Social networking with a side of beards and bacon

“So, how do you like my handpainted, monogrammed, vintage chalkboard window calendar? I got it off Pinterest,”—said no guy. Ever.

While Pinterest may not have a “No Boys Allowed” sign pinned to its home page, most men know better than to trespass the social networking site that—from its dainty cupcake recipes and wedding dresses to pretty jewelry boxes and crocheted hand muffs—has become a bit of a sorority. A recent study by Digital Marketing Ramblings found 80 percent of Pinterest users are women.

But pinboard fraternities have laid claim to Internet territory of their own.

In 2012, when Pinterest was the newest Internet sensation, a handful of smaller “Pinterest for men” sites began surfacing as the rougher sex fought back with websites catering to stereotypically male interests like cars, sports, tech toys, and bachelor living. The concept took off, and a few of the sites have grown significantly since their launch. They have names like Gentlemint and Dudepins and claim to target the male demographic in both content and ultimate “bro” hangouts where guys can share manly interests unique to them, minus the vanilla-scented candles.

Take Gentlemint, the site that offers “a mint of manly things.”

“Pinterest is for sharing everything under the sun, and at Gentlemint we’re just focused on ‘manly’ content,” Glen Stansberry, cofounder of Gentlemint, told The Daily Dot. “We don’t care who is using the site—men, women, aliens—we’re just interested in a subset of content.”

Founded in November 2011, Gentlemint started as a 12-hour hack day experiment and grew into a site where invited users can “tack” popular topics onto “collections” reminiscent of Pinterest’s boards. The site is essentially what you would get by grabbing Pinterest by its lacy shoulders, shaking it free of its adorable kittens, DIY crafts, and wedding dresses, and replacing it with images of bacon and barbeque, motorcycles and man caves.

Stansberry told The Daily Dot that Gentlemint stands out from other pinboard sites because of its stance on objectionable content. As a way of keeping the “gentleman” in Gentlemint, the site takes pride in its refusal to feature tacks that objectify women: “We wanted to build a site that made the Web a better place, and one that we could be proud of. Content that objectifies was never part of that equation.”

The founders of another popular “manterest” site, Dudepins, are equally quick to say they don’t allow nude photos or tolerate offensive content. While their site is subject to spam like any other content website, users who attempt to upload spam are banned promptly and permanently. The site features more fast cars, tailored suits, scotch, and all things manly. Its slogan: “Man up. Sign up. Post up.”

Dudepins CEO Kamil Szybalski told me the site has a very wide database of content, with some of its most popular posts including how-to handyman articles, drink recipes, and travel photography. The site also has a separate shop dedicated to helping users find the latest and greatest in manly gear.

But the idea behind the testosterone-laden, male-centric image bookmarking site is not without critics. Gawker’s Adrian Chen mocked the idea of “Pinterest for men” in an article suggesting men are threatened by the female-dominated site. “Why do we need these sad virtual man caves?” he wrote. “Get over yourselves, dudes. Maybe you’ll even learn a little about closet organizing.” Ricardo Poupada, co-founder of AskMen, warned the content on niche websites could perpetuate stereotypes about what men are interested in. Brandon Patchin, cofounder of another male social-bookmarking site called Manteresting, told CNN his team has been accused of being “homophobic or misogynistic or sexist.”

In response, the site owners and users just shrug their shoulders and tell everyone to chill out. Boys will be boys, after all. And if women can pin images of homemade hair ribbons without the world having a kerfuffle, then why can’t men post pictures of cheesy potatoes and Chuck Norris? When asked whether Dudepins has suffered any backlash, Szybalski could only think of one.

“Too much bacon,” he said. “Some people just can’t handle the manliness.”