To think you can’t take a man with painted nails seriously?

No. I judge performative non conformity, because typically it tends to mean conforming to something perceieved as cooler than the boring old conformity most people conform to. Having obviously painted nails while wearing your corporate uniform would suggest that man wanted everyone to notice how cool and non conforming he was.

Why do you think men don’t have painted nails “abroad”?

Agree. It’s comes across as a bit studenty, angsty teen, try hard to look rebellious to me personally. I wouldn’t find it professional. But we’re all allowed an opinion.

I'm abroad so I never see this. But on a recent trip to the UK I was a bit surprised to see a male Tesco staff member had super long pointy fake nails. Mostly because when I worked in retail a decade ago we (female.employees) wouldn't have been allowed them as it looks unprofessional.and gets in the way. IMO they look terrible on anyone though.

I paint DPs toes sometimes (his request). He's a metalhead so usually black. The other surfers always comment 😁

So you judge negatively anybody you view as non-confirming?

Not seen any and not seen any where the posters commenting on men’s looks have criticised men doing the same to women.

May not be direct threads but there are posts on threads

I think the 'vibe that's hard to take seriously' is that it's unusual enough to be 'making a statement'. A grown man feeling the need to perform his difference from other men would have me considering his maturity in a professional context.

None of my nail places divide services by gender. It’s not common but we do get men in from time to time for pedicures. Most get the pedicure without nail polish though.

Seriously though I cannot imagine ever being so pathetic that I make other people’s bodies and their chosen attire my business.

A lot of people don’t think about masculinity among the broader male population as long as it is not expressed harmfully. I can honestly I have never given one thought to masculinity among male family members.

I don’t see many posts created here about any of those spaces.

What I'm basically taking from this Howard, is that you're a bit of an incel.

Sorry for you! 💔

And MN is fine with those 😒

I mean Reddit and the manosphere are basically that.

I think people who think the way OP does are idiots.

There are lots of male forums like that. Saying much worse things about women that are ever said about men on here.

The fact make up, high heels, "skirts", pink etc all used to be Male and are now Female shows how bullshit all this "gender must do this" i

I'd love to see MNs reaction if a website of mostly men were going "women wearing X are so unattractive"

Oh I’m sorry, I forget not everyone can see the absolute state of me. What I mean is even though I am not personally a huge adherant to the classically feminine aesthetic, I’ve been aware of what it is all my conscious life and I do do some of it, without even thinking. I’m aware that opting out is opting ‘out’ of something.

And yes I was being a bit exaggeratey for comic effect but fuck me, performing femininity IS a fucking burden, both financial and physical. I don’t know many women that haven’t had a bitter thought about their arsehole husband who has never moisturised in his life and somehow still has skin on his face

oops I’m doing slight comic exaggeration again - you know what I mean though I think.

TLDR if you don’t think woman are/have been subject to oppression and that rigid beauty standards are a part of that I guess we disagree fundamentally but that’s OK

it’s OUR bullshit and men coming in and just doing it it feels disrespectful to the horrifying cage that hair and skin and nails and frocks is

This is just utterly bizarre thinking to me.
Hair, skin, nails and frocks are a horrifying cage?!
Why not try just doing the things you like instead of feeling like you're forced to do or wear something you don't?!
I love wearing dresses sometimes, but never wear any make up, or do my nails.
At the risk of getting jumped on, I swear some people are just looking to feel oppressed and see it everywhere and in everything.
Men can wear eyeliner and nail varnish, and women can not wear make up or do their nails.
If you (general you) has a problem with that, it's a you issue no-one else's.

Beautifully put!

I actually like it, but each to their own.

I think it’s also important to recognise though that it may not be “naturally” gravitating to gender stereotypes.

if’s pervasive and insidious. Even if you as a parent think you’re raising them neutrally, friends, nursery, people on the street, tv, all send these messages.

my dd would get stopped on the street as a toddler by strangers asking why my “son” was wearing a dress. Because in nearly everybody’s mind, short hair means male.

remember pink used to be a boy colour. In the USA football is only for girls. How can boys “naturally” like pink years ago, or only “naturally” like soccer if they live in a certain country?

watch this- these people thought they had no gender bias and treat boys and girls the same, and were surprised by the result:

I agree. That is the MAJORITY. I’ve tried to raise my 4 yo DD fairly gender neutrally but she’s naturally gravitated towards princess dresses and sparkles and unicorns. That’s just who she is and of course I’m fine with that. The large majority of kids gravitate more towards stereotypically gendered things that match their gender. Not ALL do though, myself included. It’s important to recognise and make space for those who don’t rather than mocking and shaming them, thereby enforcing the belief that they can’t be the sex they are if they don’t like stereotypically feminine or masculine things. This is what’s driving people to reject the sex they were born as and try to “change” it!