VP thinks I’m not masculine because of my coffee order.

Went out for a coffee with a VP at my bank. He offered to pay and asked what I wanted to order. Told him I wanted a vanilla latte after he ordered an espresso for himself. He shot me a look & smirked a bit which I thought was weird but didn’t think anything of it until we sat down. He mentioned that he didn’t think a vanilla latte was very “manly” and that “real men” drank real coffee (I guess Americano’s and espresso’s only?) He made some weird jokes during the catch up after and acted a bit off. Am I thinking too much or is this sort of thing normal? Edit: He asked if I worked out, told him yes and he was pretty surprised. Then asked if I wear Yoga pants to the gym because a vanilla latte was the typical “woman in yoga pants drink”.

43 Comments
 

Maybe if you ordered a cookies and cream frappuccino you might get some light-hearted poking... but who gives a shit about a vanilla latte?

His issue, your order is totally fine. Some people in IB have zero social skills.

Ordering a Frappucino is a power move

Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.
 
Synergy_or_Syzygy

Maybe if you ordered a cookies and cream frappuccino you might get some light-hearted poking... but who gives a shit about a vanilla latte?

His issue, your order is totally fine. Some people in IB have zero social skills.

Ordering a Quad Venti Frappucino is a power move

FTFY

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Controversial

god zoomers are the fucking worst

is it a normal thing to judge people for their order?

i dont know... is it a normal thing to be too autistic to understand and engage in banter?

The funny part of OPs post is not being able to handle a little ribbing is also a feminine trait, and getting upset / confused about it like he did only puts himself further into the 'non-masculine' hole. You dont want to be the guy everyone picks on, but you also dont want to be the guy that cant take a joke and is basically left out of other social bonding opportunities.

The issue wasnt your order OP, it was your response to it. 

 

MonkeyNoise

god zoomers are the fucking worst

Just wondering - are you atheist? Because funnily enough the people who call out God or JC usually are not believers, which I find ironic. It’s like your soul is crying out for God and you are completely unaware.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Yes, we judge people by what they order, how they deal with the waiter and whether they’ve got table manners.

 

Assert dominance. Claim territories in the office. Piss on his chair. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

It's funny because I had the complete opposite experience when I was a first year analyst. My VP was definitely one of the boys, but the first time that we went to Starbucks, this guy orders a vanilla latte with almond milk and like 20 more details and instructions. The guy's order was basically a full written paragraph. I just ordered a plain latte. I remember also thinking, "Wow, what's up with this guy?"

 
PEarbitrage

This totally happend guys. 

Yeah Totally GIF - Yeah Totally Ariel Mortman - Discover & Share GIFs

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I think the VP was trying to establish a level of fraternal/friendly rapport by teasing you (as a joke), about something that he might have seen as an easy target for poking fun/prodding; but nothing to be taken seriously.

His teasing (joking) fell flat, and so he tried again; and that too fell flat. I see it more as an awkward attempt to tease/joke, that continued to fall flat.

For example, when you ordered a Vanilla Latte, he could have joked something like "...are you sure you don't want extra soy, or pumpkin spice in that too?" as a way of teasing about manliness.

I know a lot of guys who tease like that, in a sort of playful prodding, to establish a friendly connection of fraternal rapport.

For example: Imagine if getting drinks, and everyone orders Scotch (neat, or rocks), and you order a sour apple martini. That might lead to some teasing, but it's all meant in a "bro" culture/fraternal context; and not really intended as anything negative.

I think the VP intended lighthearted teasing (as a joke), in a bro culture/fraternal context, and I wouldn't see it as anything more than that.

I know of an older CEO at another PE firm, who likes to tease the younger people around the office, about their coffee order -- it's like his method of locker room towel-snapping (e.g. on a sport team), and not to be taken seriously.

Investor (30+ years); IB/RE/PE/Corp (MD level); currently, head of boutique private equity firm; principal of family office.
 

This is for sure it. Basically a game of tennis and OP was unable to hit the ball back.

Hell, even flirting works this way. Dont take everything at face value

 

Respond back with wit, this was a great opportunity to show him how intelligent you are/he was testing you for sensitivity. You should’ve doubled down and said “how’d you know I got yoga pants the other day” and turned it into a joke. I personally would’ve found this hilarious.

get squiggy with it
 

I used to do this when Jewish extremists would bully me circa 2001-2008. It never worked. SO to my autistic Jewish bros though, eventually a fat dude from South Florida had my back even though his family were IF. Good man, wish I knew what happened (he moved to Canada and we all never heard from his family again).

f....fuck,man...
 

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