#masculinities

[muchomacho]

[miseriathome]

Visited a secondhand bookstore and found Exploring Masculinities: Identity, Inequality, Continuity, and Change (2016) by Pascoe and Bridges!

Whereas we often easily recognize women's lives as gendered (in fact we have established entire classes, departments, and bodies of scholarship around women's studies), masculinity is less easy to recognize and often seems invisible. Men's lives, however, are just as organized by gender as are women's. We too often fail to appreciate this. Why? Because power renders certain identities and structures less visible than others. The mechanisms that afford privilege are often invisible to those on the receiving end of that privilege; meanwhile, what makes people marginalized is all too apparent to the marginalized. As Michael Kimmel writes, "Marginality is visible and painfully visceral. Privilege is invisible and painlessly pleasant" (1990:94). When privilege is "working," those most advantaged by systems of power and inequality are relatively unaware of their advantages (e.g., McIntosh 1988). So why is it so important to recognize men as gendered? Because gender is one of the major ways through which power structures, privilege, and inequality are reproduced—in addition to (and in combination with) race and class. Therefore, it is important to see men as gendered because masculinity replicates power and affords power to those with that identity. It is important to investigate masculinity to understand the ways in which politics, the state, institutions of school and work, religion, family, and nationality are infused with, and themselves shape, masculinity.

"Introduction: What is Masculinity?" (bold mine)

[odettecarotte]

Matthew Green, interviewing Indra Adnan

[queermasculine]

JD Samson starring in JD’s Lesbian Utopia calendar (2006 issue) photographed by Cass Bird.

[JD is a nonbinary lesbian and OP is transgender, TERFs do not interact.]

[shabbytigers]

[clandestinegardenias]

For the final exam in my Masculinities class I offered 1 extra credit point if the student told me a joke using one of the terms from class and they are ROLLING IN. A selection for your enjoyment:

What do you call a man who's made of leaves and isn't emotionally available? A hedgemonic man!

Why did the unusually small chicken cross the road? To prove his masculinity through risk taking!

What do you call a relationship between two paralegals that met at a mixer? A para-social relationship!

[ineffable-opinions]

Masculinities and Male Androphilia

Wu-Wen

Masculinity in China historically has been (mostly) classified into Wu-type (military - type) and Wen-type (scholarly - type).

Qing dynasty Chinese Water and Land Ritual painting depicting a divine civil official and thunder god in military regalia.

Due to the special nature of Chinese political system (imperial court & civil services), scholar wielded power and influence, often over-taking that of military men. [What about dudes who were neither scholars nor military personnel?]

Wen-wu type masculinities make for some really interesting contrast and is employed in media: BL and others.

Shi Qiang and Wang Miao representing wen and wu respectively in Three-Body (2023) based on the sci-fi novel "The Three-Body Problem" (三体) by Liu Ci Xin (刘慈欣) .

Colonialism flipped this order. It was internalized by the subjects of colonialism too. Its lasting impact can be seen in the recent effeminacy ban* in China’s entertainment industry targeting little fresh meat (xiao xianrou 小鮮肉 ) and pretty boy (huamei nan 花美男) aesthetics.

*sissy pants (niangpao 娘炮)

Protest masculinity

Against (both organic and stereotyped) association of femme-presentation or ‘camp’ with androphilia. Popular opinion inculcated by media is partially responsible.

2. Against a society that doesn’t treat them as equal men. Hegemonic masculinity is constructed in opposition with ‘inferior men’ such as androphilic men and more importantly with women. By adopting visual Wu-masculinity, androphilic men hijacks the visuals, rendering the visual categorization redundant.

3. For gaydar purposes - signaling to men who are androphilic and them alone.

This is not without negative impact:

It can lead to peer-pressure to conform & homogenize to Wu-ideal to the extent that other presentations could get vilified. This can include scorning of soft and delicate aesthetics and femme-bashing.

2. Conforms with the mainstream view – both that of their present-day oppressors, mainly the Wu-exalting, heterosexist, sissy-phobic State and their historic oppressors: colonialism and its modern-day offsprings.

Similar tendencies are observed among androphilic men in Japan, South Korea and Thailand as well.

Recommendations [occasionally updated]

Cheers by Cheers 짠!하면 알 수 있어 [not available currently]

Breakfast by 想再見你

Sesame by 百里屠伕

Shimbashi Koi Story by SHIMBASHI TUGBOAT

Maybe It's Love - Watch Online | GagaOOLala - Find Your Story

The encounter between a 'Dog' and a 'Cat' begins with an all-too-common affair. The Cat is impatient and wants to break the rules of the gam

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Thai Masculinities

Posts: one two three

To learn more:

Wang, S. (2020). Chinese gay men pursuing online fame: erotic reputation and internet celebrity economies. Feminist Media Studies, 20(4), 548–564. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2020.1754633

Wijngaarden JW de L van. Male Homosexuality in 21st-Century Thailand: A Longitudinal Study of Young, Rural, Same-Sex-Attracted Men Coming of Age. Anthem Press; 2021. [link]

Interpretation and Orientalism: Outing Japan’s Sexual Minorities to the English-Speaking World by Mark McLelland