if Estrogen is so bad, why does it direct fat towards feminine areas

[OrpingtonClose]

how does this reverberate with the regular horrible effects of the hormone

[mnemosyne]

Estrogen isn’t inherently bad. Need it at the right place, at the right time, in the right context.

[PissBoy]

Estrogen is only bad when there's a prolonged excess in relation to the protective hormones, this excess is easy to achieve. Give a man enough estrogenic compounds and he will grow boobs and get a caboose rivalling women.
Fat itself is a source of estrogen.

Estrogen shifts oxygen usage on a cellular level from glucose metabolism (high CO2 output) to fat metabolism (low CO2) which promotes water retention in cells, the water retention promotes cell divison.
Thus estrogen promotes tissue growth where it's present (like the breasts and thighs) and if it chronically outweighs anti-estrogenic compounds (progesterone) you may end up with cancerous growths.

[DukesBobby777]

Estrogen, in sufficient quantities, just puts the breaks on testosterone production (through negative feedback loop). That's what causes feminising effects. Its not the estrogen itself that feminises. Transexuals often use anti-androgen compounds (like spironolactone) for the feminising effects. I don't think increasing estrogen to very high levels even has the capacity to fully feminise a male if his androgen are still high enough. Many men have very high estrogen but still look like men.