I’m surprised by your surprise. Has “gal” been placed on the List of Forbidden Words since I received my last issue? What would would you suggest as the female equivalent of “guy”?
Guy.
Gal tends to make people sound patronizing and like they stepped out of a bad western.
The actual headline of the linked article is “Gal finds success as a male model”. It’s not astro’s invention.
I think she can pass for male much better when viewed from the side. Looking at her straight on it’s obvious that she’s female (although I already knew, so it’s tough to say whether I would’ve figured it out otherwise).
So, “Guy finds success as a male model” would have been just as descriptive in this case?
I don’t know why you think a gender-neutral term would be more descriptive than a gendered term and I don’t know why you think I was suggesting guy as a replacement for gal. The headline should read “woman finds success as a male model”.
I don’t think I would have looked twice at her if she had been presented as a male model instead of as a female male model.
Please, let’s not be louts. It’s “womyn.”
I was thinking Leonardo DiCaprio, or that guy on Dancing with the Stars who looks just like Leonardo DiCaprio.
It’s a tabloid headline. They still use words like “gal,” “hubby,” and “Pippa.”
I recall reading an article a decade ago, no idea where, about how modeling jobs for some male body types are mostly filled by women. That same article also mentioned how small men occasionally get gigs for modeling preteen girls’ clothing.
Maybe this exchange…
Vinyl Turnip: “What would would you suggest as the female equivalent of “guy”?”
Inner Stickler: “Guy.”
I don’t think a gender neutral term would have been more descriptive… that was my point.
Besides… maybe the editor told the headline writer he had to trim two letters so he didn’t have room for woman. 
There’s a difference that’s very clear to me but apparently not to you. I agree that “guy finds success as a male model” does not work but I don’t buy into your false dichotomy that because guy wouldn’t work gal is necessarily called for.
(Scratches head)… Ummm… apparently I do understand, which is why I responded to you that Guy is not a valid replacement for Gal (which you posted was a valid replacement for the female form of guy).
Good, because that was the entirety of my argument
I never said as much. Woman would have been a valid replacement for Gal. Guy on the other hand does not work as a replacement in this case (as you stated it would above).
I’m not even dipping my toe into the argument about if Gal is a taboo or offensive term.
She just looks like a hot lesbian to me.
Not forbidden - just old-fashioned.