Pretty Boys and Handsome Girls

When it comes to androgyny and blurring gender lines, a lot of people criticize the inherent masculine power in society and culture.
Often, I’ll hear people make the comparison that women wearing men’s clothes is more acceptable than men wearing women’s clothing, because masculinity is seen as “better.”
While this is definitely true, there is another side to this coin.

Femininity is seen as “beautiful,” while masculinity is seen as…”handsome?”
Honestly, it’s not as common to make the latter conclusion as you might think.

It’s been long ingrained into our minds that women are “the fairer sex,” and while that in itself creates many problems with chauvinistic perfectionism, there is also a negative impact on people with masculine self expression that often gets ignored.

If we look at “beauty” as a kind of social power, wouldn’t “the fairer sex” actually have the upper hand?

When referring to a good-looking young man who takes care of his appearance, it’s not uncommon to call him a “pretty boy.”
He doesn’t need to look “beautiful” or even remotely feminine, he doesn’t need to wear feminine clothes, but he is called pretty because the idea of beauty is associated with femininity.
Sometimes “pretty boy” is used in a derogatory way, but even then, pretty boys are often called “handsome” as well.
The fact remains that a man leaning towards more “feminine” tendencies becomes more “attractive.”
He becomes pretty. He becomes “better.”

Conversely, a woman who doesn’t take care of her appearance, is unkempt, strong or stubborn-minded, and maybe even muscular, is called…”gross.”
“Disgusting,” “mannish,” “un-lady-like.”
And men who do the same? Also “gross,” “hairy,” “unrefined.”
While the criticism on the masculine woman is far greater than the criticism on the masculine man, the problem is that we see masculinity as inherently “unattractive.”
Could it be that some men feel it’s futile to even attempt being attractive because of this?

Why is it that “pretty boy” is a commonly-used term, while “handsome girl” is rarely heard of?
Why is the rustic nature of masculine aesthetic so ignored?
In this situation, in this society, androgyny favors femininity.

The strict gender assignment of beauty effects both sexes and all people in between, and just adds another tick on the list of reasons to break down the gender binary.