Uchi no Musuko wa Tabun Gay - Vol. 2 Ch. 30 - Even Men

[nobodygattaknow]

I seriously wanna meet Diago

 

[berryoragami]

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[Tensaitkuroneko]

I love how despite the homophobic views of the dad, they don't turn him into a villain, but as a family member you disagree with. Honestly, that's just such a realistic take on how it is to be an LGBT+ child to parents who are otherwise lovely but just trained/indoctrinated to be against it all.

I know my parents will not be able to accept it, but I still love them a lot and they are great parents. It's just how things are sometimes.

 

[Acyberg]

YES !! DOWN WITH TOXIC MASCULINITY !!!!

 

[masterbladero]

Yuuri certainly took getting his turn taken from him better than I do, especially over a game you are the best able to handle of those around.

Also the author created an actually good scary design for his fake games villain and not some non-scary trash, that rips something else off like a Scream mask, that often happens. Good on Okura.

 

[friendly]

Hiroki..... clenches my fist. I'm glad he has that ability to stand his ground. And I like that his dad is just. Oh, huh. And then tries it. And then has fun and maybe changes his view a little... its very kind.

 

[krisdreemurr]

!!! ahh so cute....

 

[ribbitribbitsaga]

People are forgetting the mom's side comment where the dad used to be stubborn with Haunted Houses. He was obviously compensating, probably didn't want his son to have the same fear as his. He failed him on not teaching him about courage though through that game instead due to his insecurity he ate crow.

 

[pink_rabbit]

The son DESTROYED that toxic masculinity in this chapter. I'm so proud of him~

@ribbitribbitsaga I've never thought about it like that. Showing how he shouldn't be scared despite the son being easily scared like him. You are right that the dad should have taught him courage too. However, the son is very brave on his own for the sake of love and being honest with himself.

 

[gronkle]

>toxic masculinity
Sometimes a phrase is just a phrase that we use to encourage ourselves. There's nothing toxic about encouraging each other as men to excel, even when you phrase it as "a real man should...".

 

[nikonekonya]

@gronkle But that is toxic, it's like the phrases that get thrown around for women where "real women have curves," "real women do x," etc. It's just applied to men's behaviour instead. There's a saying I really like, not sure where it came from, but it's "if god didn't want men to cry then they shouldn't be born with tear ducts."

 

[gronkle]

@nikonekonya Toxic would imply it is detrimental to you and others, and I can see how a phrase like "real women have curves" is employed to exploit insecurity. However the example in this case is one of encouragement, not to nag at an insecurity or put anyone down.

 

[simplechild]

@gronkle That was not encouragement. It was the dad making commentary on Hiroki's behavior and implying that if Hiroki gets scared then he doesnt qualify as a man.

 

[gronkle]

@simplechild That's a pointlessly literal take, disregarding the tone and context. It was said with a smile and in mockery, not as a sober assessment of his son's behaviour. Mutual mockery is a signifier of closeness, and in this case was intended as impetus for Hiroki to overcome his fear. This is a normal and healthy father-son interaction, and is shown as such. Hiroki doesn't back down in insecurity; he makes a counter-challenge to his father, leading to a bonding moment between the two. Taking an empathetic, motherly tone is another valid way to handle it, but would be atypical between two males, particularly between a typical father and son.

 

[simplechild]

@gronkle There are a few things that don't convince me of your argument.

1. The mother's attention is caught the instant the father says it, which the story has consistently used as a signal that this is the perception being challenged. This is meant for us as readers to pick up that "men don't get scared" is the problematic view being addressed, and whether or not it's being used as a motivator to help Hiroki conquer fear is irrelevant to the story.

2. Your argument ignores the numerous times Hiroki's father pushed heteronormative values onto his son throughout the story so far. He means well, and it's not wholly his fault that it makes Hiroki uncomfortable, but the problem is that his perception of manhood is narrow. He indirectly shames Hiroki for being okay with a homosexual kiss on television (chapter 7), pressures him to be more proactive towards getting a girlfriend (chapters 9 and 10), and tells him boys can't have crushes on other boys (chapter 14). Based on that history, it's not illogical to conclude that the father's behavior in this chapter would be similarly motivated.

3. The whole point of the chapter is to show that it's okay for a man to be scared, not for Hiroki to overcome his fear. His immediate counter-challenge is not primarily meant to be a bonding moment (even if it's the end result); it's a demonstration of confidence in his own manliness and a teaching moment for his father to open up to different definitions of manliness. It takes the perception that men don't get scared and flips it on its head. Yes, Hiroki overcomes fear afterwards, but it's only because he sees a buff dude in danger and that's the joke.

 

[gronkle]

@simplechild
1: granted, at least that there is an expectation to be interrogated rather than a perception. "Problematic" is your term, I'd go with simply a neutral "expectation".

2: "heteronormative values" are simply the extension of the expectation that people are heterosexual. This is not a problem, because most people are. The fact that the dad, who is regularly absent, hasn't noticed his son's sexuality is unsurprising; he's working from his own assumption that his son is straight, which is wholly understandable. None of this is particularly pertinent to the concept of "manning up", which applies just as well to gay men, as gay men. The fact that this is highlighted by the mother is to draw attention to the possibility of gay men not being seen as "manly", not to say that the father espouses harmful rhetoric.

3: It is indeed manly to issue a counter-challenge, self-confidence and standing up for yourself are valued masculine traits. There is no "different definition of manliness" there. There is no perception that men don't get scared either, there is the expectation that men (attempt to) overcome their fears. We could argue over whether that contributes to the empathy gap some other time, but in that moment it was encouraging. The end joke you bring up is a callback to the mother's anecdote, of how the father is the kind of person to stubbornly go through a haunted house. They overcome things for the person they like, and it shows the father and son have that likeness.

 

[gayasswitch]

Folks, don't talk with gronkle, it ain't worth it

 

[Dragonbolt03]

"Dave is about to die!"

Gay neuron activated, switching to kill mode