this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2025
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But my trainsssss
there’s girls who like trains, i’ve met them! reckon sometimes they’re less vocal bc mansplaining is upsettingly common in any male dominated hobby :/
Hi, I am the girl who likes trains :3
Agree with the mansplaining angle. Passionate people like to explain, combine this with not being the most socially adept and voila you have mansplaining.
I think there's a negative cycle also, where a male-dominated hobby where many people are not super socially skilled makes them more oblivious to some of the nuances that turn "explaining" into "mansplaining" (I.e. they are less likely to understand how their behaviour is making their hobby less welcoming for certain people), which makes the hobby more male dominated, both in appearance and actuality
Check out Blondihacks on YouTube. She's a hobby machinist who is currently building a working model Pennsylvania A3 Switcher.
That's not really a specifically male thing.
My autistic aunt loves trains.
Germans had an obsession with them for a while too.
Do you really think they're cool though?
I have hobbies that are very male-dominated, but I know they're not cool, and that doesn't bother me. I'm happy being uncool and enjoying my hobbies.
I think the difference is that some boys are unembarrassed about liking Joe Rogan, and make it their whole personality. You should feel a little embarrassed to admit that you listen to Joe Rogan. You should feel embarrassed that you're obsessed about WWE or UFC. But, it's not just male things. Niche interests, especially niche interests that are gender-specific are things that don't make you cool. Like, a girl who is obsessed with makeup tutorials on TikTok shouldn't think that makes her cool either.
Tomorrow's the SuperbOwl. If some guys are super excited about that, it's fine. They should just acknowledge that being obsessed with a sport played by other people isn't cool. It's as uncool as Warhammer 40k or... trains.
I think trains are cool? 😭