Comments on: How to Do Masculinity

By: Jordan

Jordan — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 21:42:27 +0000

To all the other boys in the room: if someone thinks you are homosexual, or they perceive you as being feminine, it doesn’t change who you are and it shouldn’t change how you feel about yourself or how you act. If you feel the need to “butch up” when someone intimates that you might be gay then you have some self esteem issues to work on.

By: Femininity can’t be that bad | Meteuphoric

Femininity can’t be that bad | Meteuphoric — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:48:11 +0000

[...] not immediately clear though why this would be unfair toward women, rather than men. She explains elsewhere: Comparably, women have got it good. We’re allowed to knit and play soccer, be a mom and be a [...]

By: Sexist me « I live to eat

Sexist me « I live to eat — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 13:41:51 +0000

[...] From: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/06/26/how-to-do-masculinity [...]

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:54:13 +0000

I agree.
Predominantly valueless things are promoted as specifically feminine- especially vanity. A lot of a woman’s behavior is dictated by how others will view/judge us by appearance instead of by action. These things ARE frivolous and so womankind as a whole is seen as frivolous because there is this definition of femininity.

“Masculinity” emphasizes skill and the appreciation of skill, and of course rejects femininity because of the underlying association (again, frivolity).
When you value substance you will reject the lesser. Women can take on “masculine” traits because it is moving up to something meaningful.

Forgive my clunky sentences, I’m sure some of that will get misinterpreted as well.

By: m Andrea

m Andrea — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:31 +0000

The idea that women should be masculine is, in my opinion, a feminist institution. I don’t know any men who expect women to be masculine.

That statement is so backwards I don’t know where to begin. It’s obvious that sexist men prefer to believe that women are completely different than men, hence the strong encouragement heaped upon little girls to be passive frilly froo froo dingalings while boys are encouraged to be aggressive and active.

“Feminists” never encouraged women or girls to be men, but when it is obvious that the traits which are rewarded in business are the same traits which men are encouraged to display, then of course a woman who wants to get ahead will display those same traits. This isn’t rocket science.

By: m Andrea

m Andrea — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 23:50:20 +0000

It is not that men do consciously think “oh sure women are fake HUMAN beings” and it’s not that men do consciously think “oh sure women are less HUMAN than men”.

It’s that sexist people think LAYDEE humans are somehow in possession of completely different skillsets (which happen to be asscribed a lower value) and are also are in possession of completely different personality traits (which happen to be asscribed a lower value). Whining that “men don’t think we’re human” is just shorthand and rubs the point home that hey we ARE just as human as men so why are we assumed to have radically different skillsets in the first place and why are our skillsets presumed to have such a lower value?

Anyway. Why are you worried that anyone will think you’re gay? What are you concerned will happen if someone thinks you’re gay?

By: Sookie

Sookie — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:57:20 +0000

I like fruity blended things because they taste good.

Next argument?

By: Xavier AM

Xavier AM — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:01:58 +0000

Maybe it’s not that culture has determined that feminine is sucky, but rather made a bunch of sucky things feminine.

Ex: I am drinking a simple mixed drink at the bar. It took the bartender 30 seconds to pour, is tasty if not sweet and is relatively inexpensive for its potency. You are drinking a fruity blended thing which took a couple minutes to make, with some extra pointless things hanging off the rim like fruit rinds and a umbrella.

Your drink sucks.

By: Gay Womyn

Gay Womyn — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:48:32 +0000

You’re also exhibiting your own androcentrism: forgetting that not all gays are men!
-a gay womyn

By: Jared

Jared — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:13:09 +0000

You’re really missing the point here. Yes, you are correct in saying that the fear of being perceived as “gay” is the motivator for this type of behaviour. The analysis in the article still stands, however. The “gay” male that you are trying to avoid being in these ads is nothing more than a feminine man. Everything that is associated with stereotypical “gay” men that ultramasculine men don’t want to be like is a feminine trait of some sort. The reason you don’t want to be thought of as gay is because it would be like a feminine version of yourself. That’s the point.

By: ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE » Sociological Images

ABOUT BODY LANGUAGE » Sociological Images — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:44:05 +0000

[...] This is a screen shot of McCain’s appearance on The View. I thought it nicely demonstrated both rules of femininity and the breaking of rules. Notice how all of the women, with the exception of Whoopi, have beautifully crossed legs aimed towards McCain so as to express interest. Whoopi, in contrast, is resisting conventional expectations by taking a masculine pose (ankle on knee) aimed away from McCain. (Of course, Whoopi as been seen taking controversial “positions” before.) Finally, McCain himself appears to be failing to live up to normative standards of masculinity in matching the leg cross of his female hosts. (See the second video in this post about anxiety over masculine leg crossing.) [...]

By: A SET OF ADS SUGGESTING THAT MEN MUST ESCHEW FEMININITY, OR ELSE » Sociological Images

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:36:33 +0000

[...] ads policing men’s behavior: sissies suck, how to do masculinity (hugging and sitting), “woman” as an insult, and boys can’t wear make-up at [...]

By: Dinosaurs are for Boys (Girls Allowed) » Sociological Images

Dinosaurs are for Boys (Girls Allowed) » Sociological Images — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:49:07 +0000

[...] or the idea that boy things are good for everyone but girl things are only good for girls, see here. And for examples of androcentrism, visit our posts here, here, and here. Leave a Comment [...]

By: Sociological Images » Rejecting The Gender Binary In Fashion

Sociological Images » Rejecting The Gender Binary In Fashion — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:54:57 +0000

[...] other examples of antrocentrism, see our posts here, here, here, here, here, and here. See also this post on [...]

By: Ranah

Ranah — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:46:57 +0000

The link to the “hug” video no longer works, so here’s another one:

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-give-a-great-man-to-man-hug