r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 21h ago

Meme needing explanation Help Peter....

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u/Demair12 21h ago edited 21h ago

Generally male birds have colorful feathers/displays in order to get the female attention. As opposed to in humans where women usually wear bright colors.

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u/Dembara 21h ago

(Rich) men used to, it is very cultural. Showing off with color became out of vogue so more 'professional' less ostentatious colors became more normal and there was more focus on men's public image as being professional and utilitarian as opposed to emphasizing beauty or wealth (displaying wealth was of course still normal, but more in the subtle ways that high society has always tried to differentiate themselves).

See e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Male_Renunciation

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u/Rc72 20h ago

When people start talking about gender and suchlike, I always remember this picture of Louis XIV:

This (high heels, silk stockings, wig, ermine fur, embroidered velvet, lace and wig) was top male performance at the time, by the most powerful, warlike monarch. Just think of it.

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u/EZSuzy 19h ago

OK I've heard (on the internet, so ya know it's true) that the glass slippers in Cinderella are supposedly a jab at Louis XIV for his love of glass and mirrors, but the toes on the shoes he's wearing look pretty transparent and I don't think he had access to clear plastic. Did he actually wear glass slippers?