Note the hair that distinguishes bears is not present. So while a bear might have a dad bod, and there’s nothing saying men with dad bods can’t be gay, not all bears are old enough or squishy enough to have a dad bod, and not all men with dad bods are the specific brand of gay hairy man we call a bear. Bears may be any age and any level of fitness, but must be gay, hairy, and masculine. The difference between an “average” man of any age and a bear is a combination of gayness, hairiness, and large structure to the body. Dad bods may have any amount of body hair, but tend fall in an age range of early 30′s to late 40′s, although some specific cases my happen early due to individual glandular processes.īears, as a culture, are dedicated to an ideal of masculinity that has it’s roots in a body that is hairy and physically dominant.
![bear gay definition bear gay definition](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/B1MuEgxHlwS._CLa|2140%2C2000|71oI3BVdctL.png)
The difference between an average man and a guy with a dad bod is the ability to use their bodies in the raising of children, from the aspects of cuddling the baby to the aspects of helping move the big-kid bed into the newly non-nursery. However, I posit that despite the shared emphasis on squish factor, the dad bod is more driven by functionality, whereas bear is more about identity and expression.ĭad bods specifically come from a mix of sedentary and active pursuits, as well as the natural settling of fat on the body as a man ages.
![bear gay definition bear gay definition](https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/t_share/MTc0OTkzNzA2NzM3OTM2MzUy/gay-men-are-you-a-jock-otter-bear-or-wolf.jpg)
Note the shared characteristic is large size than on non-bear or non-dad bod bodies. Jack Fritscher notes that bears celebrate “secondary sexual characteristics of the male: facial hair, body hair, proportional size, baldness”. “In male gay culture, a bear is often a larger or obese hairier man who projects an image of rugged masculinity.” Which is not to say a middle aged man who is both muscular and chubby can’t also be a bear, as Wikipedia provides this helpful definition: “ Dad bod is a slang term in popular culture referring to a body shape particular to middle-aged men.“
![bear gay definition bear gay definition](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b2/50/f5/b250f5ebd5ec0ae082535c0ee23595a5.jpg)
I disagree and would like to put forth a counter argument dad bod is different from although compatible with bear.