Why are some things considered manly or not?

[brolyx74]

What makes something manly? Apparently Vespas and Deep V's are feminine, but I think they are awesome all the same. According to a lot of people, things like this lead people to believe that male users are gay. I don't think so. Why do people think this way, and what other things can you think of that make people feel this way?

[-GAZKUL-]

Shotguns and beer!!!!

[GrimStride™]

I think that items are considered "manly" if they're generally preferred by or specifically made for men and of course visa versa. At least that's my definition.

If some one call's you gay for using a product that's meant for the opposite gender they're just being silly and insecure. Nothing wrong with a guy liking a "feminine" perfume or a babe who likes hunting. Those are just personal preferences

[The Butcher]

Some things are considered only for men,like the Expendables.

[aether]

And other blood thirsty films like 300

[brolyx74]

The Expendables was an awesome movie.

[aether]

I haven't seen it yet but I do want to

[Eris]

Some things are considered only for men,like the Expendables.

That doesn't really answer the question.

[Masked Mantis]

That doesn't really answer the question.

I think Mihawk has the right idea. No point in repeating the same or similar answers.

[Meenah]

Honestly, I wouldn't know what "manly" is. Except they know how to say "make me a sammich, woman!"

[SigmaSD]

Honestly, I wouldn't know what "manly" is. Except they know how to say "make me a sammich, woman!"

How about the phrase "get me a beer, will ya?"

[Light Buster]

Video games was a man club. But today, there are some girl gamers out there.

[Skylar1]

Video games was a man club. But today, there are some girl gamers out there.
=\

I'm going to assume that you made a typo and instead meant "gamer girls", correct? .-.

[Light Buster]

=\

I'm going to assume that you made a typo and instead meant "gamer girls", correct? .-.

There it was. I was looking for that term.

[Furore]

It seems to me that 'manly' things tend to be rugged and give off masculine connotations while 'girly' things tend to be more delicate (and/or better on the eye) and give off feminine connotations. There are exceptions to the rule, and the lines seem to be blurring as a society grows more tolerant of men who would be considered 'effeminate' and women who would be considered 'masculine' by past standards as the connotations either grow weaker or change/disappear to some extent.

[Nanobyte]

Some people think it's weird I study computers at school, and that I have no life. But so what? It's my decision!
If I wanna play games after school instead of chit-chatting in the hallway at school, that's my choice right?
And if I wanna play soccer, I'm just gonna play soccer! No one tells me not to do something because it isn't "What normal girls do"!
Lastly, gamer girls are pretty common these days, just saying.

[Desulishor]

as long as you don't make a big number of yourself. Some so-called are all like "Hey, I'm a G1rl and I play games, that's right, a gamer girl!" that's just ridiculous. gaming is defined by your skill and attitude, not by what is in yer pants.

as for the actual topic of this thread: Only some things in this world, like condoms, boxers and stupid action movies are really made for men, but then there are things like the aforementioned shotguns and beer, harley-davidson motorbikes, and such stuff that is not specifically made for males but is still considered as masculine. My hypothesis with these is that testosterone somehow tells men which things are considered manly and which are not. Most of these things are synonymous with some attribute that is traditionally connected to males. IE Harley-davidsons are big and powerful and they're supposed to tell the same thing about their owner. Some other manly things are connected to men because of history. Beer and weapons have historically been used by men, cause in past men fought all the wars and drank all the beer, and thus ppl think of them as masculine.

[Nanobyte]

as long as you don't make a big number of yourself. Some so-called are all like "Hey, I'm a G1rl and I play games, that's right, a gamer girl!" that's just ridiculous. gaming is defined by your skill and attitude, not by what is in yer pants.


I'm totally not like that, most people don't even know I'm into that stuff.

My good friend RaShayRitto (http://www.animeforum.com/member.php?u=210036), likes manly things, he also defines himself as manly.
Although I completely agree with him, it still makes me wonder; "Why is he manly then?" xD
Well he's big and hairy, and likes metal rock music and plays guitar. That's manly, right?
Is it now? My former female boss was big and hairy, and I like metal and play guitar as well. Are we manly?
I guess some things are actually more stereotypical for men, that's why we reffer to it as something "Manly".

[RaShayRitto]

Thanks for the mention amb, as a gorilla in human clothing i do come of as retardedly manly. Do i own up to it? yep, i make the best of who I am. Does society like sheer unadulterated manliness these days? nope, girls jeans and justin beiber bangs seem to turn women on these days.

So i guess women are slowly all becoming lesbians....but i digress. Gender roles can look stupid and goofy when you look at them, but our stereotypes are based on the undeniable natural order of things. Lets not forget that in the animal kingdom its not unheard of for females of the species to be bigger, stronger, and more imposing than the males.

[Saxima]

"Unmanly" things are just not cool. It's hard to know what's considered manly and what's not. They're just so damn picky about their stuff and the way they act and what they wear and just...everything.

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

Honestly, I wouldn't know what "manly" is. Except they know how to say "make me a sammich, woman!"

Make some brownies, woman!

And I agree with Furore.

[HAL 9000]

The way I look at things, anything can be twisted into being either masculine or feminine. Besides, it's just others' opinions. Yes, you can respect them, but it doesn't mean you have to live by them. It's not a law that "men can't wear perfume, or women can't hunt" as said above.

[Vyndrasta]

Shotguns and beer!!!!

I'm going to have to agree to this. *burps* 'Scuse me

[SigmaSD]

I'm going to have to agree to this. *burps* 'Scuse me

A real man wouldn't say excuse me. lol

I think everything that is manly is mostly 80% Testosterone, 10% sweat, 5% hair, and 5% pornography.

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

If you try to be like Siggy-chan, you're already manly.


*holds laugh*

[DarkMoonPrince]

Maybe it's because things don't look girlish enough, like barbie dolls or cloths from Guess

[Phylloh]

o.o;;; well according to this thread teh only thing manly i like are zombies. Hoooray =_= Don't punish me cuz i strive for everythign cute and cuddly

[Meenah]

A manly thing for a man to do is respect women. (:

[SigmaSD]

o.o;;; well according to this thread teh only thing manly i like are zombies. Hoooray =_= Don't punish me cuz i strive for everythign cute and cuddly

Yesh yesh, cute and cuddly. myam!!! puhi puhi.

[brolyx74]

A manly thing for a man to do is respect women. (:

No, a manly thing to do is have 500 babies, run as fast as a Kenyan, then kick mother nature in the face with your power legs.

[Miss Moonlight]

Because people attach gender specifics to things? this isn't new. It's typical social behavior.

[Saxima]

Beards are manly. But yes what ^he said, it's just typical social stuff.

[CrystalAce]

The perception of being manly changes with time. As said it's a social phenomenon, a mass effect in which women play a very vital role in a much freer democratic society.

[RaShayRitto]

A manly thing for a man to do is respect women. (:

lol

no, be serious

[Meenah]

^I'm dead serious.

[RaShayRitto]

The perception of being manly changes with time. As said it's a social phenomenon, a mass effect in which women play a very vital role in a much freer democratic society.

I disagree. Its true that the measure of a woman has changed drastically and frequently throughout history, but the measure of "manliness" has stayed largely the same. Hair, muscles, dominance, and tactical superiority? timeless


^I'm dead serious.

oh dear

[blueangel06661]

Beef jerky is manly.. The cashier at the gas station said so because we asked if it was manly or not :]

[Saxima]

White gold is manly. It's not Yellow, it's cool, and white.

[RaShayRitto]

Killing a dominant male caribou with your bare hands and then hollowing out the carcass to use as a sleeping bag is manly as hell

[CrystalAce]

I disagree. Its true that the measure of a woman has changed drastically and frequently throughout history, but the measure of "manliness" has stayed largely the same. Hair, muscles, dominance, and tactical superiority? timeless

Generally, when a teenage or a women is nearing or is in her reproductive age in an ordinary society, she considers a big, muscly man as you mentioned as to be manly so as an unconcious belief that she and their offspring and their life would be safe. A wide range of woman fall in this category of such society.

But as society progresses with eventual modernization and urbanization, the women feels secure without such a huge, muscly, rough partner and their interst in the offspring also decreases. As a result women in such society prefer male with less of a huge body but a slender body with boyish faces and a lot of glamour and bucks to be manly, so they could turf around with or be just content with their partner and eventual prosperity. It holds true in a much freer democratic society where women have got a lot to say in their society.

In case of a very conservative or religious or man-dominated society, it is mostly man themselves who dictates what is manly and what's not, and frankly, that's what all of us men wish to think.

[TomoyoSakagami]

TTGL. Nuff said.

[Wio]

Things get considered manly because they are generally expected of men and men generally deliver. One of those things would be violence. This can be very noble and also very barbaric depending on circumstances. Other manly things would be stoicism, and accountability. These too can be good or bad depending on context.

Unfortunately, so often is masculinity belittled to this brutish caveman mentality.

[RaShayRitto]

so often is masculinity belittled to this brutish caveman mentality.

such unmanly use of language =[

[miniPhil]

Some things are considered only for men, like Machete.
Ftfy. Also vespas are totally manly, just look at the Italians.

[Furore]

You know what's super manly?
Being totally covered in hair, pounding your chest on occasion and throwing barrels at Italian plumbers.
Also red ties.

[Skylar1]

As a result women in such society prefer male with less of a huge body but a slender body with boyish faces and a lot of glamour and bucks to be manly, so they could turf around with or be just content with their partner and eventual prosperity.
This sounds more like an evolutionary thing than a societal one.

You have intrigued me; could you expand on this part a little more please?