Science has now provided a preliminary answer to the most pressing question of our time, at least for men: “Does this reusable shopping bag cause you to question my sexuality?”
The answer,at least in a rough statistical sense, is yes — at least according to a new study by researchers at Penn State.
As a press release announcing the study explains:
In a series of studies, the researchers evaluated specific pro-environmental behaviors that previous research suggested were seen as either “feminine” or “masculine” and examined whether they affected how people were perceived.
They found that men and women were more likely to question a man’s sexual orientation if he engaged in “feminine” pro-environmental behaviors, such as using reusable shopping bags.
It works the other way, too:
They were also more likely to question a woman’s sexual orientation if she engaged in “masculine” pro-environmental behaviors, such as caulking windows.
Now, I’m no scientist, but if a woman likes caulk, wouldn’t that make her seem more straight? Evidently not to the men taking part in the survey, who were more likely to avoid women they saw engaging in more “manly” environmentalist activities.
Now, the study wasn’t able to determine whether or not men or women refrained from engaging in certain environmentalist behaviors because they thought it might make them look gay.
But we live in a world in which some guys refuse to wash or wipe their own asses because they think that it might make them gay, so I’m going to take a wild guess and say that, yes, there are more than a few dudes out there who refuse to use reusable shopping bags because they think it makes them look like a sissy.
–DF
H/T — Pacific Standard
Brand New Ugly highlights stories that are emblematic of the political and social ugliness of Trump’s America. Send tips to dfutrelle at gmail dot com.
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I love my reusable bag; it has an elephant on it.
Although I also now have a hemp one that I blagged from the new CBD shop. I put loose fruit and veg in it; I’m such a cliché.
Got one of those nylon rucksacks that squishes down to about the size of a golf ball when not in use. That sits in my coat pocket for bits and bobs shopping.
Main shopping, there’s collapsible crates and a liberated Ubereats thermal bag kept in the car.
It’s really not difficult.
Tip: Man Fractures 13-year-old’s Skull For Not Removing Hat During the Pledge
I’m glad you wrote the article, David, but I wonder about including it as in the category of “Brand New” uglies.
This doesn’t seem related to the environment at all. Shopping: feminine. Construction: masculine.
I mean, it’s a dumb society we live in, sure, just this is an odd expose of that stupidity.
I honestly just don’t like nonreusable plastic bags. Aside from the wastefulness, I find them kind of gross and they tear too easily. I much prefer the reusable ones.
Maybe some manufacturer could convince these guys to buy reusables by manufacturing a ‘tactical’ shopping bag with skull appliqués and metal gewgaws. Throw in accessories such as ‘bag nutz’ and Cletus will line up to buy one.
@numerobis:
Sure, those stereotypes aren’t “environment related”. The argument isn’t that the stereotypes were created by the environmental movement.
The argument is that the stereotypes that exist impeded taking simple and should-be-common steps necessary to address various important environmental problems and even the biggest environmental crisis of them all: climate change.
I think the authors are merely attempting to articulate that in addition to the many other effects of sexism, there is also a reduction in ability to address environmental problems that can be traced to an origin point squarely within sexism and sexist attitudes.
@BBBB
That would probably actually sell. Reminds me of those lists of products “for men” that were way over the top to appeal to that demographic.
Whatever the opposite kind of ugly is from “Brand New,” I have it to the extent that I can be very confident no gay is going to come on to me. Or straight, for that matter.
What man with an ounce of sense would object to his wife taking on “guy” chores like caulking? That would be like my wife complaining when I load the dishwasher.
My ex liked caulk.
This was not a factor in our breaking up.
Oh I definitely sense undertones involving toxic masculinity and sexual insecurity in regards to environmental affairs. These douchebags think “cleaning up” is a woman’s job after all. Why should they be bothered to preserve the environment? Caring is for women and gays.
Men especially hate to hear that cutting back on meat is better for the environment. I just find it so ridiculous that eating meat is so associated with masculinity.
@WWTH
I’m a vegetarian, but I recall a male colleague flipping out about posters that suggested a “meatless Monday” every week. Even when I ate meat, it was very rare (<3 times per year) and it just shocks me that people can’t be bothered to not eat meat 1 day out of the week. How much meat do most people eat, anyway?
The meat = masculinity thing must come from hunting all those mammoths.
ME BIG STRONG MAN! ME HUNT MAMMOTH! ME EAT MEAT!
Though I thought the whole argument was about the women eating meat with their prehistoric bon bons, á la “we hunted the mammoth to feed you“. /s
I’d like a grocery bag with a rainbow flag on it! Mine has pictures of fruits and veggies and it makes me hungry.
Okay, I’m really tired, but that non-sequitur + dick joke combo gave me a case of the giggles.
But seriously –
who does this?? Why??? I mean, there are some behaviours coded gay, esp. for men, but I’ve never heard of this being one of them.
And of course queercoding is culturally determined. A couple of years ago I just assumed one of the tutors at work was gay because his teaching voice was high/dramatic. So when I heard he was getting married, I was surprised to hear it was to a woman! But he’s Persian and the “high/dramatic voice = gay” thing is more of a North American stereotype, it seems to me.
And perhaps bigots who don’t like non-neurotypical and queer people kind of conflate those things…In my junior high, a boy got picked on for acting “gay” (hyper, making hand gestures a lot). I can’t be sure if he had ADHD – maybe I just remember things that way because I have it, though diagnosed later – but it doesn’t matter. Anything seeming “abnormal” can be a cause for ridicule with some types. Yay toxic masculinity 🙁
I have about half a dozen reusable fabric bags that can be folded down into a pocket on themselves.
I can only imagine how emasculating THOSE must be.
(especially the cute-colored striped and star-print ones)
I remember this one time a fellow marine was making fun of fiancé because I’ve converted him to line drying clothes in the spring/summer since things will actually dry. Apparently saving the planet isn’t mainly when it involves close pins.
@BBBB: I think adding the MOLLE attachment webbing would suffice.
Prefering reusable bags because I got too many spare trash bags now.
@Naglfar
I wonder how they’d react if someone pointed out to them that during the Middle Ages they idolize (assuming they’re that sort of Manly Men), at least a third of the year were days you weren’t allowed to eat red meat, assuming you were even rich enough to get some.
Usage of reusable shopping bags are prompted here, because they are more resistant and large than the usual nylon ones, and also because you now have to pay the nylon ones every time. So, unless someone imagines it is a way to promote a “globohomo feminist agenda”, it is just an ecologic way to reduce useless consommation of plastic stuff.
Out of topic : i read this article this morning. It is in French, but the tweet are in english, so the majority of you can easily understand what it is about. It is a joyful reminder that racism has disappear in US thanks to Trump (/sarcasm).
@Naglfar
@Rabid Rabbit
When my grandparents were children, meat was something only eaten once per week (sundays, ususally), because it was expensive.
The situation wasn’t much different in many parts of the western world after WWII, the whole meat craze started only rather recently.
Now the mass cattle farming is actively damaging the environment, and we have reached the point where many see eating meat as a human right, unfortunatelly.
Now, I do love my weekly burger, but I wouldn’t mind too much if the patty was made of cricket instead of beef. I think eventually we won’t have much choice anyway.
If I get groceries delivered they arrive in paper bags. Those then get repurposed to collect the paper recycling.
If I go shopping myself I go by bike and have baskets that hook to the luggage rack. No bags involved.
I think it would be fun if we could convince those dudes to store their shopping in the pockets of their cargo pants/shorts*.
*I almost exclusively wear cargo pants and shorts. There’s a lot of stuff I carry around with me, like meds, fidgets, books…
And yes, I occasionally put some groceries I bought on the way home in there, if they fit. Or carry them in my hand. It’s not far.
@Lainy
Whaaaat? That makes zero sense, drying things in the dryer with fabric softeners is indubitably the, well, softer thing to do. I mean just from a literal standpoint. Plus all the lifting heavy wet items and all that. If marine #2 wanted to be all macho about it. It’s pretty good exercise. Bet he hasn’t tried it.
@Big Titty Demon
You know what’s better then having softer clothes and towels? clean air to breath, safe water to drink. Animals not going extinct in alarming numbers.
But seriously I use that type of argument for just about everything. My fiancé tries to go out for a smoke and I’m like you know what better then a cigarettes ? not having lung, oral, or pancreatic cancer. Living to see your children grow up. Not killing birds and other small animals with cigarettes butts. Not killing me with second hand smoke. So far the arguments haven’t done much, but hey he plants trees and hangs up the towels on the line. I’ll take what I can get lol.