AIBU to question what people mean by calling someone (Hannah Waddingham) a real woman?

[WorldCupWillie]

A few stories about Hannah Waddingham over the last day or two. Cue a lot of real woman/all woman comments. From men and women. What do they mean? That she's not trans? That she's never had work done?

I mean, Susan Boyle, Mary Beard, Kathy Burke, Jo Brand are "all woman"/real women, as real as Hannah. But nobody would say that about them.

I think with the rise of AI and robots they mean she is made from organic matter. Hope this helps.

It’s often about having a big bust without having had a boob job. They always used to say it about the one out of Mad Men years ago.

She looks really scary to me. I think it’s a combination between her height, broad frame and kind of harsh facial features. I’m sure she’s lovely and all but to look at, she’s not what I’d describe as stereotypically feminine.

It’s a euphemism for a natural hourglass figure. Very annoying.

I don’t know who she is, but it usually refers to someone overweight, with no visible muscular ‘tone’

In the words of Jemaine Clement "what makes a man a man? Am I a man? Yes, technically I am."

So by that logic we women are all "real women", all women, and a whole lotta women.

Unless you're a man or a child.

I prefer the phrase "man for all seasons" to "real man". I've never heard "woman for all seasons" but I aspire to be one

Wow. You really think she’s “scary”
looking?

Yes I do. Her face is structured in a kind of scary way, I don’t know how to better articulate it.

In her case she’s tall, slim but broad in frame and has visible muscle definition so opposite to this.

Have a quick look at her, that couldn’t be less like her 😂

She looks great to me. At least she’s not scarily thin.

I share the same body type and height as her, this comment is horrible.

I think they mean ahe is an acceptable "big" woman.

Its all horseshit.

I think she looks fab and seems good fun and talented but like many others I dont lose sleep thinking about which women are real or not.

It's because she's got big boobs. It's as simple as that.

Ah I didn't realise they were referring to her looks.

When I hear the phrase "he's a real man" its about being strong and gentlemanly. So when I hear "she's a real woman" I assumed it meant she's capable and no-nonsense, as well as being strong and get-stuff-done. Like Penny in Fireman Sam

Well it’s subjective and we all have different notions of what is stereotypically feminine and masculine, I just wouldn’t say she falls into the former.

You'd have to pick up the meaning from the context of each comment. But to me it often seems to be used to mean someone who is curvy, not overweight or untoned, but an hourglass type figure. As opposed to the kind of ectomorph body shape of a typical high fashion catwalk model.

She looks very empowered, strong and confident to me, like Kate Winslet. Inhabiting her feminine power.
I think these women are inspiring and beautiful

I've no idea what they mean. Barring trans identifying men we're all real women.

It seems that a tall, loud person is what constitutes a real woman in some people's eyes.

I think she's gorgeous. Fabulous actress, singer etc. I think I'm a little bit in love with her. No idea what the expression means though!

She is half Manx.
Viking blood. She looks splendid. Resembles a lot of northern England women.

Lol at 'really scary'.

I think she looks beautiful.

She’s in the mould of Sigourney Weaver and Gwendoline Christie. An Amazon. I’d love to be one of those rather than a dumpy 5ft 1.

Absolutely love the Penny reference. Every time I hear of a "real woman", I'll think of her 😂

I think she’s gorgeous and very charismatic. I think ‘all woman’ and the like tends to refer to unapologetically curvaceous women (not necessarily overweight as someone says above) in a culture where being very slim is celebrated.