Forbes magazine reported in its current issue that more and more men are starting to wear concealer, face powder and brow gel.
This got me to thinking: first thought was what the hell are guys thinking? I mean, I would never be attracted to a man who has nicer skin than me. Actually, men and makeup seems to be a bit creepy. If you are a man on a movie set, I have no problem with a man having someone apply the face powder, a bit of concealer, whatever to make the man look more perfect on film. If you are burying Uncle Joe, if he needs a bit of makeup to look like Uncle Joe, by all means, have the undertaker apply what is needed. But for someone just going out on the town, if you are a guy, makeup seems, er, feminine.
It seems like, however, that we as a society want men to be more like women. The makeup seems to be the final straw.
I was watching The Resident1 a few weeks ago, and I was surprised at how many men admit on camera to shaving their butts and their "privates." Some men wax themselves to remove hair. Some would argue men are just taking a page from the woman's playbook, but you know, it sort of reminds me of what women went through in the 1970s. When women wanted to be exactly like men.
Now, it seems, in the twenty-first century, the tables are turned. Men, in some ways, seem to want to be more like women. Now, I am not saying this is bad, but really, for me and for lots of my friends, we don't want to be married (or dating) a version of ourselves with a bit more muscle.
We should be celebrating the differences, celebrating men for who they are. I mean, we should love their hair, love their stubbly faces at the end of the day, love their armpit sweat after the deodorant wears off.
Now I am not saying that makeup changes a man. But for me, for many of my friends, makeup seems to cross a line.
Shakespeare's Beatrice, in Much Ado About Nothing, seemed to say it best, "He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man. And he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man - I am not for him."
1The Resident is a woman who has a 30 minute show on New York cable. She also puts up some of her bits on YouTube.
2The 1970s information is what I learned in middle school Social Studies, so it could be wrong.
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15 comments:
I really don't care for what the popular trends are, men need to be bug killin', trash takin out, John Wayne wanna be men. And I don't care what women say, they want that too. I don't want my women to be butch and pants wearing, just like she doesn't want me to be feminine and overly sensative. All this metrosexual stuff is a fad.
As far as shaving, I don't mind the shaving, I do some myself. Some of that is just plain hygene and comfort issues. I could be gross and tell you about goin down and getting a tooth full of hair, who likes that?
And Deb may get upset with me on this, but isn't it funny that even in homosexual relationships there is always a "man and woman" role played by each partner? Just seems like that's the way we are made.
~Jef
No ****ing way I am going to use make-up. I shave ...
... my face.
Actually up to and throughout the 18th Century men were as inclined to wear make-up as were women.
But no, I make no apologies and I adorn myself with no potions, nostrums or foundations. Then again, I've never liked drag humor, either.
In the morning I shave and brush my hair and that's about it.
Ian
Let's see...concealer, face powder and brow gel?
Nope. Not me. Not a chance.
The woman who cuts my hair suggested highlights not too long ago to cover up my increasing gray. Nope. Not going to do that either.
As far as the other "shaving," I heard from many different women when I worked at the night club that their guy had to be shaved - or at least neatly trimmed. They said they were not about a face or mouth full of hair. I can understand that to a point, I suppose.
I think that's a lot different than all this makeup and highlights. Sheesh.
I must admit, I do trim my nose hairs with a little scissors, no hot wax in the nostrils tho.
If I dont, the little hairs move in and out while Im trying to fall asleep, and it really annoys me and keeps me awake.
I'm not into a man wearing makeup, but a little grooming here and there never hurt anyone.
ROFL....
Concealer?
Face powder?
I didn't even know there was something called brow gel...
I mean yes, don't expect to see me with hair sticking out of my nose or ears or at the tip of my nose like some older guys, but there has to be a limit.
There is a certain look to maintain if you are in the public eye or meet people all day long as I do, but to go to that extent would have me wondering what team that guy is really batting for.
..... Brow Gel? .....
Pyth0s
If they're on the stage or an actor on film, I say fine. Other than that, NO WAY!
It puts the lotion in the basket, or else it gets the hose again.
Ditto Beatrice. Shave their butts? Really?
I don't mind a man taking care of their skin, and I've had the boys washing their faces since turning teens and they've never had acne. They may use the aftershave I buy them, I dunno. But if I started noticing my makeup being used, we'd have to have a sit down.
:)
edge: oh, and I don't mind if guys pluck hairs out of their noses or pluck the out-of-place brow hair. But makeup?
sj: I sometimes wish I did not have to shave . . . my legs.
ian: yeah, and the same people who wore makeup did not bathe all that often.
rwa: I don't know how I feel about highlights. I never really thought of it before.
gw: my hubbie plucks his nose hair. And from the faces he makes, I think it both tickles and hurts.
dr. ~deb: thanks for weighing in, although I am a bit surprised by your response.
d rex: I am a bit confused by the lotion and hose statement.
kathi: I have a feeling your boys are real men. Well, almost men.
Lol at d rex, it's from Silence of the Lambs.
make up on yer face and shaving yer balls are not the same thing. And no the tables have not turned now men are being as much abused about their appearance as women have been for decades. ... Honestly I am glad I can put cream on my face so my dermatitis (scuse the spelling if it's wrong) doesn't show up in big ugly blotches but I am not wearing powder and lipstick. Don't see why you should either :-)
warrior: I was not talking about treating dermatitis. Lipstick is a convention that I have bought into; that's why I wear it.
No makeup for me. Shaving is another story which I'll not dive into to spare everyone the gory details.
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