Growing up, I had a very clear picture of what a man was supposed to look and act like thanks to my Puerto Rican mom. She taught me the ins and outs of machismo and how men should be aggressive in their pride in being the breadwinner, the man of the house, and that they would never stoop so low as to take on weak things like femininity. It took growing up for me to realize that was a dumpster fire take on a much more complicated definition of what a man is, should look like, or act like.
That’s why Bad Bunny and his crop top matter so much. At least to me.
For some, this might seem silly, saying that Bad Bunny is changing gender norms when there are so many LGBTQ people fighting to change those norms. That fight is valid, and so is the fact that Bad Bunny is pushing stereotypes and gender norms as to what it means to be a man for the Latinx community. They can both coexist without canceling each other out. And we can learn something from Bad Bunny, especially when it comes to the way he dresses and expresses himself. Because I’ve never seen a reggaeton singer like this.
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Bad Bunny and his crop top are more than a thirst trap that people can fawn over to their heart’s content. It’s a statement that he’s on his own path to defying gender norms in a community that sees everything he does as other. And it’s an example, one that says, “If I can do it. So can you.” And that matters when you take into consideration the people that look up to Bad Bunny and where he comes from. Because trust me on this, machismo is still alive and kicking in the Latinx community, and we need to find ways to battle it.
Accepting that men can wear crop tops is part of that. Men can wear nail polish, they can be in touch with their emotions, love bright colors, or dress up in drag. They can do all those things that are considered feminine and thus less than. And little by little, with every person that sees Bad Bunny pushing gender norms, we can see change inside the Latinx community that doesn’t scoff or look down upon a man who wants to exist outside of the machismo garbage our community teaches us.
And this is coming from someone who doesn’t even like Bad Bunny like that and is still side-eyeing him for being at a party with a rake during a pandemic. Yes, a rake and pandemic. These are both true for Bad Bunny in his crop top world. Doesn’t matter if he’s vaccinated or not. We’re in a pandemic, and celebrities lead by example. And I can acknowledge that while I’m not down for the partying, I am down for Bad Bunny following the footsteps of Prince and David Bowie when it comes to expressing himself as a person and man.
That’s how we change and redefine what it means to be a man.
(image: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty)
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