It's hard to be a man!
That was (and still is, I suppose) meant ironically. Just so we're clear.
So, before, I talked about what Mike and I think about metrosexuals. Or, at least, what a metrosexual is. In short, a queer straight guy. Read through my archives for more information.
But how did this man come about? Why is there this movement for men to get their backs waxed, or eyebrows plucked, or face moisturized? Why is there a greater men to look stylish? All right, maybe that's always been "required" of men. But in this greater context of metrosexuality, this need to look good is certainly compounded.
My own idea is that men have to re-adjust their approach to getting women these days, and that means going queer. To elaborate: for a long time, and some could argue still, despite any and all lip service to the contrary, women were still very much in a submissive role when it came to relationships. Women needed men, or so they were told. To this end, men did not have to take such great care and concern when attracting to women since, in some ways, it was a buyer's market. With the men doing the buying. Women needed men, so it's not like the men were that worried; men might ask, "why doll myself up, one them womens is gotta choose someone". To use the vernacular that Liz so disliked in Outlaw Cultures: Resisting Representations. But I'm not trying to endear the reader here, just make myself understood by him instead. Because most people can't understand proper english, after all.
Anyway, the man, for a long time, did not have to worry so much about getting a woman. Maybe not the perfect ideal woman, but in the end, women needed men, and men were happy to oblige.
And yet, women are starting to able to truly enjoy freedom and liberty, in a very socio-cultural way. No longer do women need men for monetary support; while there is still a double-standard in the workplace, the divide is much smaller. Women don't even need men for regular sex. Increasingly, the female pimp is becoming a familiar idea. I would point to Sex in the City, but I've never actually seen an episode. And if a woman doesn't need a man for money or for sex, than what does she need him for? Exactly.
So the modern male in the urban environment finds himself with the need to compete. Not so much against other guys, against whom he always competed. Rather, the modern man must compete against the woman's own disinterest. How does the man get noticed by the woman, how does he show off his plumage, so to speak?
-- Oh, on a side note, I was watching Mtv, and there was this 20 year old wearing jeans with that pre-faded look. You know how it is. But the particular pattern of pre-faded fade was on the back, and covered her ass and upper thighs. She was shown walking up the stairs, and there, staring back at the camera is a pair of tight jeans, with a large fade spot covering her entire genital region. It looked like those damn baboons whose genitals and ass region get inflamed and becomes a bright red color when they're in heat. That is clearly the look that these jeans are going for, even if they designers and wearers are unaware. It's crazy. What was that girl thinking? Probably nothing about baboons, I'l tell you what, and all's the pity for her. Not so much us watching, because maybe it was a little hot. But it's not about me, it's about her, and her faux-inflamed, I'm-in-heat ass. --
So, okay, male plumage. The man must get noticed. So what does he do? He copies what women do to get noticed - skin and facial treatments, clothing, etc. Hell, when women do that, guys notice, so why shouldn't it work the other way around? That's kind of how men think, I believe. And does it work?
Metrosexuality has really taken off, though of course with the subsequent backlash. Does this imply a success? Any girls I talk to about metrosexuals, though, find them to be... unattractive. The exact opposite of what men want to be hearing. My sample size is hardly scientifically sound, so I can't really take that much for granted. Instead, look at the continued popularity of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Clearly, there is a market for people who want to see men get metrosexualized.
I also wonder if there's a dominance/submissive relationship going on between men and women. It's as if women are now like, humiliate yourself by going through the beauty treatments that were so often considered feminine. The most successful metrosexual will do what he can to look good, but will still carry an air of extreme machismo and masculinity. And so it's as if women are daring men to walk that tight rope of skin treatments, waxing, self-tanning, expensive clothes, etc. while maintaining their balance with manliness. Women are putting men through their paces, and I have to believe that there is a degree of humiliation at play - as in, we suffered through this, so now you do, too. Certainly no different than what a man would have done to a woman back in the day. This is all on a very meta level, by the way.
Are women in charge of modern relationships? Are they able to set the agenda such that they will watch men put them through such feminine rigours? Who knows, really. For all of this attention, too, and the example of Queer Eye aside, how predominant are metrosexuals? Is that a craze that will take over? Maybe once it does, to the point where everyone is doing it, will a shift in gender equity be appreciable. But in the meantime, I will continue to fret that maybe I'm one of those pansy-ass metrosexuals. But as long as I keep my eyebrows natural, I really shouldn't worry too much. Not to mention eating rare, red meat and drinking beer. FROM THE BOTTLE, even!! No wussy glasses for me, not anymore...
-dan
email me
That was (and still is, I suppose) meant ironically. Just so we're clear.
So, before, I talked about what Mike and I think about metrosexuals. Or, at least, what a metrosexual is. In short, a queer straight guy. Read through my archives for more information.
But how did this man come about? Why is there this movement for men to get their backs waxed, or eyebrows plucked, or face moisturized? Why is there a greater men to look stylish? All right, maybe that's always been "required" of men. But in this greater context of metrosexuality, this need to look good is certainly compounded.
My own idea is that men have to re-adjust their approach to getting women these days, and that means going queer. To elaborate: for a long time, and some could argue still, despite any and all lip service to the contrary, women were still very much in a submissive role when it came to relationships. Women needed men, or so they were told. To this end, men did not have to take such great care and concern when attracting to women since, in some ways, it was a buyer's market. With the men doing the buying. Women needed men, so it's not like the men were that worried; men might ask, "why doll myself up, one them womens is gotta choose someone". To use the vernacular that Liz so disliked in Outlaw Cultures: Resisting Representations. But I'm not trying to endear the reader here, just make myself understood by him instead. Because most people can't understand proper english, after all.
Anyway, the man, for a long time, did not have to worry so much about getting a woman. Maybe not the perfect ideal woman, but in the end, women needed men, and men were happy to oblige.
And yet, women are starting to able to truly enjoy freedom and liberty, in a very socio-cultural way. No longer do women need men for monetary support; while there is still a double-standard in the workplace, the divide is much smaller. Women don't even need men for regular sex. Increasingly, the female pimp is becoming a familiar idea. I would point to Sex in the City, but I've never actually seen an episode. And if a woman doesn't need a man for money or for sex, than what does she need him for? Exactly.
So the modern male in the urban environment finds himself with the need to compete. Not so much against other guys, against whom he always competed. Rather, the modern man must compete against the woman's own disinterest. How does the man get noticed by the woman, how does he show off his plumage, so to speak?
-- Oh, on a side note, I was watching Mtv, and there was this 20 year old wearing jeans with that pre-faded look. You know how it is. But the particular pattern of pre-faded fade was on the back, and covered her ass and upper thighs. She was shown walking up the stairs, and there, staring back at the camera is a pair of tight jeans, with a large fade spot covering her entire genital region. It looked like those damn baboons whose genitals and ass region get inflamed and becomes a bright red color when they're in heat. That is clearly the look that these jeans are going for, even if they designers and wearers are unaware. It's crazy. What was that girl thinking? Probably nothing about baboons, I'l tell you what, and all's the pity for her. Not so much us watching, because maybe it was a little hot. But it's not about me, it's about her, and her faux-inflamed, I'm-in-heat ass. --
So, okay, male plumage. The man must get noticed. So what does he do? He copies what women do to get noticed - skin and facial treatments, clothing, etc. Hell, when women do that, guys notice, so why shouldn't it work the other way around? That's kind of how men think, I believe. And does it work?
Metrosexuality has really taken off, though of course with the subsequent backlash. Does this imply a success? Any girls I talk to about metrosexuals, though, find them to be... unattractive. The exact opposite of what men want to be hearing. My sample size is hardly scientifically sound, so I can't really take that much for granted. Instead, look at the continued popularity of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Clearly, there is a market for people who want to see men get metrosexualized.
I also wonder if there's a dominance/submissive relationship going on between men and women. It's as if women are now like, humiliate yourself by going through the beauty treatments that were so often considered feminine. The most successful metrosexual will do what he can to look good, but will still carry an air of extreme machismo and masculinity. And so it's as if women are daring men to walk that tight rope of skin treatments, waxing, self-tanning, expensive clothes, etc. while maintaining their balance with manliness. Women are putting men through their paces, and I have to believe that there is a degree of humiliation at play - as in, we suffered through this, so now you do, too. Certainly no different than what a man would have done to a woman back in the day. This is all on a very meta level, by the way.
Are women in charge of modern relationships? Are they able to set the agenda such that they will watch men put them through such feminine rigours? Who knows, really. For all of this attention, too, and the example of Queer Eye aside, how predominant are metrosexuals? Is that a craze that will take over? Maybe once it does, to the point where everyone is doing it, will a shift in gender equity be appreciable. But in the meantime, I will continue to fret that maybe I'm one of those pansy-ass metrosexuals. But as long as I keep my eyebrows natural, I really shouldn't worry too much. Not to mention eating rare, red meat and drinking beer. FROM THE BOTTLE, even!! No wussy glasses for me, not anymore...
-dan
email me
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