Yeah, that’s true. It’s not that the two are directly analogous; it’s more that they’re both terms better used to describe fictional dynamics than actual people.
(Also, the phrase “like the Cat in the Hat but sexy” has powerful @dagny-hashtaggart energy)
I don’t think it’s exactly Manic Pixie Dream Guy. The MPDG fantasy involves a bubbly free spirit, usually paired up with a depressed introvert, who whisks that person out of their mundane, dreary world and introduces an element of whimsy into their lives. Like the Cat in the Hat, but sexy.
The himbo/bimbo is more like a big dumb sweet puppy in human form. There’s not really an “unpredictable free spirit” element to that. Both fantasies appeal to the wish to have a partner who is tailor-made to fit your own emotional needs, but the MPDG at least superficially challenges the protagonist/fantasizer by changing their world in some way.
Yeah, pretty much. Which is not a bad thing to find appealing in the abstract – fantasies are fantasies – but I’m uncomfortable with calling real actual people “himbos”.
I don’t think “himbo” is *ableist*, but I do think making fun of that particular logical leap distracts from pointing out what’s actually wrong with it, which is that way too many people who use the term imply that they want a partner with no complex thoughts or interiority whatsoever
That’s an intriguingly disconcerting phrase and it warms my heart that you think of my statements in connection with it
I think there’s a psychological need addressed for some women by the fantasy of a big, strong, good-natured, loyal guy who’s not clever enough to be faking the nice.
Additional thing: the himbo *knows* he is dumb, and so will listen to you, and respect what you have to say. It is a control fantasy in a lot of ways but I think it’s a reasonably wholesome one - the himbo is a guy it is utterly safe to let your guard down around.
I just can’t stay away from this discourse. Way too much blather below; adding a cut.
