What's the deal with blokes using female avatars?

[R0binHood]

I mean really? Why?

It happens so often, I click on a users smokin' hot avatar only to find out that they're some OAP bloke or 12 year old kid after checking their post history.

It makes no sense. An avatar is supposed to be a representation of yourself. You're not supposed to put your girlfriend/wife/fantasy/favourite YouPorn star up there.

I mean, it's not like I'm lurking in forums trying to pick up chicks, but it's just weird when I'm reading a thread and I want to find out more about the user, after a particularly enticing post, I see they have this sexy girl avatar and then find out it's nothing to do with them.

Anyway, weird rant over. As you were.

*opens up phone, swipe....swipe....swipe....*

 

[Pete]

An avatar is supposed to be a representation of yourself.

Is it? So you're a guy in your forties, with stubble, an ill fitting suit that smokes?

Me, no, I'm not a puppet that lives in a showbiz trash bin, but I'm definitely pretty grouchy, hahah.

 

[TrixieTang]

 

[R0binHood]

Is it? So you're a guy in your forties, with stubble, an ill fitting suit that smokes?

Me, no, I'm not a puppet that lives in a showbiz trash bin, but I'm definitely pretty grouchy, hahah.

Yes! Exactly!

I'm not actually a guy in my forties, from the forties, who chain smokes all day long. But I love the style of the artist that painted the original painting and I feel it portrays a certain part of my personality, even if it's only a tiny part of it in reality.

Your avatar is perfect though, you completely live up to my expectation of a grumpy old bastard that lives in a trashcan, I love it! But it means I can half expect it when I read your posts, so I perceive them differently.

I give you more leeway when I read them, I don't get as worked up because I remember, oh yeah, he's a grumpy old ****er that lives in a bin, he's bound to say that, I'll just let him carry on and rant and leave him to it

 

[/dev/urandon]

For me it's the same reason I always play the chibi/loli in fighting games. I just think they're cute. Plus, in fighting games it's fun to make people rage because typically such characters are the weakest.

 

[zappaDPJ]

I guess I should come clean and admit I'm now a lot older than my avatar looks. My lightning bolts certainly are not as perky

 

[/dev/urandon]

I guess I should come clean and admit I'm now a lot older than my avatar looks. My lightning bolts certainly are not as perky

I'm feeling a bit old myself. Realized the other day that my vB.org account is older than I was in age when I registered. Where the hell does the time go.

 

[fixer]

im the exact age of my avatar

 

[MarkFL]

I'm not Canadian.

 

[Matthew S]

I guess I should come clean and admit I'm now a lot older than my avatar looks. My lightning bolts certainly are not as perky

My rocket still gets up ok.

 

[KimmiKat]

And I need a rebuild. My rods are getting rusty!

 

[doubt]

An avatar is supposed to be a representation of yourself.

Yes.
No!
Maybe?

 

[fixer]

Dayum... any hints on how to live to be 166?

the age of the doc during the events of tombstone

 

[ToyBoxOrphan]

My avatar here is a picture of myself that my husband took to sell the knitting pattern of the cowl I'm wearing. That's not typical of me though. On my own forum is a picture of Sebastian Stan as Bucky from Captain America Winter Soldier. Why? Because I really like Bucky. I'm not actually some brainwashed, cyborged guy whose spent the last several decades on ice, only woken up occasionally to kill for the Soviet Union, but I do think the things I like are at least somewhat representative of my personality. I doubt very much anyone would know more about me by looking at my real picture than a picture of Bucky. If I hadn't told you that I'm a knitwear designer just now, you'd just assume I wear cowls and like purple and one of those things isn't even true.

 

[we_are_borg]

In games i always have a female avatar not going to look at a guys ass.

 

[Nev_Dull]

Mine is pretty accurate. I lack depth.

 

[cheat_master30]

As for myself, I just pick random gaming related pictures as avatars, and make sure to keep them different between sites. Why? Eh, apparently people learn to associate names with pictures, so it's funny throwing them off.

Still, if you're wondering about the question, it's probably either:

1. They just like the female character or woman in their avatar. I mean, if you're a fan of a character (or celebrity), why shouldn't you use their picture as an avatar?

2. As mentioned, they prefer looking at a female character to a male one.

3. It gets them more attention. On a site with a lot of male members, even appearing to be female can be a quick way to get people's attention, which is good for those always wanting to be in the limelight.

Either way, it doesn't usually mean they're pretending to be female, and avatars (while usually representative of the individual using them) are not meant to be their personal profile picture.

 

[KimmiKat]

Especially in some where the devs make the female toons look pretty good. When I used to play one game, my main toon was a male one, but made a female one as a buffing toon which was usually parked near a teleport npc.

In games i always have a female avatar not going to look at a guys ass.

 

[Paul M]

I'm not a Cat ... No .. Seriously, I'm not.

 

[Kevin]

I mean really? Why?

But I love the style of the artist that painted the original painting and I feel it portrays a certain part of my personality, even if it's only a tiny part of it in reality.

Seems like you sorta' found the answer on your own.


(And, yes, that is me in my avatar and is the one I use on all of the handful of forums that I still frequent on a regular basis. As each year rolls by I am indeed starting to resemble a large ukulele playing pineapple wearing shorts. )