When you kick off your steel capped boots, camo trousers and black crew-neck tee after a long hard day of being a Man, the last thing you want to do is crank up Taylor Swift and sip a strawberry daiquiri. Right? Wrong. Or—at least—according to a recent Reddit thread, you may not be alone if you do.
One of the most popular questions this year: “Hey guys, What do you enjoy that supposedly is for women?” was posed yesterday in Reddit’s AskMen community. While there were some stock standard answers (shock, horror: “I occasionally enjoy a Margarita at my local Taco joint”), the online forum also provoked a meaningful discussion about what it means to be a man.
More specifically, the negative impact of the expectation that a man only commit himself to “manly” pursuits, is skewered in hilarious style, while men share their favourite guilty pleasures and ‘feminine’ life hacks—which they really shouldn’t have to hide—and which any aspiring Modern Gent should try.
Looking After Your Skin
One man admits that he realised sugar body scrub is a gender-blind gift from god one night after crashing at a female friend’s place. “I tried this sugar scrub sh*t once and every time I shower I think about my inferior bar of soap and it’s endless disappointment.” Problem is, he explains, “I don’t know where to get it (and) I don’t want to ask her what it was and admit to using her glorious products.”
“Your skin is the largest organ of your body- it’s an absolutely ridiculous stereotype that taking care of your body is feminine- like wtf??? Everyone should take care of themselves???”
Luckily, not all heroes wear capes. Better yet: some skulk around internet forums, doling out advice: “Okay my dude, here’s the plan: go to wherever you do your shopping and look for body washes that specifically say ‘exfoliating’ or ‘scrub’ then when ya find them pop the caps and give them all a good smell. Find one you like? Perfect. Head home and have the most relaxing shower ever, scrub all the dead skin off (you can also use this on your face 99% of the time) and afterward you will feel so baby-soft and smooth it’s bloody ridiculous.”
“Good for your skin, and gives you that super fresh look that everyone will love, but not quite be able to put a finger on why you look so good lol.”
As it turns out, this hero not only saved the guy who asked the question: “You’re clutch bro,” but had female Reddit members very impressed, with their responses ranging from: “This is the wholesome content I came here for,” to “I love this whole exchange.”
Being The Little Spoon
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“Men like being the little spoon too.”
‘Nuff said.
Sewing
“My wife likes to joke that I’m her personal seamstress.”
Drinking Cocktails
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“I’ve had guys say it’s for women but that’s their loss—I’m not missing $5 strawberry margaritas on margarita Monday,” one open minded dude said. And, funnily enough, one of the only places in America where is is socially “acceptable” for “manly” men to drink Margaritas seems to be Texas, thanks to its abundance of Mexican restaurants: “Edit: the lesson i’ve learned is i’m moving to Texas.”
“If you think about it, most of the sh*t that’s ‘girly’ has nothing essentially feminine to it. We just associate it with women so it’s ‘girly’. Riding horses? Used to be for men. Pink? Men used to wear it all the time with no qualms. Even more stereotypically girly drinks. Like, oh nooooo, my cocktail is a cool color and has sugar in it. Last I checked, men like color and sugar too.”
Sparkling Water
A common frustration was that if you buy sparkling water, you are automatically assumed to be a courier: “I’ve been asked on multiple occasions if I’m buying it for my wife or girlfriend.”
“Cough. Yes it’s for my wife, I only drink pure diesel.”
Using Bath Bombs
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Many men pointed out another reason we should stop sneering at “unmanly” pursuits; so we can indulge in life’s most fragrant pleasures: “I’m a fisherman with a beard and everything and I love taking a bath with bath bombs after a cold, stressful day of almost dying.” And if you think the key to a woman’s heart is in being stoic and smelling of leather, perhaps the following comment will help you reconsider…
“Ahahaha beautiful. One thing I love about the (fishing) industry is most the men are so secure with themselves they don’t care if any of their hobbies or habits seem feminine.”
Drawing & Painting
“In school it was always portrayed as a feminine activity, but I’ll be damned if I don’t sit down at least once a week near a creek or river with a fishing pole, some beer, a pad and my pencils, and just draw to clear my head. It’s so relaxing. And it’s cool to look back on later and know how you were feeling when you were drawing.”
“I’ve got like 12 different drawing of the same location and all of them look different, not only because of the time between them, but I can tell by some of my color choices what my mood was.”
Using Female Hair Products
Ten years ago, “I hydrate my hair once a week with a hair mask” would have been a harrowing statement for a man to say. Now though, we’re all about doing what works: “Guys, if you should ever have to colour your hair for whatever reason, do not, Not, repeat NOT use the ‘for Men!’ crap! Use women’s products like Clairol, L’Oreal, or many other brands. So much more selection and quality is vastly higher because women really, really give a sh*t about how their hair looks.”
“Your hair will thank you!”
Watching Chick Flicks
“My roommate and I, both dudes in college absolutely love watching romcoms and getting sloshed on bottles of wine erm whiskey.”
“One of our favourites is Begin Again starring Kiera Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.”
Sleeping On A Pregnancy Pillow
As one user points out: “If you have never slept on a pregnancy pillow, you are missing out.” Intrigued? Don’t worry, he explains exactly how embracing your inner femininity could forever banish your insomnia: “I am talking about the kind that is shaped like a C and is body length. Part goes under your head (side sleeper) and the other side between your legs/knees. Slept like a champ with it until the wife threw it away because I quit being the big spoon once I experienced greatness.”
“I have slept on a Boppy for 7 years since my first was born… the wrap around part helps keep my mouth shut so no drool and no farts.”
Eating Off A Pregnancy Pillow
As another user points out, it’s a crying shame dudes can’t get pregnant: “There are also U-shaped pillows that are supposed to be for nursing mothers to wrap around their stomach and have the baby rest on it while feeding… Turns out they’re also super-comfy for dudes and you can rest your plate on them while watching TV, or a book. I feel like everybody should have one, guys and gals alike.”
If you have doubts, female users also chimed in to back this up: “Bought my fiancé a pregnancy pillow and now he won’t sleep without it. Can rest his head and put it between his legs so comfortably,” one said, while another added: “I’m no longer breastfeeding… and we have three strewn about for gaming.”
So: what’s the conclusion? Should men feel bad about being their best selves? We’ll leave you with the most upvoted female comments, and let you decide for yourself…
- “Woman here. Reading this made me happy. Not sure why.”
- “Woman here too. I’ve concluded because 99% of it is so fricking adorable.”
- “If I had found a man who could do all those things, I would have married him.”
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