Times are certainly changing for society in general. Very likely you will not find the changes felt more strongly than among the younger generation of men striving to realize their identities.
For decades, the epitome of masculinity was restraint and simplicity. Back then it was the man's job to earn the money, and the woman's job to spend it. For the most part men were not the ones to go shopping unless it was absolutely necessary and appropriate grooming for men was made up of taking a shower, combing his hair, brushing his teeth, and possibly shaving. When going out men were expected to be presentable and clean, however they were not expected to put in a great deal of time or thought into their appearances.
Fast forward to the present, young men face a similar confusing assortment of choices as well as responsibilities just like their female counterparts. The television program Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was in reality coined a lot earlier, in a 1994 news paper article.
Now we have the latest coined term; Metrosexual. Very frequently, Metrosexuals are described as heterosexual men who embrace their feminine inclinations. Whether this reflects the actual state of the term, the stereotype of the gay man involves immaculate taste in everything from shoes and clothes to literature and art. Hence, a straight man that displays similar tastes is said to be embracing his feminine side.
Metrosexual Evolution
In fact, Metrosexual is not a new concept at all. Many generations ago, a large subset of male society was impeccably dressed and to a greater extent a connoisseur of exquisite culture. This subset was made up of the wealthy, whose station in life called for rigorous adherence to the elaborate etiquette of the time. It was only the rich who had both the additional income as well as the time to devote themselves to the finer things in life. The Great Gatsby era so to speak.
The idea of the male as self-sacrificing benefactor is in reality comparatively new, at least among the middle and upper classes of society. Only with the drop in large estates that were full of servants, and the ensuing lack of free time, did the rules concerning etiquette, proper dress, and cultural pursuits start to relax. Society changed in a dramatic way during those years as well, with the wartime work ethic of World War II contributing to the counterculture revolution of the 1960s era, and then followed by the 1970’s counter culture era.
I have often wondered why it is that men universally prefer a more feminine woman whereas the opposite (or rather the same while we would expect the opposite) is true of women - they prefer a more feminine man rather than a more masculine one. To our modern sensibilities, that seems archaic, ignorant and unenlightened.
But can I define who is a metrosexual? It’s a question I’ve given thought to for as long as people have tried to convince me that pink is indeed my color. Contrary to common clichés my disregard isn’t a matter of discomfort with my sexuality. My Oyster card simply doesn’t cover the bandwagon.
A broad misconception of the metrosexual is that he is the grey area between the hetero and homosexual male; I find this reasoning unfounded. I am also indifferent to ideas that are heavily anchored by the metrosexual’s fashion sense. Are we so quick to forget the skinny jeans and tight T-Shirts of Grease’s T-Birds, and Danny’s compulsion to ensure his hair was always kept in righteous order? Replace the leather jacket with a cardigan (which Danny eventually did) and we have today’s man. Football players do not do well with those jeans however.
What then is a metrosexual? Well it’s more to do with social evolution than androgyny and knowing how narrow minded we men can be. Would it be so farfetched to pitch that this wave of image consciousness and liberal mind states is all a bid to improve our chances of getting a woman in bed?
The metro’s uniform is of importance and I do not wish to downplay this aspect. Their brash splashes of pastels and flashy accoutrements are arguably as noteworthy to their identity as black apparel is to Goths. The fashion codes may allow you to point out stereotypes and sub-cultures, but it doesn’t provide a clear indication of what they’re all about.
You see, this most certainly is no longer a man’s world, but it would be absolutely no fun without a woman torturing men. The further we drift from the creation of fire, the wheel, and the brilliance of sliced bread, the more this becomes undeniable. The liberal perception of the metrosexual stems from his acceptance of female independence in the Western world. A man’s car no longer holds defining value as it’s now more likely a woman will have her own. If a fight breaks out she’ll have her earrings off and hair tied back before a punch is landed. And what can he buy her that she can’t get herself . . . in the correct size with matching accessories?
It was once our differences that drew men and women together. As these differences have gradually dissolved with men having to seek alternative and less primitive methods of getting into the game with woman. Read my intelligent cultured jock column. Metrosexuality in this case is an expression of the similarities between men and women, simultaneously associating itself with stereotypes of homosexuality. After all, if you can’t beat them join them.
All is not lost for the macho, macho man. You’d lose a fair bit of money betting against a woman’s yearn for a man in uniform, hard hats, or Diet Coke breaks. The metro’s cutting edge is that he picks and chooses from the general consensus of what women want. He can keep the muscles and drop the dirty nails; the Timberland’s are traded in for plimsolls. Modern men, regardless the colors of our shirts are dropping chauvinistic tendencies for more open-minded principles. And no one is waving the pink flag on that one.
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