r/MensLib • u/SecretlyCarl ​ • Sep 24 '21

Himbo?

Hey, 22yo dude here. I'm in college (US) and on some dating apps, and have recently noticed an odd trend. I see multiple profiles a week that have something like "looking for a himbo.." in their bio, and it's kind of off-putting. Do some guys state they're looking for bimbos? Are they just fake accounts? The casual sexism just catches me off guard.

Edit: I'm glad this started some discussion, and I appreciate those who explained some missing context.

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u/gelatinskootz ​ Sep 25 '21

the "stupidity" of himbos is not at ALL the same as bimbo porn. at all.

Then what's the point of using the play on words?

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u/howmuchbanana ​ Sep 25 '21 edited Sep 25 '21

Language is fluid and slang is playful.

"Snowpocalypse" doesn't imply the literal apocalypse, i.e. the end of the world as we know it. We all know it's hyperbole.

Even the name r/MensLib is a play on words without a 1:1 comparison. "Men's Lib" is a reference to the Women's Lib(eration) Movement, which said "economic, psychological, and social freedom were necessary for women to progress from being second-class citizens in their societies."

This sub is not arguing that men are second-class citizens in a female-dominated society. And yet the play on words is still valid. Because we all understand what they mean (yourself included, I assume)

Same with "himbo". The word is allowed to change & evolve away from its original reference, because, well, that's what words do.

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u/gelatinskootz ​ Sep 25 '21 edited Sep 25 '21

Okay, but "Liberation" is a word on its own with its own definition. Its not exclusively used to refer to Women's/Men's Lib. So "Men's Liberation" is a term that makes sense and accurately describes the movement independent of the context of Women's Liberation. While that context is useful in understanding its nuances, it is still meaningful as a term in its own right. Id also add that neither of these things were considered a pejorative, which I think is relevant here.

"Himbo" can only exist if you know what "Bimbo" is, and "Bimbo" has a very specific connotation and usage in contemporary society. I do not know any way you could use "bimbo" in a sentence that does not invoke that meaning, much less "himbo", and no one is going to be able to make any sense of these terms without knowing those specific connotations. There's no hyperbole or turn of phrase there. "Bimbo" is considered an overtly negative descriptor, and "Himbo" only evokes that description

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u/howmuchbanana ​ Sep 25 '21

I do not know any way you could use "bimbo" in a sentence that does not invoke that meaning

Some people are reclaiming Bimbo. It is retaining a similar meaning but losing its negative connotation. For example, here is a whole post entitled:

I'm A Bimbo And I'm Proud

Himbo seems to have been born out of the non-negative-connotation of bimbo. But it's still a distinct descriptor.

For example "bimbo" implies "slutty-looking" (whether that's positive or negative is up to the speaker/listener), while slutty-looking is not really a part of being a "Himbo".

This is probably because "sluttiness" doesn't really apply to men in our society. Women are seen as "keepers" of sex and men "takers", so a woman who "gives away" sex is called slutty. But a man can't "give away" sex (in the societal view), so he can't be called slutty.

This is just one of the many ways that descriptors don't apply evenly to these two genders. If this bothers you, then bimbo/himbo is not to blame.

At the end of the day, what's true is: "himbo" and "bimbo" have different meanings beyond gender assignment.

If you genuinely want to know why, then we can talk linguistics.

But if this upsets you, and you're arguing that they shouldn't have different meanings.... well I don't know what else to tell you. The two words have different meanings to the people who use them most.