Do you think people mistake youthful physical features with feminine features?

[ADFSDF1996]

I've noticed that whenever a guy has very smooth skin, he often gets called "foppish" or "pretty boy", I know that there are guys that do look feminine but I think that most of the times a guy gets called those names, they are mistaking his youthfulness for femininity. Take Keanu reeves for example. If you compare him from when he was younger to his current self, he hasn't aged much, by today's standards he is considered a very manly man. However, if you look at his younger self by today's standards some people would mistake his youthfulness as femininity. Even though he is currently 52 years old, he still looks like he is in his 30s. I think young adults with youthful features tend to age better.

Yes, people mistake youthfulness with femininity

No, youthfulness equals femininity *crickets chirping

Updates

+1 y

I just realized I messed up on the second option, the second option is supposed to say that "youthfulness equal femininity". The first option means you agree that people often wrongly think a youthful man looks feminine.

[Idonthaveausername]

Children mainly have slender bodies with narrow hips and chest, little body hair, smooth skin, large foreheads, little definition in muscles and curves--just picture a child you know if you don't get the point. Most children have a lot in common until they hit puberty for either gender, that's why you can't always tell what gender a child is if they're wearing gender neutral clothing

Youthfulness that translates to femininity would be being short (because men are taller than women), having a high-pitched voice (because it's only a masculine thing for a voice to drop), having smooth skin (because women don't need to shave while only men can grow facial hair)... So basically the feminine features related to youth are all features a boy would have that he would lose during puberty and become masculine

Now a woman is considered feminine if she developed curves, if she has long hair (which men can grow out too if they want), wears dresses, wears makeup to enhance her natural beauty, wears heels to accentuate her curves, and maintains personal hygiene (men can do this too, but I've seen a lot admit they don't maintain theirs as well as women). These are all traits not associated with youth because they mostly come during or after puberty, so a man who had these traits would be considered feminine but not youthful

I wouldn't say people confuse male youth for femininity, just that youthful males inherently don't look masculine. I wouldn't say Keanu Reeves looks feminine, but he also didn't look masculine until he grew facial hair. Women want manly men, so if a man still looks prepubescent, women aren't going to be attracted to him because he doesn't look sexually mature, not because he looks feminine. If a man looks feminine, then he probably has a hormone imbalance or uses makeup, heels, and women's clothing to look feminine

Women can look sexually immature as well. Those who never develop curves often still look like they have children's bodies. Since youthfulness in women is attractive to men (because an old woman can't produce children), youthfulness in women is linked to their femininity. Not all men will find a woman with a childlike body feminine, but enough men are attracted to it for the youth it represents that you've developed a confusion for this

Youthfulness in women can be linked to femininity. Youthfulness in men is not linked to femininity or masculinity, only youthfulness

[ADFSDF1996]

Isn't youthfulness a gender neutral trait?

[ADFSDF1996]

It's hard to tell a boy from a girl because they both haven't gone through puberty yet, so when a person (male or female) goes through puberty but manages to maintain their youthfulness, they have a "inexperienced" physical appearance.

[Idonthaveausername]

Youthfulness is a gender-neutral trait. It can be linked to femininity in women, but is just youthfulness in men. Yeah that's what I was trying to say, but I chose the long-winded explanation like I normally do. Lol

[ADFSDF1996]

I notice that there are masculine and feminine facial features. For example, high cheekbones are considered masculine while a small jaw is considered feminine. These features show up before puberty. From what I've heard, the reason why males and females look different at birth is because of the "XY" and "XX" chromosomes.

[Idonthaveausername]

Facial and bone structure doesn't change much during puberty if at all, so those aren't traits related to youthfulness. Men can look feminine, but if they do, it's something other than looking youthful. If a man has wide hips, then he looks feminine, but having wide hips isn't a youthful trait. A man who can't grow facial hair is youthful, but not feminine. The absence of masculinity doesn't always equal femininity

[ADFSDF1996]

What about broad shoulders and dense bones, do males always have that but they only start to get more noticeable during puberty? I can't remember if I had that when I was little (7-12 years old).

[Idonthaveausername]

That mostly develops during puberty as well as having a more defined jaw. Some children do have wide shoulders, but some who don't grow up to have wide shoulders. Your body as a child will have the basis for what you look like after puberty, but it can change a lot for some people

Did you ever watch Harry Potter? Look for "before and after" pictures of the guy who played Neville Longbottom. That will give you a good idea of what I'm talking about. His base bone structure as a child could have stayed the same or exaggerated in the same direction, but he lucked out with his body changing a lot

[ADFSDF1996]

That's true, puberty does change people as a result of hormones. Can you guess the story of this guy without looking him up?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjvfqnD0ws
I'll tell you why he sounds like that, it's quite sad.

[ADFSDF1996]

His name is Alessandro Moreschi he was a Italian Eunuch. He was castrated at a very young age, hence why his voice is high pitched, obviously his body didn't develop correctly, he still looks like a man but he couldn't have children. It's very sad.

[Idonthaveausername]

That's a horrible thing to happen to someone. You can tell he doesn't have a lot of testosterone because even his face still has a lot of childlike features. At least he was able to sing, and he does have a unique singing voice out of it

I read a similar article not long ago about a boy who was born without male genitalia and whose body rejects male hormones. He is now working as a female model

[ADFSDF1996]

That's sad. Losing access to one's genitals is one of the worst things that can happen to a person.

[Cccgala]

Sadly, it does happen and I think people do mistake these "youthful" features for femininity because feminine traits are less expected to be seen among men. Your example of having very smooth skin is less expected to be felt from men, just as having a visible Adam's apple is less expected to be seen among women. Both traits are absolutely possible to possess but the societal perception is convoluted, so it results to stereotypes.

Youthfulness isn't even limited to femininity and age. I think it's too subjective to tell. Anyone can look absolutely young.

[kaylaS91]

Maybe.
Not that equating youthful physical features more with femininity would be all that far off, if you think about it. I mean, what time of a man's life is he sans facial hair of any sort? Before puberty. Before his balls drop and such, which many will equate with the beginning of his 'masculinity'.

[SunnyCaliGirl]

Yes a lot of people mistake it for femininity.

[SunnyCaliGirl]

Thank you for the HMO <3

[ADFSDF1996]

You're welcome.

[ASEXY]

Yes, some people do but most people would call it a baby/young face or something. A man with youthful features doesn't look feminine unless he actually has feminine features or lacks masculine features. In my opinion, Keanu Reeves never looked "feminine" because he looked nothing like a female.

[OlderAndWiser]

A youthful looking guy might look like a boy instead of a man, but pure youthfulness would never make a guy look feminine.

[LittleSally]

Sometimes, sure... Depends on the person.

[blondfrog]

That cricket was so random :D. Yah I think they tend to sometimes, its usually with the cute pretty looking boys though. Like i think women call those androgenic features or something.

[alice55]

yes, they do and it's stupid. I don't see in what a girls who's 16 is more feminine than a girl who's 30.
Girls who are 30 are generally a lot more feminine.

[John_Doesnt]

I don't know what anybody's sayin' I just wanna shoot.

[AlwaysBelieving]

If they do, they need to get out more.

[BruceTrails]

Ah well we at least live longer😄