I created this page to give my opinion to whomever wants to read it. I am not a writer of any kind, but I am opinionated and sometimes I feel like I have to get some things off my chest. This is not going to a page where I vent about the problems in my life, but rather a page where I can express my opinion about various issues.
Issue #1:
Click the above link to read the article.
After reading this article, I could not sit here and say to myself, "that was an informative article that was not full of large, gaping holes." I had to give my opinion about it. This is my first editorial reply. I will write more when the mood strikes me. The first thing that I noticed about the article was the repeatedly emphasized point that these are heterosexual men. Before I go any further, let me give the following disclaimer:
I am heterosexual, but I am NOT homophobic. I do NOT hate homosexual people. I know a handful of homosexual people, and I like them for whom they are; NOT for what sex their partner is. I repeat, I do NOT hate homosexuals. If you are looking for someone to bash them, then you are at the wrong place. I will not now, nor ever bash homosexual people.
With that said, most of these so called "metrosexual" men are really just closet gay/bisexual men. Real men do not have his "nails buffed to the perfect shine" or have makeup in their bathroom, unless of course it is his girlfriend's or wife's. Real men do not get facials or pedicures. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule. Actors, some politicians, and other men in the public eye get these things done to look younger or better. They do these things, not because they like it, but because it is necessary to get a part in a movie, get elected, or keep their job as a reporter, anchor, or even game show host. The article says that, "43% of men are dissatisfied with their overall appearance, and 63% are unhappy with their abdomen in particular." That is completely irrelevant. Being unhappy with your appearance does not mean you are a "metrosexual." It just means you are unhappy with your appearance. Everyone has something they do not like about their appearance. They could be overweight, have a large (insert body part here; nose, ears, etc.), or have a birthmark in a bad location. Desiring to get rid of these things is for self improvement, but not fashion. Being fashionable is what being a "metrosexual" man seems to be. Real men do not desire to be fashionable. They only desire to look good for women. I am not saying gay men are not real men, but the article defines "metrosexual" as being straight. Women are getting tired of the slobs and are looking for better dressed men, but if men had their way, we would wear whatever feels comfortable. Comfortable could be anything from a suit to sweats. What it looks like is secondary. Fashion is nothing real men are concerned with, but they may buy certain products to look fashionable. These products are usually, but not limited to, nice clothes, cologne, or a watch. Real men can buy moisturizers and hair care products, but they would never admit to it. They would hide it like they hid their best porn from their mothers. A real man is tough and rugged, but also sensitive at appropriate times. Real men have a soft, sensitive side, but they never show it publicly. The only person who would ever see this side is his girlfriend/wife, and/or children.
The men that the article labeled as "metrosexual" men are not "metrosexual." Johnny Depp was listed because he wore makeup in his latest movie, Pirate Of The Caribbean. Everyone wears makeup when they are in a movie or on television. It is there to reduce glare or get a desired look by the director. Actors do not wear makeup because they like it. Brad Pitt and George Clooney were also put into the category of "metrosexual." For the same reason as Johnny Depp, they are not. They wore makeup in their shows to get a desired look, not for pleasure or to look fashionable. Bill Clinton was put in this category because he, "conveys a personal concern for body image, and is a publicly sensitive guy who wears his feelings on his sleeve." He is a politician. Of course he is concerned about his body image. I do not know of anyone ever getting elected in America that looked like a slob. Politicians have to look good and they have to be publicly sensitive to get votes. If they appear unsympathetic, then why would people vote for them. They would not show any sympathy to whatever cause they may have, be it better wages, medicare reform, or the environment. British soccer player David Beckham was also put in this category. I do not know anything about him, so I will only say that I highly doubt he is a "metrosexual." Notice all of the men listed are in the public eye and have a valid reason for looking good. They more than likely would not be as fashionable if they did not have to be.
Cosmetic surgery was even listed as a possible qualifier for being "metrosexual." Real men get cosmetic surgery as a last resort, if they get it at all. Again, there are exceptions to this rule. Men who were disfigured in an accident, have life threatening obesity, or are in the public eye and have to look good to get or keep a job. The article says that, "the number of lip augmentation procedures in men in the U.S. increased by a startling 421% from 2001 to 2002." It fails to mention how many men that is. So if 100 men had the procedure done in 2001, then 421 had it done in 2002. There are roughly 59,112,000 men in the United States that are 20 years old or older, according to the 2001 census. That would mean only about 0.000007% of the men who are at least 20 years old in the United States had the procedure, if 421 people had it done in 2002. I am using 20 years old for two reasons. One is I highly doubt any male under 20 is getting this type of plastic surgery done. The other reason is to further emphasize my point that this is hardly the trend the article suggests it is. If I were to use the number of all males in the United States, which is 139,813,000, then only about 0.000003% of all males in the Unites States would have had the procedure done in 2002. The statistic they give is useless to prove their point.
Men who are as concerned with fashion as the article says, fit the stereotypical mold of a gay man. That does not necessarily mean they are gay, but it definitely does not warrant a new term to refer to the more than likely closet gay/bisexual men. Just because they said they are heterosexual does not make it true. They may not be ready to admit to the world they are homosexual despite all the stereotypical homosexual tendencies, which is why I keep referring to these people as closet homosexuals. I refuse to use the term "metrosexual" to refer to anyone, closet gay man or not. It does not define anything except being man that has an unmanly high sense of fashion and/or is a closet homo- or bisexual. This is one of the most ridiculous and poorly supported articles I have read in a long time. There is no reason to have this new term, and the article does not bother give one, so why should anyone use it? Its very qualifications for being a "metrosexual" are faulty, and I pray it never becomes a used term. If the article is trying to get me and other readers like me to start using the word "metrosexual," it has failed miserably.
The Article:
Metrosexuals: It's a Guy Thing!
An emerging breed of man, the metrosexual, shows his soft, sensitive, feminine side.
By Richard Trubo
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Monday, July 28, 2003
WebMD Feature
There, deep in the hair-care aisle, carefully selecting the product du jour, or in the salon having his nails buffed to the perfect shine while checking out the latest fashion magazines -- it's not a bird, not a gay man, it's a metrosexual!
And judging by the popularity of the new TV program Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, many more once slovenly men want to join the ranks of this new breed of Renaissance man.
Not yet familiar with the new buzzword, "metrosexual"? Some social observers and product marketers believe it's just a matter of time until "metrosexual" becomes part of your vocabulary -- and perhaps a description of your own lifestyle as well.
So what makes a metrosexual man? He's been defined as a straight, sensitive, well-educated, urban dweller who is in touch with his feminine side. He may have a standing appointment for a weekly manicure, and he probably has his hair cared for by a stylist rather than a barber. He loves to shop, he may wear jewelry, and his bathroom counter is most likely filled with male-targeted grooming products, including moisturizers (and perhaps even a little makeup). He may work on his physique at a fitness club (not a gym) and his appearance probably gets him lots of attention -- and he's delighted by every stare.
Blurring Gender Lines
Curiosity about metrosexuals climbed considerably in June when Euro RSCG Worldwide, a marketing communications agency based in New York City and more than 200 other cities, explored the changing face of American males in a report titled The Future of Men: USA. As part of this research, men ages 21 to 48 throughout the U.S. were surveyed on masculinity-related issues. The conclusions? According to the report, there is "an emerging wave of men who chafe against the restrictions" of traditional male roles and who "do what they want, buy what they want, enjoy what they want - regardless of whether some people might consider these things unmanly."
The metrosexual male is more sensitive and in some ways more effeminate than his father probably was, says Schuyler Brown, one of the architects of the study and associate director of strategic trendspotting and research at Euro RSCG Worldwide. Metrosexuals are willing to push traditional gender boundaries that define what's male and what's female, she adds, but they never feel that they are anything but "real men." Yes, a little primping and pampering were once considered solely female indulgences, but they are becoming much more permissible for men, too.
Metrosexual men "are very secure in their sexuality," says Brown. "They're comfortable getting a facial or a pedicure. It doesn't make them feel any less masculine or any less heterosexual."
The Future of Men report noted, "One of the telltale signs of metrosexuals is their willingness to indulge themselves, whether by springing for a Prada suit or spending a couple of hours at a spa to get a massage and facial." They might devote an afternoon to choosing their ultrafashionable attire for the night. They may don an apron and prepare a mean and meatless pasta dish for friends.
Beyond Testosterone
So what's prompting men to think outside the box of male stereotypes? They might be influenced by a new breed of male-oriented magazines such as FHM and Maxim, which are devoting an increasing number of their pages to fashion. These popular magazines are encouraging men to dress to the nines and fall into line with media images of men with washboard abs and bulging biceps.
Members of the homosexual community also appear to have influenced their straight brethren. Even though metrosexual men are absolutely heterosexual, the gay movement has helped society as a whole accept so-called effeminate characteristics and lifestyles. "As a society, we're more comfortable with homosexuality today," says Brown. "It's no longer taboo, it's portrayed on prime-time TV, and heterosexual men have become more comfortable with the gay culture."
Ironically, if one of the metrosexual's goals is to transform himself into a "chick magnet," some of his efforts -- particularly those spent pumping iron in the local fitness facility -- might be misplaced. Some research suggests that his straining and sweating to inflate the size of his muscles may not be as interesting to women as he might think. According to Roberto Olivardia, PhD, co-author of The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Obsession, the average male thinks that women are attracted to men who are 15 to 20 pounds more muscular than what women actually find attractive.
Coming to Your Neighborhood
Who are examples of prominent metrosexual men? Brown points to the flamboyant, makeup-wearing Johnny Depp ala Pirates of the Caribbean at one end of the metrosexual continuum and Bill Clinton at the other. The former president, she says, "conveys a personal concern for body image, and is a publicly sensitive guy who wears his feelings on his sleeve." The list of metrosexual-style celebrities includes Brad Pitt and George Clooney. British soccer star David Beckham (whose wife is Victoria Adams - a.k.a. Posh Spice) may be the quintessential metrosexual icon, sometimes attired in a sarong and embellishing his nails with colorful polish.
While you're most likely to find metrosexual men in big cities, particularly media centers such as New York and Los Angeles, they are certainly not confined there. "Because of Hollywood and the fact that many of the male glitterati exhibit metrosexual qualities, you can see the imitation and the experimentation among men in many smaller cities as well," says Brown.
Yet facial plastic surgeons such as Seth M. Goldberg, MD, whose patients in his Rockville, MD, office include politicians, lobbyists, and attorneys in the Washington, D.C., area, question whether the label "metrosexual" is one that is really catching on in the nation's capital. At the same time, however, he notes that "in the last few years there has been a tripling of the number of men who are coming into my office for cosmetic surgery or office-based cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections. A generation ago, we wouldn't have seen any of these men in our office."
Olivardia points to a Psychology Today survey showing that 43% of men are dissatisfied with their overall appearance, and 63% are unhappy with their abdomen in particular. So they might seek out the services of a cosmetic surgeon for some major or minor retrofitting. Abdominal liposuction to wipe out love handles is particularly popular. The number of lip augmentation procedures in men in the U.S. increased by a startling 421% from 2001 to 2002, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
"It's definitely more acceptable for men to undergo these procedures than it once was," says Olivardia, clinical instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. "Even so, there are still many men who won't tell anyone they've done it; they won't volunteer that information."
Goldberg says that when men opt for cosmetic surgery, it's often the last step in their personal campaign to improve their appearance. They tend to be well dressed and well groomed, and then thanks to their affluence, can afford to move on to plastic surgery -- for example, eyelid procedures, chin augmentation, or laser skin resurfacing.
But can a metrosexual's preoccupation with his physical appearance be carried to extremes? Olivardia says that if your preoccupation with maximizing your looks is interfering with your relationships, your job, or your schoolwork, perhaps you should talk to a therapist and work on creating a healthier balance and a more sensible approach to your physical exterior.
Published July 28, 2003.
SOURCES: American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Alexandria, Va. Schuyler Brown, associate director, Strategic Trendspotting and Research, Euro RSCG Worldwide, New York. Roberto Olivardia, PhD, clinical instructor of psychology, Harvard Medical School, Boston. Seth M. Goldberg, MD, facial plastic surgeon, Rockville, Md.
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