Soy boy
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/003-soymilk.jpg/220px-003-soymilk.jpg)
Soy boyis apejorativeterm sometimes used in online communities to describe men perceived to be lackingmasculinecharacteristics. The term bears many similarities and has been compared to the slang termscuck(derived fromcuckold),nu-maleandlow-T( "low testosterone" ) – terms sometimes used as insults for malefemininityby online communities.[1][2][3]
The term is based on the presence of thephytoestrogenisoflavoneinsoybeans,which has led some to claim that soy productsfeminizemen who consume them, although this is a discredited conspiracy theory with no scientific evidence for the correlation between consumption of soyphytoestrogensandtestosteroneorestrogenlevels[4]or sperm quality.[5]
Biology
[edit]Soy productscontain high amounts ofphytoestrogens.[6][7]As they are structurally similar toestradiol(the majorfemale sex hormone) and have activity at the estrogen receptor,[8]concerns have been raised that it may act as anendocrine disruptorthat adversely affects health.[7]The Harvard School of Health, however, notes that "there are many factors that make it difficult to construct blanket statements about the health effects of soy."[9]
Usage
[edit]The term is often used as an epithet byinternet trolls.It often targets perceivedvegans,[10][11]social liberals,and other groups. The term has also been used in online debates about the fashion appeal ofcargo shorts,[12]having a feminized and unathletic look, and an alleged smile called a "soy face" or "soylent grin",[13][14]which is a pun on the 1973 dystopian filmSoylent Green.
See also
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png)
References
[edit]- ^Hosie, Rachel (30 September 2020)."Soy Boy: What is this new online insult used by the far right?".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-24.
- ^Gleeson, Jules Joanne (3 February 2018)."An Anatomy of the Soy Boy".New Socialist.Retrieved27 November2020.
- ^Beck, Chris (18 January 2020)."The Rise of Nu-Males and Soy Boys".Splice Today.Retrieved2022-08-08.
- ^Reed, Katharine E.; Camargo, Juliana; Hamilton-Reeves, Jill; Kurzer, Mindy; Messina, Mark (2021-03-01)."Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies".Reproductive Toxicology.100:60–67.Bibcode:2021RepTx.100...60R.doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.12.019.ISSN0890-6238.PMID33383165.
- ^Messina, Mark (May 1, 2010)."Soybean isoflavone exposure does not have feminizing effects on men: a critical examination of the clinical evidence".Fertility and Sterility.93(7): 2095–2104.doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.03.002.PMID20378106.
- ^Thompson, Lilian U.; Boucher, Beatrice A.; Liu, Zhen; Cotterchio, Michelle; Kreiger, Nancy (June 17, 2006). "Phytoestrogen content of foods consumed in Canada, including isoflavones, lignans, and coumestan".Nutrition and Cancer.54(2): 184–201.doi:10.1207/s15327914nc5402_5.PMID16898863.S2CID60328.
- ^abRietjens I. M. C. M.; Louisse J.; Beekmann K. (June 2017)."The potential health effects of dietary phytoestrogens".British Journal of Pharmacology.174(11): 1263–1280.doi:10.1111/bph.13622.PMC5429336.PMID27723080.
- ^George G. J. M. Kuiper; Josephine G. Lemmen; Bo Carlsson; J. Christopher Corton; Stephen H. Safe; Paul T. van der Saag; Bart van der Burg; Jan-Åke Gustafsson (1 October 1998). "Interaction of Estrogenic Chemicals and Phytoestrogens with Estrogen Receptor β".Endocrinology.139(10): 4252–4263.doi:10.1210/endo.139.10.6216.PMID9751507.
- ^"Straight Talk About Soy".The Nutrition Source.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.2018-08-06.Retrieved2024-03-07.
- ^Cunningham, Brent (18 September 2019)."Plant-based meat and the knock-down, drag-out fight for the American diet".Vox.Retrieved27 July2020.
- ^Reynolds, George (October 25, 2019)."Why do people hate vegans?".The Guardian– via www.theguardian.com.
- ^Jennings, Rebecca (April 18, 2019)."The latest debate on right-wing Twitter: are cargo shorts for 'real men' or 'soy boys?'".Vox.
- ^Abascal, Luis (4 July 2021)."Basado, charocracia, chad o pesetas y cunetas: así habla el Team Facha".Elplural(in Spanish).Archivedfrom the original on 19 September 2021.Retrieved22 Sep2021.
- ^Klee, Miles (2020)."'Soy Face' Is Real, and It's Annoying — It Just Needs a Better Name ".Mel Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 1 October 2021.Retrieved22 Sep2021.