The MINI isn't a chic car, I don't care what anyone says If they know how to drive, give em' the keys, then let them say it!

 

And still more people continue to roll around in the filth of their own assumptions about what constitutes "girly".

We all known that if it's performance oriented it can't be "girly", because "girls" only like sedate minivans, which allow them to haul around all the babies that their maternal instincts dictate they birth.

And by all means, continue to dipute the "girliness" of the MINI on the grounds that you find it somehow unsuitable or offensive because, after all, I think we all know that everything female is negative and awful and we wouldn't want to be associated with it... unless, of course, we're ******* it or it's baking us cookies, right?

What if we were arguing over the racial affiliation of MINIs? We'd all sound like *******s, wouldn't we? Why is this any different? I can answer that: IT ISN'T! Everyone arguing about this sounds everybit as large the *** as they would in the aforementioned situation.

WHY IS THIS ON PAGE 4???

 

Because you can always be relied on to get spun up and go on a rant right around page 4 of this type of post...and we all want to see it!

 

Because there is such a thing as 'masculine' and 'feminine' in the world. And a lot of us who are males want to be associated with things 'masculine' and want our females to be 'feminine'.

To call a car a 'girls car' or 'girly' when a man is driving it is akin to telling him he may as well be carrying a purse.

Cars, specifically performance cars, imply an image about the owner, whether it is correct, appropriate, or not. Most of us also feel that the MINI in some way or another represents our outlook on life. Most of us also don't think that the particular outlook it represents is that we are the type of guy who would carry a purse!

It is perfectly appropriate to discuss the qualities that do or do not make an automobile a 'girls car' and whether or not the MINI qualifies. If you choose to follow the principle that there is 100% gender equality, great for you. Personally, I like to have a bit of gender differentiation in my life.

 

I read that NY Times article and I wished I'd saved it now. I don't believe the article ever said said that the Mini was a "girly" car, or that women who drove Minis were lesbians, or that certain cars were "gay". What I recall of the article -- and I admit I don't have perfect recall so maybe my memory is fault -- is that it reported on how people form perceptions of cars and some of the above were examples of those [silly] perceptions. To indicate how ridiculous those kinds of perceptions were, I think the article closed with a mention that among the most frequently researched models on a web site that was tailored towards gays was the Toyota Camry. Well, there you have it. Who knew who all those people who bought Camrys were closet gays?

 

Leave my gay MINI outta this.

 

because even though you've made it to 6th gear you haven't found that little area in your control panel where you can set 40 posts per page.

Your post was only page 2 for me. This post barely made page 3.

 

It occurs to me that the gay guy in our small neighborhood drives a pickup truck. Does that make pickups girly cars?

 

"most of us" Just curious ...

Are you identifying yourself with your car? Is that who you are?

Just wondering ... not implying anything either way.

I'm asking because I once drove a totally stripped Toyota Tercel, complete with plastic floors instead of carpet. I could care less what other ppl thought of the "image". Just trying to understand what your saying here.

 

Most of us meaning the people in this thread, who at least are interested enough in the topic to post here.

I'm confident in saying that most people on NAM are car enthusiasts, and it is pretty well documented that car enthusiasts tend to identify themselves somewhat with the car that they drive. NOT to say that it necessarily means the enthusiast cares what other people think, though.

The MINI is one of the cars that fits the most into the 'you are what you drive' category. Heck, even the marketing is done in that direction ("YOU-ify it") It is what the car says about you to YOU, that is important.

Do I identify myself with the car? Sure, somewhat. But I am a car enthusiast. Some people buy cars just based on percieved value, or convenience, or magazine test numbers/consumer reports. But I personally don't call those people enthusiasts, and I wouldn't expect them to identify themselves with the car they drive at the same level that a true enthusiast does.

When you were driving that tercel - was it a point to point appliance, or something you felt passionate about? I'm passionate about cars. THAT is who I am.

 

I actually staged an itty-bitty mini rant round about page 2, but it didn't seem to take. My doctor requests, on behalf of my blood pressure, that the community of NAM not tap on the glass of Toast's aquarium


*le sigh*

1. Yes, there is masculine and feminine. Cars, being machines, lack gender attributes even though some are arbitrarily assigned by the people who drive them. For example, my Ollie has a boy-name, and I use the personal pronoun "he" to refer to "him". But he has no sexual preference, nor does he have gender characteristics, because he has no actual sex or gender.

2. I am one of those people who feels that their (entirely neuter) car says something about them / how they choose to market themselves. I don't, however, choose to market myself as ignorant and indulge in gender stereotypes. I, too, consider myself an enthusiast, but I manage to do it without engaging in said stereotypes. I like cars. I like MY car. I don't see how cars have anything whatever to do with gender.

3. Whatever point you're trying to drive home doesn't even touch my complaint which is that "girly" is construed as "bad" (The discussion of masculine/feminine is, however, a really lovely straw wo/man). That is the crux of the offense. Not to mention all the many and varied spinoffs of the basic stereotype which somehow makes it ok for people to sit back and disparage 50% of the population without so much as batting an eye. However you want to dress it up to make yourself feel better, it is sexist to associate "girly" with "negative".

Cars are cars. Whatever you feel they say about you has only to do with what you feel about yourself.

 

The on-line dictionary defines girly: "like a girl".

Most women I know would choose not to have themselves or their cars referred to as, "manly" - because they're women. It's the same with me and the guys I know with, "girly" - because we're men.

Those who believe this attitude is wrong are different from me. Nothing wrong with different. But because we're different is no reason for either of us to call each other wrong.

 

Thread moved to General MINI Talk. Why? Because it has nothing specifically to do with R56s.

As for me, I drive both a MINI and a Mustang... according some posts from this thread, I own two girly cars.

Do I care? Nope.

 

come on lets be realistic, what man would want to drive a car someone calls "girly" and what woman would want to drive a car the someone calls "manly". sure there are those that dont care or would even prefer it but most would not like it at all. how can anybody even argue that?

 

What man really cares what someone else thinks of his car?

Seriously, Chows brought it up - I'm amazed that anybody stresses out that much about it.

Face it, the Mini is lumped in (by most people) with the VW Bug and other cutesy cars.

As long as you enjoy, who gives a crap if people think it's girly?

 

If you identify with your car ... everyone is different ... thats cool

 

This thread should be moved the the "exhaustive, exhausted and entirely ridiculous" forum...

I am a woman. I care not one damn bit what people think of my car, and I care even less what people who assign gender characteristics to a car think about my car. That aside, the issue remains:

IT IS OFFENSIVE AND SEXIST TO REFER TO SOMETHING NEGATIVE AS BEING RELATED TO THOSE CHARACTERISTICS GENERALLY CONSTRUED AS FEMALE. MOST ESPECIALLY SO WHEN THOSE CHARACTERISTICS AND PERCEPTIONS ARE STEREOTYPICAL.

And so I repeat: Whatever girly dress -- or very manly lumberjack boots -- you put it in to make yourselves feel ok about, it remains sexist. I'm sorry* if it rocks your world to have to consider the possibility that you're engaging in sexism.


* I lie. I'm not sorry at all.

 

You would think

 

Skip ... I give up. If ppl are hung up on other people's perceptions ... its their problem.

 

 

not terribly manly boots...

 

If I am not attracted to a woman with a man's facial hair. Is that sexist? Of course not. I have no problem with anyone who does like hairy-faced women of course but it's a matter of taste, not sexism.

Personally I don't put much stock into traditional ideas of "girly" or "manly". That doesn't mean that I think that people who do are somehow inferior or wrong. Mostly I think they have different values (and in some cases are a little insecure). And in fact, from that perspective, I think a thread like this is a great way to discuss these values. I'd even go so far as to say that your reply is, itself, sexist, because you're effectively trying to deny men the right to talk about an issue in a way that is natural and important to them. Or, ok, let's be honest: trolling.

So. Anyway. Enough with the soapbox.

 

Let us not be casting aspersions at lumberjacks. I'm a part time lumberjack and I drive a MINI. And I'm OK!

 

I was hoping for some good comeback lines here. Since this has been a beaten horse, there must be some cleaver ways to respond.

"Yea, I have to fight off all the girls every time I come out from the store."

"It's so annoying taking all the girls who want to go for a ride, you know, in the MINI."

"My previous manly car was totally worthless and unreliable, not to mention ugly."

I've never had such a stupid comment from anybody, much less friends. Maybe it's because Arizona is a Concealed Carry Permit state.
And taking them (if they are worth anything) for ride works.

 

Your friends are the reason God created Smith & Wesson.
But not the LadySmith.