#especially bc its vague and pervasive enough that its suspended in a state between homophobia and misogyny

[mcl38]

I feel the exact same way when I see people use “girly pop” or “babygirl” or the 💅 emoji when what the really are insinuating is f*g. I see it wayyyy to often on other social media sites. Especially about Lando. Yes sometimes it’s meant lovingly, or endearingly, but more often then not it’s used in a mean way.

and even if its used lovingly it most likely carries an undertone of condescension. idk i had a very illuminating conversation two days ago w these two very straight guys id watched quali with, who said they didn't realise the limp wrist meme / the word 'zesty' / babygirl and girlypop were derogatory gay stereotypes, they thought it was 'how girls talk' or imitating women rather than imitating feminine gay men. and i find it soooo funny that when cultural artefacts that are meant to b subversive in the gay community spill over into straight culture, the cishets rly do just turn it back into good ol' gender stereotypes. thats why lando's whole astrology bit for HIM is a casually misogynistic imitation of astrology girls (complete with the pitched up voice), but to tiktok it ended up reading as 'fruity' or 'zesty' or whatever other stupid fucking euphemistic adjective they use to skirt imaginary censors that don't actually exist.

and its funny bc lando is actually so straight-man-ish from his obsession w the world's most boring rich boy sport to his bragging abt sexual exploits on stream to the bluntness / refusal to couch his words & soften the blow in interviews that in women generally doesn't survive past teenhood. but bc hes generally slender and baby-faced (even with that atrocious chandler-bing-in-alternate-reality-episodes goatee) ppl will still code him as feminine on social media / tiktok / fanart / fics especially. idk as someone who like among other things has drawn lando as a girl or in dresses i also personally have a bit of a complicated relationship with the idea of a feminine lando, but it definitely isnt helped by the thoughtlessness with which people in fandom spaces, and also on the internet in general, and also in real life treat these new incognito homophobia cultural trends