Elephantitis of my what?

Last night I was flipping channels, looking for mindless TV I could knit socks to, and noticed WE was showing the Breakfast Club. I expected some editing for content (it being WE and, you know, lame), but it seems that WE's (supposedly) strong, independent adult female audience had to be protected from the phrase "elephantitis of the nuts". The nice people at WE dubbed in "elephantitis of the butt" instead. That way their viewers wouldn't have to hear about anything icky, like testicles.

Apparently WE viewers can cope with the Breakfast Club's child abuse, bullying, divorce, etc. And even grossly deformed butts. But the word "nuts" would be too much gritty reality for those delicate flowers of womanhood.

I could go on (incessantly) about WE, but there's important knitting news. It's official - I'm done being second sock syndrome's bitch. I'm mid-way through the second sock leg and damn proud of myself for finally, finally knitting two socks in a row out of the same yarn.

Though when I proudly displayed the first sock to the boyfriend, he said "hm, kinda girly." The same sock displayed to a knitterly coworker today elicited "hm, it's kinda manly." The pattern is theoretically unisex, with a 2x2 rib cuff and plain stockinette leg and foot. Nothing fancy or lacy. The yarn is a wonderful soft fuzzy alpaca, slightly variegated in exactly the colors of pea soup, and I love it with a fiery passion.



So in the absence of actual knitted-on genitals, what makes this sock manly or girly?