88/100 What’s Up with Those Fish Pictures
Dudes on Dating Apps
At this point, I’m confident it’s reached a level of a social phenomenon: too many dude’s on dating apps with fish pictures.
What is a fish picture?
It is a picture of a dude holding up the fish he ostensibly just caught. This is a well documented social moment, and if you’re new to hearing it, it’s worth a quick search. Not only is the internet littered with pictures of men with fish, but it’s also littered with questions about why they are doing it.
At this point in my returning to dating / getting settled / etc., I have been brought this question several, several times. “Trevor, what is the deal with these dudes, and fish?”
To the extent that I speak for all the dudes out here, let me just offer an idea.
First, some clarity: no dude (likely) is showing off their provider prowess. It isn’t a matter of food.
Instead, it is the only time that men take time to celebrate themselves. Masculinity today operates in a way that a man cannot invoke celebration for himself unless he has achieved something. Is almost always true. This fish photos will often be coupled with graduation photos or group photos of him and the boyz doing something (another faux pas in dating apps since no one can tell who you are and are not).
It really is this direct. And so, a dude will catch a fish and then, as if a sense of permission, will have what it takes to ask his probably other male friends to take a picture of him.
The reverse of this situation equally explains it: you will almost never (again, as far as masculinity today goes) hear a dude say, “I look awesome today. Can you take a picture of me?”
This will not happen for two reasons:
- It requires a more spontaneous self-love that is not encouraged in men
- It requires admitting that he needs help, no matter how small it is
Do with that as you will.
More soon,
Trevor