Twink (gay slang)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This model, photographed for a twink-themed series, is a typical embodiment of the twink visual archetype

"Twink" is

gay slang for a man who is usually (but not always) in his late teens to twenties whose traits may include a slim to average physique, a youthful appearance, little or no body hair, and flamboyancy.[1][2][3] Twink is used both as a neutral descriptor, which can be compared with bear,[4] and as a pejorative.[1][5]

Etymology

The exact origins of the term twink are disputed. Some trace its first appearance to 1963, although it may be derived from an older British

Oxford Dictionaries claims twink has origins in the 1970s.[7][8]

Two Twinkies, one of the possible origins for the term

Another possible origin of the term may be a derivation from the American snack cake Twinkie, commonly regarded as the quintessential junk food. The food is described as "little nutritional value, sweet to the taste, and creme-filled";[9][10][11] by comparison, the young men are described as "short, and blond, and full of creme",[10] with creme being a euphemism for semen.[10][12]

A

kink", although these specified traits are not universally accepted as either necessary or sufficient to classify an individual as a "twink".[13][14]

Usage

Grindr survey asking users what subculture they identify with
Grindr survey asking users what subculture they identify with prior to its update in 2017, using twink as an example

Popular culture

In his book Never Enough (2007), about a murder

ectomorph and with little or no body hair, often blond, often but not necessarily Caucasian."[16]

The term is often modified by various descriptors (e.g. femme twink, Euro twink, muscle twink) and is commonly used in the gay pornography industry.[3][17][18]

Essayist Zeb J. Tortorici notes that gay twink porn thrives on the production and performance of "consumable and visually/anally receptive masculinity."

subgenre in gay porn widely consumed across the globe.[20]

The term also serves to identify a

gay culture for which members of the community may self-identify, but their stable assurance mostly comes from acceptance by other members. The subculture, as examined now, serves as a purely physical marker for attributes any one person may hold and/or acquire, highly dependent on normative society's take on beauty standards as a whole and what the community puts forth and prescribes to.[21]

dating app for gay men, lists the term as one of many "tribes" for users to "identify themselves with a niche group and filter their search to help find their type of guy."[22]

Analysis

Susan Driver characterized the word twink as relying on "

racist tropes of youth and white desirability".[20][6] In regards to the concept, Driver describes it as "a young, white, and performed masculinity that can be fetishized, consumed, ... clearly coded in terms of race and age",[20] thus establishing the intersection for which race and age come together to create a hyper-sexualized denomination, often associated with sexual acts and the pornographic industry.[20]

Jones, Ciardha, and Elliott observed that the use of twink pornography—depicting men in their late teens or early 20s who are typically of slim build—was mentioned by some users that are "exclusively attracted to children" as a legal outlet for sexual release.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0789006367
    .
  2. ^ "The Four Young Murder Victims of Serial Killer Stephen Port". ITV News. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016.
  3. ^
    Pink News
    . Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  4. ISBN 0-8264-7343-1
    . Retrieved 4 December 2007.
  5. ^ Sunderland, Mitchell (25 February 2015). "It's Hard Out Here for a Twink". News. Vice. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  6. ^
    ISBN 9781134963652
    . Retrieved 27 August 2015 – via Archive.org.
  7. ^ "Twinkie". Oxford Dictionary. Oxford Press. Archived from the original on 10 January 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  8. ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary".
  9. ISBN 0-415-26180-5
    . Retrieved 10 July 2008 – via Google Books.
  10. ^
    ISBN 0-312-35427-4
    . Retrieved 4 December 2007 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Sagon, Candy (13 April 2005). "Twinkies, 75 Years And Counting". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  12. ISBN 978-1-900486-24-8
    . Retrieved 2 August 2013 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "Terms and Definitions". OSU Pride Center. Pride Panel. Oregon State University. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  14. ^ "Twink". The Free Dictionary. Acronyms. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  15. ^ SHACOCHIS, BOB (16 December 2007). "Sunday Book Review, Here Comes the Bride". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  16. ISBN 978-0-7432-9636-6
    . Retrieved 10 July 2008. McGinniss never enough twink.
  17. ISBN 978-0-307-59216-3
    .
  18. ISBN 9781409492627.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  19. ISBN 978-0-7914-7886-8
    . Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  20. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7914-7337-5
    .
  21. ^ Maki, Justin L. (2017). "Gay Subculture Identification: Training Counselors to Work With Gay Men". Ideas and Research You Can Use: VISTAS: 1–12 – via ACA Knowledge Center.
  22. ^ Grindr. "The New Grindr: Zero Feet Away". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  23. PMID 33084517
    .

Further reading

External links

  • The dictionary definition of Twink at Wiktionary
  • Media related to Twinks at Wikimedia Commons
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