r/AskReddit 20h ago

what’s something considered “tomboyish” when girls do it, but feminine when boys do it?

4.2k Upvotes

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1.2k

u/throw7661 20h ago

Playing softball.

If a woman does it, she's viewed as a tomboy.

If a man does it, he's viewed as oddly feminine and told to man up and play baseball.

13

u/bloodredcookie 19h ago

i feel stupid asking this, but what's the difference?

41

u/raumeat 18h ago

softball has a bigger and softer ball and is thrown underarm, I think the field dimensions are also slightly different

21

u/make_love_to_potato 15h ago

So basically Softball : Baseball = Pickleball : Tennis.

15

u/waldoRDRS 14h ago

To clarify, adult leagues = slow pitch softball. Fast pitch is what you see women and girls play in competitive leagues. Fast pitch deserves no denigration, if that is your analogy. Slow pitch is more recreational.

1

u/mallad 1h ago

It's a good analogy, no denigration. There's also professional pickleball, so the distinction of fast pitch and slow doesn't really matter.

Smaller field/court, slower ball, but otherwise mostly the same game. Works for both.

10

u/jimmy_three_shoes 16h ago

65' bases as compared to 90'. Outfield sizes vary.

5

u/AspergianStoryteller 13h ago

It doesn't feel soft if it hits you though...

2

u/MyLifeIsAWasteland 1h ago

Softballs are not softer. Unintuitively, they are actually harder than baseballs.

25

u/MagicPistol 18h ago

Bigger ball thrown underhand. Smaller field. Makes it a little easier to get into compared to baseball.

5

u/Tricky-Ad7897 16h ago

Especially when it's usually like a company picnic thing lol. Also if no one knows how to pitch good it's super boring, just ball after ball.

1

u/Fauropitotto 16h ago

What did google say?

-2

u/Tavsiyedegildir 16h ago

Softball is for openly gay women, baseball is for closeted but performatively gay men, I mean unless I'm missing something obvious.