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

[ThisSunnyBiscuit]

I know people say “it’s just nail polish” but I can’t help feeling like a man with painted nails instantly loses credibility. Whether it’s in a corporate setting or just in everyday life, it gives off a certain vibe that makes it hard to take him seriously.

It’s not about being closed-minded, it’s just that some things don’t translate well across genders. Am I being unreasonable or do others feel the same?

But that's nowhere near the same thing as wanting to be the other sex. When Madonna wore a suit she was playing with androgyny but I doubt anyone would seriously think she wanted to be a man.

Gender norms such as women like pink and makeup, men like cars and short hair are dumb social constructs. Ignoring them is easy and fun. That doesn't mean you want to be the other sex, it's just that you think that such conformity should be challenged.

I'm not sure goth fashion was particularly androgynous, although I will admit there was an element of "freaking out the normies" as there was in its roots of punk and glam. New Romantic fashion was proudly androgynous.

Can you outline some scenarios where it doesn't? (One that doesn't involve children)

I'm open to being persuaded on this

I don't think I said it means anyone wants to be the opposite sex, that might have been another poster. But unless it's the scenario involving the kid painting dad's nails, they are expressing something about their sexual identity. And I know women do this too. But there are differences in male and female sexuality that mean these expressions are not comparable. But it's also so context dependent, one can't really speculate, if you want to offer any specific vignettes for us to comment on that might be more fruitful in terms of discussing this

Not keen, myself.

No it doesn't a man wanting to wear nail vanish is a man wanting to wear nail polish and whose job is it to say men are not allowed too, or the reasons why only woman can wear it?

Same as a woman wearing a pair of men's jeans does not automatically mean she wants to be a man nor is she automatically not being a woman

Nail varnish is no more "androgynous" on its own than men with long hair or women with short hair

Simply doing one small thing that is now considered "feminine" isn't flirting with androgyny"

You literally said "strapping on a pair of huge prosthetic breasts the next"

Either meaning painting nails is a gateway to trans or drag queens

We disagree. You no more get to arbitrate this than I do

I was making reference to the Canadian teacher who wore enormous prosthetic breasts to class. And how it actually happened and how it is the natural extension of the liberal logic of "people can wear whatever they like, nothing means anything".

I'm not proposing any proscription of nail varnish on men. I'm just amused by the silliness of posters who refuse to acknowledge that the motive is to some degree, transgression.

I don't know why you think goths wouldn't have respectable careers? They tend to be very intelligent, in my experience. I know one who's in the civil service and another who's a university lecturer and academic.

Meh. DS is arty. He wears nail polish. And dresses. He's not gay, just moves in arty circles. He thinks this sort of judgement is hilarious. When he lived in a predominantly Muslim area, he said no one noticed that he wore skirts because all the men wore long kaftan-like clothes in summer. None of them wore trousers. I think men and boys should be able to wear what they like, just as women should. There are more important things to judge them by than their taste in fashion.

@5128gap or maybe his kid painted them for fun the night before and he didn’t bother taking it off because he’s secure in himself. I think you’re reading way too much into it with this “performative” nonsense

Yanbu, it would put me right off.

Reminds me of 80s musos which is hot. Has to be a certain look though, I can't stand the long fake claws on anyone, male or female. Something about having to use the sides rather than the tips of their fingers when texting or grabbing things is like visual nails on a blackboard for me.

The fact of nail polish on a man though? Not a worry.

Not necessarily.

Why do you assume nail polish is about expressing one’s sexual identity?

What level of bat 💩crazy is this?

Some people wear nail polish simply because they like the way he looks.

Jared McCain. Basketball player.

Paints his nails for good luck, to express his personal style and “because he likes the way he looks”.

https://dukewire-eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/duke/mens-basketball/2024/03/29/duke-blue-devils-jared-mccain-sally-hansen-nil-why-paints-nails/73146941007/

One of the reasons I kept painting my nails is I had a game after I painted my nails and I ended up playing really well," McCain said. "You know, I'm not crazy superstitious but if I thought it looked nice and I thought it helped me play better? And so far, it's worked."
McCain addressed that some fans and comments belittle the idea of a man painting his nails, but he seemed at peace with the idea.
"Sorry if that offends any of you guys," McCain said early on. "I know a lot of people disagree, a lot of people don't like it, but I'm just going to be myself and do what I think looks nice."

It really is not the logical extension of any anything.

Oh you made a reference to an obscure incident in Canada and expected us all the understand that despite not really referencing it 🙄

The goth question just keeps making me think of

My nephew wears nail varnish with gem stones. He studies digital media, he's very stylish, part gothic, gay, it suits his look.

I might think differently if he was a bank manager or solicitor.

It's quite high profile. Multiple reports of it.

This is an example of exactly what I'm talking about.

In certain spaces maybe

Just saying "strapping a pair of massive fake boobs on" isn't really making that much of an obvious reference either

Have you proof that this teacher started out wearing nail varnish and escalated to this?

Because it sure seems hyperbolic to me