FINALLY..... a male equivalent of "Tomboy"

[izzfan]

I was reading the paper today and found this amazing article which has really made my day. In previous posts I have often bemoaned the fact that a woman who is somewhat "masculine" is often accepted as a "tomboy", whereas a man who is somewhat "feminine" is often insulted and criticised, not only that there is no equivalent non-derogatory term to "tomboy".

Well, I guess I was wrong. Apparently, there is a subculture of men in Japan called "herbivorous men" (nothing to do with whether they are vegetarian or not) who are not afraid to be the male equivalent of a "tomboy". It seems to be a far more interesting version of the whole "metrosexual" thing (which, to me at least, always seemed to be more about appearence than personality... I might be wrong here, just my :2cents:). Articles about this can be found here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6898611.ece

http://www.slate.com/id/2220535

...Just looking at the comments on the Times article, there is a really fascinating comment by someone called Charlie Cheng about the binary concept of gender (as Kate Bornstein would put it), one part was particularly informative : "In our Western society we would call them transvestites or transexuals and think there's something off with their hormones or brainwaves or DNA.
Far from wondering if there's something wrong with the water in Japan (!), can't we wonder if our society's definitions of gender are much to rigid, and we simply need to let people BE?". This is very profound.

Unfortunately, the comments section also contains a few comments by narrow-minded idiots.

[**Peg**]

when I was a kid, my Grandaddy taught me how to use a hammer and a bucksaw and all kinds of tools. To him, my being a "tomboy" meant I was capable.....which made lil me feel POWERFUL... and of course I got to spend a lotta time with him... I adored him.

To this day I think of him when I'm repairing things around my house. I never thought of being a tomboy as relating to anything other than a little girl havin fun cause back when I was a kid, girls weren't allowed to take shop courses. My great grandfather was a cabinet maker. I still build things out of wood :)

[onewhocares]

when I was a kid, my Grandaddy taught me how to use a hammer and a bucksaw and all kinds of tools. To him, my being a "tomboy" meant I was capable.....which made lil me feel POWERFUL... and of course I got to spend a lotta time with him... I adored him.

To this day I think of him when I'm repairing things around my house. I never thought of being a tomboy as relating to anything other than a little girl havin fun cause back when I was a kid, girls weren't allowed to take shop courses. My great grandfather was a cabinet maker. I still build things out of wood :)

Peg I must agree with you. I was raised with three great brothers who all worked with my dad. I was just the tag along at times. They worked in construction and I learned from them and I never ever gave it a thought that I should not do exactly what they did. While I would never compare myself to them, I can operate many pieces of the heavy equipement..backhoes, front end loaders, compactors, rollers, skid steers and trucks. I remember one of the fondest memories that I have with my dad was snow plowing with him when I was ten or eleven. It was a great time and I still have a place on a snow plowing team. Used Bear knew to call and check up on me whenever he knew there was snow in Boston knowing that I would be out working with the guys.

The above being said. I have never been anything but a tomboy and am a really feminine woman. I think I like your term of capable. It is a reflection of my actions, my ambition, my yearning to learn how to get things done and not a reflection on my femininity. I do not think that I have scared away any man from a relationship because of the kind of woman I am.

Just my thoughts...sorry if it is not exactly a reflection of the article.

Belle

[Agoofball]

Honestly as a small time residential remodeler.... my personal views are that women who retain their femininity while being a "tomboy" on a jobsite are sooooooo damn sexy!! As examples: look at Extreme Makeover - Home Edition ....their 4 or 5 women that have been members of the design teams..... I would eat them all!!! (...... and some of the men too!!!:bigrin: )

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

lol Cheers to all of us Tomboys, Ladies. I had 5 older brother that Hope my sister and I would turn out to be boys, and when we werent, my older brother says "Well Mom, you gots 2 of em, one of em is gunna me ours" lol
I learned to ride horses, motorcycles, I learned to hunt and fish, to work on cars and to never take Any shit from anone. (Or I'd have deeper shit if they found out about it) lol
I got just as dirty as they did, packed in all sorts of animals, (that Mom made me keep in the barn) and she had a Hell of a time getting me to wqear dresses. (Sissy stuf) No offence to all of my sissy friends anywhere...
She'd often tell me " Chootsa (Babygirl) you are a girl!! If I let them, your brothers would have you convinced you are a boy! You Do want men liking you dont you? You dont want Girls looking at you, do you?"
Little did she know...lol

I grew up strong willed, stubborn as Any mule, but learned how to say exactly what I meant and in clear, precise terms..lol
So, if this makes me a Tomboy, then so be it. :bigrin:

I learned a great many things from my brothers and their loss is still felt deeply in me. :( But they were life-lessons still used. :}
Cat
(Looks like a woman, thinks like a man..and thats scary) lmao

[ghytifrdnr]

After reading both articles I have a feeling that this could be a good development, but probably no one will admit it for about twenty years.

[ivanthemonkey]

It is homosexuality's modern form that makes feminent men be looked down upon. Homsexuals behaving in stereotypical ways aka flaming, that makes straight men try to compensate by acting overly manly.

Thus a feminine man is looked upon as being homosexual.

This wasn't always the case, indeed at one time homosexuality was considered something that even straight men practiced. For example the Spartans encouraged their soldiers to make love with each other, to increase their bonds in battle. Similairly it was encouraged among other warrior cultures, like the Gauls. Warrior, menly men.

basically being feminine wasn't, at one time, a part of homosexuality. Now it has been associated with stereotypical behaviour that has nothing to do with being gay. Indeed one's secual orientation doesn't cause a lisp, or other flaming behaviour this is a choice by those practicing.

Femine behaviour was once called refinement, of gentlemanly behaviour. and Men, especialy gentlemen, would be expected to behave in a more refined manner. 1700s and 1800s we see men wearing lace, colours now associated strictly with femininity etc. This was manly behavior.