Guy Stuff is Better and/or Less Expensive

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A couple years ago I read that most goods and products for men–of the goods and products that both men and women use–is better quality and/or less expensive. Since then, I’ve been comparing prices (and marketing tactics) and usually settling for guy stuff.

 

Of course, I should’ve been shopping for guy stuff all along (beyond the jeans, t-shirts and sweatshirts I’ve been buying forever in men’s departments), since I’m transgender either by nature (without surgery) or by scalpel (as an infant, changed from intersex to female).

 

(You know this already if you’ve read Womb Man–and if you haven’t, why haven’t you? I promise you it’s a fast read–a little over an hour for most. It’s also as entertaining as my other books. I don’t write boring books, ever. If I ever get bored writing them, I stop. I would never publish boring stuff between two covers that had my name on it–or anyone else’s, when I’m ghostwriting for other people! That would be shooting myself in both feet!)

 

So I’ve bought men’s socks, men’s underwear, men’s deodorant, men’s body wash, you name it–and I’ve saved money every time.

 

For starters, products for men are usually of better quality. I guess manufacturers are well aware that most men shop keeping utility, quality and affordability in mind; they don’t like getting holes in their shorts, undershirts, or socks, and they’ll pitch a fit if what they buy doesn’t fit comfortably or last a long time, even though they rarely spend a lot to buy products like these that are usually hidden away from the public.

 

 

Go ahead. Compare, side by side, a pair of ladies underwear with a pair of men’s underwear. Feel the material–especially the thickness/quality.

 

See the difference? To be funny, the difference between the two products is that a fart can rend a pair of women’s underwear (OK, that’s not true, but you get the idea if you’re holding them side by side), but it would take a randy unicorn with a sizeable horn to put a hole in men’s underwear (other than the one that’s built in and camouflaged, of course).

 

I used to go through women’s underpants like Grant took Richmond. I was always buying underpants. They’d get eaten alive by the washer or dryer, or my fingernails (short, not sharp) would go through them just below the hem at the waist after a while (too short a while) when pulling them on. And they’re usually white or pale colored, so a stubborn stain makes them look permanently unattractive and possibly bacteria-laden (NOT!)–and God forbid anyone should get in a car wreck with stained underwear!  (“Just shoot me now if I’m not dead already!”)

 

Now compare the prices. You might get the same number of items in a package (although not always; men sometimes get an additional pair in a package for less), but look at the price and (again) the quality of the items.

 

Ask yourself: How long will the women’s underwear last? How long will the men’s underwear last? Just take a guess. I’m pretty sure you’ll discover what I did: women are being exploited (no surprise there); men are being served. And women make less money than men do in the same job. So women are exploited twice–when they get paid, and when they purchase products and services. And they live several years longer than men, usually–so professional women end up poverty-stricken as retired seniors to a much larger degree than professional retired men do. What is wrong with this picture???

 

Male privilege sucks! Which is why I’m a feminist. I want the same deals guys get in the workplace, in the store, and everywhere else. Having junk between the legs shouldn’t give a professional guy the advantage over a professional gal in any way, shape or form!!! (OK, jump down from the soapbox, Kris. This blog isn’t about sexism…or maybe it is, obliquely.)

 

OK, I’m better now. Back on an even  keel. Let’s continue…

 

Men’s underwear, you’ll also note, customarily comes in a cornucopia of dense, darker colors (women’s underwear, by contrast, is usually offered in light pastels), so the stain issue goes away completely for men unless they’re a big fan of whitey tighties. (What can’t be observed or detected becomes a non-issue when it comes to freshly-washed underwear.)

 

And here’s a major surprise (at least to me, as it may well be to less-inquisitive and/or cisgender women): men’s underwear is comfortable!!!

 

I wondered, before buying a pair, if they’d wear so differently that they’d hang or droop or pinch or pull inappropriately on my female frame. Nope! In fact, they feel fabulous.  I have never in my life worn a pair of ladies undies (lower or upper) that felt fabulous. I didn’t know such a thing was even possible. (Not that I’ve spent a ton of time or money looking for fabulous-feeling underwear. My thoughts are usually in galaxies far, far away from underwear–until I get holes in them, and then they’re a temporary priority.)

 

Then there are hair and skin products. Men’s body products frequently cost less than women’s. So when you see FOR MEN  ONLY, that’s usually just a marketing ploy (except when it comes to topical medications and other medical conditions) to keep women away from the product; the manufacturer wants women to shop in the women’s section so they don’t notice the discrepancy in prices for the very same amount of the very same product.

 

So there you have it. My exploration and discoveries are in black and white for you to ponder. What you decide to do with the information is up to you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kris Smith

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