Should there be a "SL's Manliest Man" contest?

[Catrie]

5 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

That site really looks like a work in progress, Catrie.  There have been some pretty big beauty pageants in SL, though.  One that went on for several years, Miss SL Universe, was shut down by a trademark complaint from the RL Miss Universe organization.  There's still Miss Virtual World, though, I think.

As far as I know, all the SL beauty pageants are organized by SL modeling agencies, and are (IMO) scams to get you to pay them for stuff, contest entry fees, etc.  But I have to say the contestants look stunning.

Maybe we could organize the Manliest Man contest so the contestants could buy votes.  After all, being rich is a manly thing, right?  I'll volunteer to be on the judges' panel!

Yeah, I really don't know much about those pageants.  I googgled their site, and it took me to their old one, that redirected me to this one. 

Meh. I'm not sold on the buying votes.  Maybe we could do a thing where the community votes and the 10 with the highest community votes then get handed over to the judges panel? 

[Selene Gregoire]

12 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

So, this is a topic that is obviously rife for good-natured humour (and possibly some that is not so good-natured), but . . . there has been the perception of late around here that men have been taking a bashing on some of these threads.

Without suggesting that others can't employ humour, I don't want to contribute to that perception, so . . .

Here are my 100% serious suggestions for what we should be "testing for" when looking for the manliest man. I'll begin with what I see as the "Master Criterion," the thing that is most important, and enables everything else:

Primary Criterion

• A manly man should, most of all be multidimensional. By that, I mean that he shouldn't only conform to one idea of what constitutes "manliness," but should recognize that there are many ways that this might be defined. As is ideally the case for any woman, a man should know that he has the freedom to choose what kind of person he wishes to be, whether those choices conform to socially-generated gender stereotypes or not. Accordingly, a truly "manly man" is one who knows he can be brooding, macho, or even a bit "brutish" on occasion, but who is not limited to any of those roles, and can also choose to be sweet, sensitive, giving, open, etc. From this, all else follows . . .

Secondary Criteria

• Physique and Body Appearance can be anything -- stereotypically ripped, triangle-shaped, arms the size of tree-trunks, etc., but it can also be slender, well--proportioned, chubby-cute, or whatever. So, points should be awarded not on the basis of how well the man conforms to one expectation about looks, but rather how well he performs whatever look he has chosen to represent "him." Our slate of nominees might include a really diverse range of body types and appearance, and these should be judged not against a single template, but rather against a kind of ideal for each particular physique type. My own preference is for well-built but slenderish, tall but not gigantic, and with just enough body fat to make him comfortable to rest my head (or other parts of me) on. But that's just my preference.
   
• Aesthetic Style and Taste -- as above, the criterion should be not based upon a single aesthetic, but rather the tasteful and thoughtful application of whatever look -- urban, rural, "street" or sophisticated and elite, etc. -- the man has chosen. We should be judging the man not on how many fashion blogs he follows, and how much he spends on his mesh clothing, but rather on his unique combination of carefully-chosen elements to showcase his personal style and good taste. This has nothing to do with "mesh" vs. "system" or prim and sculptie, and everything to do with what the man can do with what he's got. Me, I probably prefer "urban" rather than "street" or "elite" -- except when I don't.
   
• Personality -- There are lots of things one might look for here: sociability, humour, a certain "rough" or "tough" sensibility, etc., but what I think is again key is a certain degree of flexibility and multidimensional potential. There are times when humour is what I most value, and others when "brooding" is actually pretty welcome. I'm much less interested in someone who is so "flat" and one-dimensional that he is always one thing or another. I want someone who is responsive to context, and to my needs as well as his own.
   
• Attitude -- Regardless of what persona a man chooses to don for any given context, a man (and for that matter, anyone) should demonstrate an underlying kindness and sensitivity to others. So, it's fine to be "brutish" or a Dom (or, god forbid, even a Gorean Master) at times, so long as there is a clear respect for others and generosity that lies behind these performances. If you are brutish because it seems appropriate to the occasion as determined by you and your partner, that's great. If "brutish" is all that you can manage, and you apply it without reference to the others around you, then you're a cardboard cutout of a man, and you deserve to score low because you're a narcissist or solipsist or something like that. It should go without saying that closely related to this is someone who is tolerant and accepting of diversity: nothing is a bigger turn-off than someone who is, at the root of their sense of self, racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic. Ableist and classist are icky too.

To Sum Up: What most impresses me is a man who understands that he needn't be constrained by what popular culture, GQ, other men, or even the women he associates with think he "should be." I want to see "manliness" redefined to extend to the kind of freedom of expression that I'd like to see available for women. Smash the patriarchy, men! Be the kind of man who revels in his freedom to be different! THAT's what I'd want to see in the man I give a prize -- or anything else -- to.

 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

5 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:

 

Yeah.

Not quite what I had in mind . . . but whatever rings your (and their) bell, I guess! 😄

[Selene Gregoire]

2 hours ago, Conall DeCuir said:

It's not?

 

mmmmmmm... Antonio...

I'll be in my bunk.

[Selene Gregoire]

5 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yeah.

Not quite what I had in mind . . . but whatever rings your (and their) bell, I guess! 😄

Beauty pageants have never rung my bell. 

Now you start talking Antonio and tango...

damn...

/me heads back to her bunk

Edited November 26, 2019 by Selene Gregoire

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Just now, Selene Gregoire said:

Beauty pageant have never rung my bell. 

Now you start talking Antonio and tango...

damn...

/me heads back to her bunk

I want to know why I can't find that dance in SL!!!

(Or Antonio Banderas. Why can't I find him in SL either?)

[Charles Blackwood]

3 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yeah.

Not quite what I had in mind . . . but whatever rings your (and their) bell, I guess! 😄

I've had a chance to read your post where you identify the possible criteria for the contest and just wanted to say that you are very thoughtful. What you have written is very eloquent and fitting quite frankly for any good human being. 

but Selene makes a great point too

 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Just now, Marut72 said:

fitting quite frankly for any good human being.

YES! THIS!!!!

And thank you. 🙂

[Selene Gregoire]

4 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I want to know why I can't find that dance in SL!!!

(Or Antonio Banderas. Why can't I find him in SL either?)

It's SL? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ItHadToComeToThis]

Why would you want this. It will just be 20 muscular avatars on a stage, flexing their vaguely poop like bumps and curves. I couldn’t think of anything more boring to watch. It’s like that Mr SL competition, complete yawn fest

[Bree Giffen]

Maybe it should be a trivia contest where the men have to answer manly questions like, "What is the ideal truck axle ratio for towing?" (had to google for some weird manly question).

[Storm Clarence]

12 hours ago, Beth Macbain said:

Well, I’m a C cup and in Mensa so... no.

One can only imagine what you could have accomplished with a D Cup.  

I think Gadgets point was taken, no?  When manliest (sic) is defined by a look we are all in trouble. 

[Beth Macbain]

19 minutes ago, Storm Clarence said:

One can only imagine what you could have accomplished with a D Cup.  

If I get boob reduction surgery, do I gain IQ points? 

21 minutes ago, Storm Clarence said:

I think Gadgets point was taken, no?  When manliest (sic) is defined by a look we are all in trouble. 

Oh, I completely agree. Who a man is on the inside is much more important than the outside. 

Except when it comes to the twig and berries... they have to be pretty... and manscaped... 

[Ceka Cianci]

 

1 hour ago, ItHadToComeToThis said:

Why would you want this. It will just be 20 muscular avatars on a stage, flexing their vaguely poop like bumps and curves. I couldn’t think of anything more boring to watch. It’s like that Mr SL competition, complete yawn fest

Unless we had them facing off doing the Haka.

That would spice things up a lot..

 

 

 

 

[Paul Hexem]

14 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I don't know, Gadget: is that a correlation you see in evidence in yourself?

At the time I just thought we were throwing stereotypes around. I just picked my favorite one, is all!

[Storm Clarence]

17 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said:

If I get boob reduction surgery, do I gain IQ points? 

 

Except when it comes to the twig and berries... they have to be pretty... and manscaped... 

No, you will just have smaller boobs.   Everyone in mensa knows that!

[Scylla Rhiadra]

7 minutes ago, Gadget Portal said:

At the time I just thought we were throwing stereotypes around. I just picked my favorite one, is all!

It's an oldie but a goodie!

It's odd how most awards -- for movies, music, books, the sciences, etc. -- while often struggling to escape a tendency to reward the merely conventional, generally do recognize "innovation" as an important criterion.

But when it comes to judging people in pageants of this sort, there is almost always a really constraining and highly conventional template. "Innovative" seems to mean choosing a red head rather than a blonde.

I'm not at all big on these sorts of contests anyway (Catrie's suggestion is mostly just for fun), but if one must do this kind of thing, why can't we apply the same recognition of meaningful difference to people that we do when we acknowledge the excellence of things?

[Ceka Cianci]

The guy that took a swig of his beer and then flipped off the Las Vegas shooter would get my vote..If he has an avatar and enters the contest..

 

[Selene Gregoire]

55 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

 

Unless we had them facing off doing the Haka.

That would spice things up a lot..

 

 

Red team wins!

I'll be in my bunk...

 

again.

[Arduenn Schwartzman]

Suggested criteria for the Mister Manliest Man contest of 2020:

- First impressions on looks

- Barry White voice

- Largest avatar accesory

I recognize that man's inner values should also count, so:

- Testosterone blood level

Where do I sign up?

[Tari Landar]

6 hours ago, Catrie said:

what kind of gnomes?  the garden gnomes that wear the pointed little hats and like to hang out in gardens or the Gnomeregan gnomes who will send explosive sheep into battle, then bite your knees at close quarters?

Umm

Both  

 

[Tari Landar]

3 hours ago, Marut72 said:

I nominate this guy....

 

I double that nomination

Though I prefer my beef not moo at me...I don't judge, you do you

[Lindal Kidd]

6 hours ago, Catrie said:

what kind of gnomes?  the garden gnomes that wear the pointed little hats and like to hang out in gardens or the Gnomeregan gnomes who will send explosive sheep into battle, then bite your knees at close quarters?

I just had to search the web...apparently, explosive sheep are actually a thing.

[Catrie]

Just now, Lindal Kidd said:

I just had to search the web...apparently, explosive sheep are actually a thing.

Yes, they are in World of Warcraft. lol It's an device made with the Engineering profession. lol 

[Angelina String]

3 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I think @Angelina String was briefly enrolled in this? 

Miss and Mr SL is very well alive and kicking, despite the look and state of their website!
Bad website, very professionally driven events - that would be my conclusion after my brief stint there

A combination of live themed runway shows, alternated with photo challenges sounded like good fun, and I’ve probably had enjoyed it had it not been for a complete focus on a caricatured runway model body stereotype. It was all about being  2.5 meters high with telephone pole legs... A bit sad really, the styling challenges, the photo shoots and the catwalk events with rehearsals and all was very creative and interesting, and TOTALLY professional arranged (despite of the look of the website). Sometimes I actually regret that I did not stay the whole run, , insisting on being my tiny self all the way to the end, but it was too tiring putting in all that effort just to be told that I would have been sooo much better off with a different body shape everyyyyy time... 

A bit silly from my side I guess - me focusing to much on my avatar being me, and not being willing to change... Could probably be good fun for someone into fashion and photos with a healthy distance to their SL body shape and will to conform (bodywise)...