The Evolution of Metro-Sexy Men (Cont.)

A topic that I have always found really fascinating is what I call "metrosexuality." In my previous blog I discussed what exactly a metrosexual man is, what they look like, and how gender roles may have changed in our society. But I am still interested in other aspects of this topic because for one, many people have a misconception of metrosexual men and two, for the simple fact that men give women a hard time for spending hours getting ready. So I decided to do a little more in-depth research and found some really insightful information about how metrosexuality is socially more acceptable today than ever and how men have evolved over the last twenty years or so. 

        I would like to start off by sharing with you this article Rise of the Metrosexual by Petter Gotting who wrote for the Australian newspaper known as The Age. Gotting begins his article with a quote from swimmer, Ian Thorpe discussing his sexuality and admitting that he was flattered that the gay community identified with him, but that he was a heterosexual man. It used to be that straight men got offended if someone thought they were gay because of the way they looked or acted, but now it seems like men are more accepting to these metrosexual tendencies that the insecurities of being compared to a gay man is slowly diminishing. 

        While reading Gotting's article I learned some interesting things about men. Like how some metrosexuals prefer going to a salon rather than a barber, or how some men avoid using soap because it is harsher on your skin. Although some men tend to have more metrosexual tendencies than others, I never really thought about the little details and changes these men might make, like switching to a salon instead of going to a barbershop. Thinking about it now, I can see how metrosexual men might prefer a salon where they can get an actual style whereas a barber deals with shorter haircuts. Gotting also explains that marketers have changed their campaign ads and clothing companies for men have expanded. Take Calvin Klein for example, their billboards are covered with half naked men modeling denim and underwear. When it comes to fashion, I've definitely noticed popular clothing stores that I even shop at begin to carry men's fashion lines such as, Forever 21 and H&M. 

        Another article I would like to mention is written by Mark Simpson called, So, Men are Obsessed With their Bodies. Is That So Bad? Simpson starts off by stating that he predicted this era of Metro men back in the 90's and that at first no one had believed this would happen. Surely enough there are more and more metrosexual guys today and I've even seen them at SFSU. He discusses how men are very obsessive when it comes to their bodies, going on strict diets, using laxatives, and taking protein supplements. What I liked about this article was that he incorporated statistics from a survey on men and their appearance. Even being a macho man you wouldn't think that they stress too much about their appearance however, Simpson provides a survey conducted by the YMCA suggesting that "a whopping 63% [of men] saying they thought their arms or chests were not muscular enough. And people never believe me when I tell them that while some women are size queens, all men are." Simpson makes a good point when he says that men are conscious about their body as much as women are with their jean size, except men on the other hand want to be "big" and muscular.


        So one might wondering how could this affect Women in today's society? Well a study done by Lynx deoderant suggests that out of 2800 women throughout 14 different countries, 80%  of women would rather have a man capable of being sensitive without losing their masculinity. In addition 65% of the women did not like the idea of seeing a man doll themselves up in a mirror. The remainder of the article discusses the study in depth about how women actually feel about metrosexual men (if you would like to read into it).
 But is there really a difference between metrosexual men and traditional men? The answer is yes. All these characteristics that define a metrosexual does change the idea of a traditional man. The time it takes them to get ready, their crave to go shopping, the obsessions over their physique, their diets, their social circles, it all plays a role on a metrosexual man while as traditional men don't really care that much about all these things.

        After reading these articles on metrosexuality, my perspective on metro men has changed. I once said that I wouldn't want a man to spend more time getting ready than me, and although that is true, I think that it's nice for a man to care about what they look like. Ultimately, guys like David Beckham that take pride in the way they look by going to the gym, shopping for nice clothes, smelling good, and having an actual hairstyle, are attractive men, and who wouldn't want to be around that! Even if it they aren't the best looking, their confidence makes up for it. I definitely believe that men can be metro and still be macho. There is nothing wrong with a man getting a spa treatment once in awhile and still being able to get his hands dirty. It all comes down to personal preference, and I think now society is becoming more accepting and not stereotyping these men. Going to school in San Francisco I feel like I see a lot of different styles and I've learned that someone's style can be an expression of who they are, I've learned that you can't judge someone based off the way they dress.