[lotsofpulp]

> Bill Gates is, for example, not particularly manly, but he's absolutely male.

What does manly mean? Because Bill Gates does not seem to be missing features that I find typical of males in the US. Otherwise, I would say pretty much all male office workers and many other males are as “manly” as Bill Gates”, at which point I figure the word loses utility.

[socialismisok]

Great question.

Compare, say, Brad Pitt to Bill Gates. Or The Rock to Peewee Herman. There are differences between how closely those people fit the archetypal mold of "manly".

I'm comfortable saying that Arnold Schwarzenegger is manlier than I am. He ticks more of the boxes we associate with "man", culturally. He's muscular, successful, attractive, tough, etc. I've got a bit of a spare tire, I'm pretty soft, etc.

He and I both are male, and about the same degree of male. We both have penises, etc.

In this way we can use "man" to describe our features that are culturally associated (ruggedness, toughness, cigars and whiskey, etc.) from the biological features (penis, testicles, body hair, etc.)

[wang_li]

People who read your comment should think on manliness and then see how you're portraying it and then consider what you say accordingly.

[socialismisok]

I'm trying to articulate my understanding of what the typical American considers manly. Do you have a different understanding of what the archetype is? I'm happy to work with that.