Fancy man enjoys tea

Made from leaves that have not been oxidized.


Nov 10th, '07, 14:30

by Ed » Nov 10th, '07, 14:30

Good points, Bamboo.

You got me thinking... maybe it's gay for a man to want to drink a manly beverage? Shouldn't a man be more attracted to a feminine beverage? Perhaps coffee drinking is the way some men express their sexual preference. :|

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by scruffmcgruff » Nov 10th, '07, 15:03

Interesting philosophical points indeed... :P

That said, coffee can also be viewed as "feminine." How many "manly" men would attest to ordering a caramel machiatto with soy milk/etc? And how many macho dudes would be seen drinking out of those little espresso cups? Perhaps it's more of a "caffeine is a necessity, therefore I drink coffee with just enough adulterants to make it drinkable/enjoyable" attitude.

I'm willing to bet that when most people think of tea they think of Victorian "high tea" settings and doilies and whatnot, so they project a feminine image on all forms of tea. [Edit: I just realized Mary already said this. Oops!] Also, it may be related to a masculinized, "patriotic," "pioneer" mindset, in that tea is seen as "Unamerican" (Boston tea party and all that) and overly civilized (think of the stereotypical British dandy vs. the stereotypical western cowboy). These are just guesses though-- I'm neither a sociologist or a historian.
Last edited by scruffmcgruff on Nov 10th, '07, 17:25, edited 1 time in total.

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by Mary R » Nov 10th, '07, 15:08

fencerdenoctum wrote:...Us gentlemen just have to wear top hats and monocles while we are at it.
Because this guy is sooo manly!

Just teasing! If y'all will break out the top hats and monocles, I'll totally spring for the dainty treats.

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by Chip » Nov 10th, '07, 17:42

At the risk of grossly stereotyping male tea drinkers, I have noticed that most tea drinking men are more "sensitive" in many respects, myself included. (and girls love sensitive men???)

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by Michael_C » Nov 10th, '07, 20:53

I wonder what America considers manly, then - a country which has television commercials selling drugs to a wide swathe of men to help cure their lack of ability to get an erection.

How manly is that? Or the pot-bellied sports fan drinking a beer and eating something completely nutriotionally void - is that manly?

I think it's funny that so many people can - or would want to - relate to such terrible stereotypes. Is the best life not about nuance, the female bodybuilder being no less feminine and beautiful than the slightly overweight woman in a dress next to her, and the scowling man covered tattoos no less masculine than the effete, well dressed skinny man laughing with his friends? Aren't these nuances what make life interesting? Why do we aspire to deconstructive oversimplification? The really interesting stuff is always in between - heck, that's what got us looking for the best sencha (or pu erh)... and it's what makes life so much fun.

Stereotyping is always vile, because it relies on a judgement to be made about what a person is rather than who they are. It leads one down a very dangerous path of isolation and rationalized self-sabotage.

Give me a vodka mugicha any day over a beer. Less calories and it really does taste better. I never knew tea was anything other than a plant, and a very healthy way of learning about other cultures and meeting people you wouldn't have known before (like this message board). Is that --- feminine?

And bear in mind as well that all this is reliant on the notion that femininity is somehow a bad thing - (a 'fancy' man?) - that notion is also terribly alienating (I like many women, and don't hold their muliebrity against them). At least, if we are to believe the stereotypes, masculinity is somehow more valid or preferable...

...which itself is so microbrained and baby-level simplified, as though any single person worth getting to know isn't a synthesis of the two qualities...




...AAAAAARGH!!!!!

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by Chip » Nov 10th, '07, 21:25

...I have read your intellectually barbed post several times wondering, are you admonishing me for my sensitive TEAman stereotype comment?

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by Michael_C » Nov 10th, '07, 22:51

No, I really wasn't doing that, Chip. Just overthinking an essentially trivial matter. Whoops.

Back to my Nara green.

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by Chip » Nov 10th, '07, 23:48

Michael_C wrote:No, I really wasn't doing that, Chip. Just overthinking an essentially trivial matter. Whoops.

Back to my Nara green.
OK, that was just me being a stereotypically overly sensitive tea drinking male again.

Back to my gyokuro karigane... :wink:
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!

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by scruffmcgruff » Nov 11th, '07, 00:02

Honestly... I don't see anything to get worked up about. I don't give a rat's ass whether someone thinks I'm manly or not, regardless of their definition of "manly," be it the American definition or any other.

As for stereotypes, while they are inherently bound to be wrong on an individual basis, the truth is that most are rooted in real trends. Ironically, it appears to be that you have stereotyped the American public as having incorrect and deeply-rooted conceptions of masculinity and femininity. (Though I do agree that this stereotype is, in large part, true.)

Anyway... let's just chill out. The Onion wrote a a satirical piece, whether we think it funny or not, and did not intend to offend or alienate anyone. It's just a joke.

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by Chip » Nov 11th, '07, 00:29

...sometimes TEAmen lack a sense of humor, a trade off due to their overly sensitive nature...stereotypically speaking.
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!

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by Michael_C » Nov 11th, '07, 08:38

Heh heh... just don't joke about tea in a negaive way... ever... elixir of life...

... might be time to upload some cartoons...

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by skywarrior » Nov 11th, '07, 15:58

I was watching Human Weapon on Kung Fu (I do martial arts, so it's mindless entertainment for me). One Chinese tradition was to give green tea before fighting because of the antibiotic properties. Both Jason and Bill remarked that maybe they should drink green tea every time before they go to spar.

My husband actually wondered aloud if he should drink green tea simply for health.

I pointed out it has very little caffeine.

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by twistedinside » Nov 12th, '07, 14:46

Perhaps tea drinking in a man is a sign of heightened sensuality. The ability to appreciate the delicate and subtle nuances of life in general.

This, to me, is an excellent quality in a man. Perhaps TEAmen make better lovers?

Methinks I must do some research on this hypothesis.

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by Eastree » Nov 12th, '07, 14:53

Need a test subject? *wink wink*

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by Trey Winston » Nov 12th, '07, 15:23

twistedinside wrote:
This, to me, is an excellent quality in a man. Perhaps TEAmen make better lovers?
Oh, without question (note: anecdotal evidence) 8)
I only posted the Onion article because I thought it made great fun of the people who would actually hold those strange beliefs about tea drinkers. I think it's pretty funny.
Trey

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