Some of that cheese *is* pretty disgusting, and they know it! That's part of the joy of it, I think. Same with snails- one of my daughters finds the concept distasteful, the other embraces it gleefully and makes theater of it. People are people!
BTW, I noticed this visit to the US that there are more varieties of slicing cheese in the supermarket than "American", "Montery Jack" and "Swiss". I saw Camembert varietals, Emental and quite a few imported ones, including some softs that look aged enough to have a highly aromatic center. ;-) This is in the midwest. The world continues to get smaller.
"... They ne'er cared for us
yet: suffer us to famish, and their store-houses
crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to
support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act
established against the rich, and provide more
piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain
the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and
there's all the love they bear us."
-- Shakespeare: Coriolanus, Act 1, scene 1
