Gorgeous Portraits Capture The Feminine Side Of Masculinity

So many people have such a narrow view of what it means to be a man, completely ignoring the diversity that exists. They miss the complexity, the nuance, the depth of the range of humanity. They miss different cultural perspectives, they miss historical differences, they miss individual tastes. They miss out.

To me, men are beautiful. Sometimes they are beautiful because they have what are considered "feminine" features. Sometimes they are beautiful because they are so "masculine".

Men are beautiful in their harsh lines and soft curves, in their hard rage and their tender love, with their smooth skin and hairy bodies. There is no "softer sex", there is only beauty in the human form - in all its forms as is or modified. Beauty is not limited by such arbitrary designations as "feminine". It's too bad people are.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/nir-arieli_n_3767849.html

I Love/Hate Strong Female Characters

"In narrative terms, agency is far more important than “strength” – it’s what determines whether a character is truly part of the story, or a detachable accessory. ... Their strength lets them, briefly, dominate bystanders but never dominate the plot. "

I love female characters who are strong. I think of myself as strong, so a female character who is strong makes me feel represented in the film - she's someone I can relate to, can emphasize with. But being able to throw a punch is not enough. A cardboard cutout with kung-fu grip isn't something I can relate to, emphasize with. She still has to be a *person*, and the Disney princesses and other pandering female leads are not good enough.

My favorite male characters are complex, with flaws. My favorite female characters are also complex, with flaws. But I also want female characters that I *don't* like - because I want there to be so many female characters, in such diversity, that I can't possibly like them all. I want there to be so many female characters with such diversity that the very idea of inserting the "obligatory strong female character" becomes as nonsensical as it currently is to consider throwing in a "strong male character" just to keep the male demographic happy.

I don't want writers to throw in a female character, strong or otherwise, to make us damn uppity feminists shut up and I certainly don't want writers to throw in a female character to give the guys some eye-candy to sell movie tickets. I want there to be female characters because women are interesting, complex protagonists, antagonists, and side characters who have interesting stories to tell.

http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/08/why-i-hate-strong-female-characters