He asked me if I think it’s true heated rivalry turned masculinity on its head. No. I think those dudes are plenty masculine. even in the show there’s no “gay voice” the only feminine thing they’re really doing is being vulnerable and intimate with other men. I think it’s masculinity without machismo. It’s passion and lust and yearning. I think it’s what straight cis women want from straight men, but they have never gotten from any relationship. There’s no dying there’s no aids there’s no rape and the intimate scenes are no more intense than GOT. It’s not turning it on it’s head it’s more like masculinity is more than dominating someone else
I think I hate straight love stories because there’s an obvious power imbalance and usually features abuse or worse OR they are so over the top but I know is contrived set up and so fake. I hated romance bc I knew going in none of those stories were any kind of realistic and would make me upset bc that type of love with a man doesn’t exist in hetero relationships. Straight cis men do not feel this way about women and if they did it he would be told he’s doing too much. I would almost argue the average straight cis man does not like women the way that’s portrayed in written or film media.
