Animals Crackers and Terms of Endearment

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Where do people come up with pet names for each other? I often wondered why there were animal pet names between me and some of the men I've dated before. Instead of "sweetie" or "baby," I get "piggie" (named for my ferocious appetite), "little bear" (because I was petite compared to the man I dated), or something furry and cuddly of that sort. So far none of the animal pet names I've been called have overlapped (thank goodness). I have not dated enough men to say that I've been called every single animal species on Noah's Ark. Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining here... I think it's adorable, amazing even, that grown men are comfortable enough with me to refer to me as some cute pet. It's flattering, but at the same time it makes me wonder whether these men consider me as an actual woman instead of an adorable human pet. Not like I'll ever be as poised and gorgeous as Audrey Hepburn, but it's a similar feeling to how Audrey struggled with being seen as an adorable, classy creature that she found it hard to convince others that she actually had sex appeal. It's so easy to be typecast because of your body type or outer appearance. I'm a tiny Asian woman with bangs - so of course, off the bat, I'd be typecast as some cute little Asian. In fact, when I didn't have bangs two years back, French men in Cannes still assumed I was Japanese (I can hear their voices hollering "konichiwa" now). I suppose my lingering question throughout this week is, what compels men to suddenly call you by an animal pet name? Is it merely flirtation with some reference to the zoo or a pet store? It's like some men can't afford pets and so you're it, you're their pet... for now.