#Princeso

About

#Princeso is a Spanish-language hashtag, used on twitter and Instagram, that jokingly refers to men who behave in a feminine manner, similar to the English term “queen”. The term is also frequently used in Spanish-language Facebook groups.

The term itself is a play on words; it is a masculinized form of ‘princesa’, but is not the equivalent of ‘prince’ (príncipe). Princesos are often depicted as being feminine, or otherwise contrary to the stereotype of a ‘macho’ man. They often are depicted as being vain, egotistical, tempermental, and obnoxious.^[1][2]

Origin

Currently researching

The origin of the term ‘princeso’ is difficult to pinpoint, but it may have started as a corruption of the archetypical princess figure, as often promulgated by Disney^[1] The omnipresence of the princess as the ultimate female role model for girls, as well as the predominance of the ‘macho man’ as the boys’ equivalent, have defined gender roles for decades, and those who do not conform to one may be labelled as the other. ‘Princeso’ is a Spanish example of this; an equivalent term for women is ‘príncipa’, but this is less frequently used.

Spread

The #princeso hashtag began to gain popularity on twitter in 2013.^[3] Similar trends have been observed on other social media sites, like Facebook, Instagram^[4], and tumblr^[5].

Search Interest

Search interest in “princeso” has been climbing rapidly, starting in April 2013.

External References