine lines, and some may not be relevant where we stand with toppings today. But in the future, it may behoove us to keep an open mind and to ensure that we, like the Romans and the druid tribes that gave birth to certain now-standard pizza cooking conventions, choose toppings carefully and with much forethought, lest our ignorance do anything to further damage the delicate beauty of the pizza-supported systems that have held for so long.
