Freeza and his men all have stereotypically "gay" traits?

[Fizzer]

You know, I'm surprised nobody mentions the black speedos everyone was wearing in the Freeza arc. If anything screams "gay", it's that. And yeah, I know the Saiyan's were doing it first, but weren't they using Freeza's tech by the time we see them (like the scouters)?

I always thought "armour and underpants" was a bizarre design choice. It becomes even more noticeable when Freeza is fighting in his second and third forms... Wearing only said black underpants.

[Gaffer Tape]

I dunno. It always made sense to me. It reminded me of Spartans or other ancient warrior cultures.

[garnetjester]

Yeah, it didn't seem crazy to me either. Greeks used to wrestle in the nude if I remember correctly, allows for more freedom of movement (but at the same time it doesn't really protect the body)

[ABED]

Yeah, it didn't seem crazy to me either. Greeks used to wrestle in the nude if I remember correctly, allows for more freedom of movement (but at the same time it doesn't really protect the body)

Do their bodies need protection? What would provide protection from the level of attacks they face?

[garnetjester]

No, they don't, but Vegeta still tells Kuririn and Gohan that their armors block small hits, so they create them with durability in mind.

[ABED]

No, they don't, but Vegeta still tells Kuririn and Gohan that their armors block small hits, so they create them with durability in mind.

I know, but it doesn't provide much protection.

[Hades]

You might be reading too much into it. At most they're effete upperclass aristocrats that sit around admiring how great they are. Not necessarily feminine, but broadly flamboyant as the result of narcissism.

I get the feeling that Freeza and his men never really had to work at being powerful, many of them never actually had to train and suffer to get where they were, in opposition to Goku, a low-class Saiyan who had to sweat and grit his teeth to get where he is.

That and Zenkais are easily abused.

[ABED]

You might be reading too much into it. At most they're effete upperclass aristocrats that sit around admiring how great they are. Not necessarily feminine, but broadly flamboyant as the result of narcissism.

I get the feeling that Freeza and his men never really had to work at being powerful, many of them never actually had to train and suffer to get where they were, in opposition to Goku, a low-class Saiyan who had to sweat and grit his teeth to get where he is.

That and Zenkais are easily abused.

Zenkais would have to be abused considering how insanely powerful Freeza was in relation to everyone else, especially at the start of the arc.

[Snail]

I presume the whole androgynous approach to their design is to imply that they are 'alien'. Transvestites, transsexuals, and those of the androgynous nature are still considered to be taboo in some cultures. It is an uncommon way of life and foreign.

That's my take on it.

[Valerius Dover]

Since when has the dislike of getting wet been a gay trait? Don't most people in general dislike getting wet?

[Fizzer]

Since when has the dislike of getting wet been a gay trait? Don't most people in general dislike getting wet?

I think that's emphasised in stereotypical ideas of gay men, even if it does apply to just about everyone at a lesser level.

[UpFromTheSkies]

Spoiler:

[garnetjester]

Whis is specifically stated to be a modeled as the Bishonen archetype, so I'm unsure about whether we should include him in the list. And that Mr. Satan student was an anime only character.

The thing that made me as a kid think that Zarbon might be gay wasn't that he disliked getting wet, but how much he seemed to really hate becoming ugly to fight Vegeta. But then there's a panel in the manga about Vegeta not wanting to turn Ozaru because it would ruin his beautiful face or something IIRC, so I was wrong, they're just narcissists.

[Logan]

Freeza and company are all foppish, aristocratic types. Even Freeza's condescending tone of voice oozes an upper-crust sense of superiority. So it makes sense that Toriyama would use that caricature for Freeza and his inner circle.

[Dogasu]

I don't think Toriyama is aware of the "fruity" word, because it might be a western thing.

Yeah, "fruity" is a Western-only thing.

If you call a Japanese person a "fruit" they'll have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Not that I'm condoning you doing that in the first place, of course.

[some_weirdGuy]

You seem to be really touchy about this, and it seems like you believe I'm disgusted by the idea that he would have a transgender character. I made no comment about transgenders being or not being gay. That wasn't my issue. I was merely disagreeing that I don't think it's at all a "theme" (you use theme, but I'm not sure that's the exact word you want to use in this context) in DBZ. I don't see how, nor do I see how it's "obvious". It's not obvious, nor was Popo for that matter. It's only obvious once you know the reference which isn't that well known theses days. You can be flamboyant and have stereotypically effeminate characteristics and be male.

I apologise if I came across a little harshly, I've seen you being derisive to people in the past and your appearance was a real 'speak of the devil' moment, as if directly on queue you came in to prove my point about people (perplexingly) needing to draw that 'line in the sand' and act like there is no transgender motif present in these three characters designs. Maybe you might understand my confusion more if we put it this way: If you aren't being bigoted, then why are you treating 'gay' like it's toxic? It's like denying the aquatic theme some of frieza's other soldiers have and saying 'nah, they have gills and octopus-like heads, but Appule's race definitely does not have an aquatic themed design'... what reason is there to create that line?

Strange thing is, I'm not associated with transgenderism myself, yet it still thoroughly irks me to see, I guess also cause it's a misinformed self-contradiction.
For example your last comment there demonstrates you're confusing what transgenderism is. No one said Zarbon, Dodoria or Frieza weren't male, or that they don't identify as male. (and that has little baring on the characteristics of their design having, as the OP put it, 'stereotypically "gay" traits', by which they mean typically-associated non-masculine characteristics.)

The thematic motif of their designs utilises stereotypically feminine(or non-masculine) traits for masculine characters, that is transgenderism.

((Side question: What is incorrect with the use of the word theme? it is a thematic element of their design in the same way a number of frieza's other soldiers have an aquatic theme to their designs. Perhaps there has been a misunderstanding?))

[ABED]

You seem to be really touchy about this, and it seems like you believe I'm disgusted by the idea that he would have a transgender character. I made no comment about transgenders being or not being gay. That wasn't my issue. I was merely disagreeing that I don't think it's at all a "theme" (you use theme, but I'm not sure that's the exact word you want to use in this context) in DBZ. I don't see how, nor do I see how it's "obvious". It's not obvious, nor was Popo for that matter. It's only obvious once you know the reference which isn't that well known theses days. You can be flamboyant and have stereotypically effeminate characteristics and be male.

I apologise if I came across a little harshly, I've seen you being derisive to people in the past and your appearance was a real 'speak of the devil' moment, as if directly on queue you came in to prove my point about people (perplexingly) needing to draw that 'line in the sand' and act like there is no transgender motif present in these three characters designs. Maybe you might understand my confusion more if we put it this way: If you aren't being bigoted, then why are you treating 'gay' like it's toxic? It's like denying the aquatic theme some of Freeza's other soldiers have and saying 'nah, they have gills and octopus-like heads, but Appule's race definitely does not have an aquatic themed design'... what reason is there to create that line?

Strange thing is, I'm not associated with transgenderism myself, yet it still thoroughly irks me to see, I guess also cause it's a misinformed self-contradiction.
For example your last comment there demonstrates you're confusing what transgenderism is. No one said Zarbon, Dodoria or Freeza weren't male, or that they don't identify as male. (and that has little baring on the characteristics of their design having, as the OP put it, 'stereotypically "gay" traits', by which they mean typically-associated non-masculine characteristics.)

The thematic motif of their designs utilises stereotypically feminine(or non-masculine) traits for masculine characters, that is transgenderism.

((Side question: What is incorrect with the use of the word theme? it is a thematic element of their design in the same way a number of Freeza's other soldiers have an aquatic theme to their designs. Perhaps there has been a misunderstanding?))

When I think of theme, I think of the word in regard to storytelling.

This has nothing to do with drawing some imaginary line in the sand, it's that you got all up in arms and essentially labeled me as a bigot because I disagreed that I don't think there's a transgender theme running through the series. Instead of trying to get to the root of the issue and figure out if there was a misunderstanding on my part, you jumped to an erroneous conclusion. All too often, I see people get up in arms over issues such as this for no other reason than they want to. Feminists will find ANYTHING to complain about. For instance, take Shailene Woodley's inclusion in the Amazing Spider-Man 2. They had every right to be upset with the nasty comments people were throwing at her about how she looked (e.g. "she's ugly", "she's no model", "she's not hot enough"). However, when MJ was cut from the film for time, they also got upset because "women can be in the film without it being about romance." I know this seems like it's off topic, but I'm merely making a point that some people get unnecessarily upset because they want to be "rightfully indignant".

You claim it's clear as day that they are there, but it's not. Maybe when you know what to look for, then perhaps. But please don't say it's obvious. At worst, I and others are ignorant as to what the definition of "transgenderism" is. If it's as you say, then I agree, they have some stereotypically feminine traits.

[VegettoEX]

Feminists will find ANYTHING to complain about.

Whoa, whoa, WHOA.

You are not helping your case in any way here.

Whatever valid points and solid reasoning you just had completely flew out the window. That's an end to THAT right there.

[dan2026]

Zarbon is clearly a slight parody of the overly effeminate pretty boy anime trope, that is seen in many, many series'.
There is nothing really gay about him, he is just the 'handsome man' stereotype.

As for Freeza, I can't even see that. Just because he is polite and (usually) soft spoken, doesn't really infer anything gay. Nor does Nakao's portrayal really land anything to support it.

[Fizzer]

Feminists will find ANYTHING to complain about

While that doesn't particularly add anything here, switch "feminists" for "certain sub-groups of feminism" (becausenthere are many completely separate groups with different agendas using the same name) and it becomes true and inoffensive, because that's literally their intention.