With a comment like that, you would never qualify for a metrosexual guy! <<<gggg>>>>
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SportsNation: The metrosexual verdict
Alex Rodriguez has the look. Do you?
Metrosexual: (ME-tro-SEKS-you-ul) Buzzword of the week defining an emerging breed of modern, straight, stylish, sensitive and well-groomed guy.
Page 2's Stacey Pressman said she likes her guys a little rough around the edges -- that's tough to find these days with so many products, loofahs and pomades making men soft as a baby's bottom.
We wanted the word on the street, so we turned to SportsNation and collected your take on the latest trend. You sent us over 400 emails on the hot topic. Here is a representative sample of opinion on the sweeping metrosexuality movement.
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Look, I have no problem with a guy who wants to blow a hundred bucks on clothes or facials or whatever, but I'm not too happy with the fact that all of a sudden women expect ME to be that guy. So what if I want to wear my Matt Hasselback jersey on Sundays -- the faded one with the stains. So what if my pores are never clean? In other words, you can have your metrosexuals, but I'm sticking with my torn jeans and wrinkled T-shirts all the way.
Zach Geballe
New York, NY
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I knew that I could count on ESPN and the eye of a true "man's woman." It's about time that the real men of the world are regarded as something other than a "work in progress." Give me a hot shower with a bar of real soap, a bottle of plain shampoo, and my razor with shaving cream (and you can take it away on weekends). A can of Right Guard and some aftershave from the shelf at the gym completes the 15-minute daily "makeover" for me.
David Rhea
Ringgold, Ga
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So this is just a new word for 'pretty boys,' right? Well, they are all over. At the gym, at work, the bars ... eeck. Any guy who smells better, wears nicer clothes, and spends more time on his hair than I do, just -- yuck. Guys who go tanning? Yuck. Guys who have too much jewelry? Yuck. Guys who use more gel than I do? Yuck. But Stacey ... we shouldn't condone the out-and-out slobs out there, too. It's kinda like how guys find some girls cute who aren't all done up all the time but they have to be good-looking to begin with, ya know? SO if the guy is in nice, and decent-looking and happens to be "blue collarish," by all means bring the scruffy cutey on over!
Meghan Cass
Boston
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African-American men often have to straddle the line when it comes to metrosexuality. Our women like "fine" men (notice there is no synonym among young, non-black women for white guys -- "cute" or "hot" just do not say what "fine" means).
We have to dress nicely and be well-groomed. Wear a beard? It better be closely edged. Braids? Better be freshly tied down and no fraying is allowed. Thugged out? Your Tims better be clean and new. Corporate clean-shaven or bullet-ridden thug, you better be clean or sistahs will diss you. Seriously, black men often need special products, shaving tools and moisturizers for our unique skin and hair. Simply put, the brothas need to pay great heed to grooming and dress or be left out of the sistah sweepstakes. Don't let "Yo! MTV Raps" fool you. We can't walk around with a case of mange and "get honeys." Sistahs actually feed into the metro-ization of their men when they get the chance. Presenting a bona-fide, straight-outta-da-hood thug all cleaned up in a sport coat, silk polo and gabardines to her friends is like making full-bird Colonel in the sistah Army.
Moreover, we men of all races are not solely to blame for the metrosexual phenomenon. Admit it, men do it to meet metro-chicks.
For the record, I'm a man's man. The only product I use on my face is Neosporin. My teeth are bottle opener, nail clipper and file. I shave dry when I shave at all, use an abrasive sponge in the shower because I play sports that involve running and falling in grass, dirt and mud; I drive a stick, I drink beer from a can or a bottle, and I eat steak right off the grill with my fingers. I spit but I wait until (I think) no one is looking ...
That's right: Randyman -- all man, all the time.
Randy Scott
Hyattsville, Maryland
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I don't know that I can offer much perspective concerning a sweeping societal movement, and, frankly, I don't give a damn. What is important is that what follows is absolutely true ...
C'mon metros, who wants to shave on the weekends?!
I work in a metropolitan downtown, but choose to live 30 miles out of town to be nearer trees, mountains, and people who prefer a cold beer to the cocktail du jour. The Sunday before reading the Girly Man article, I watched football and baseball, then did some manual labor around the house and grilled a burger for dinner. The morning before reading the article, I took a loofah-free shower and washed my hair with Pert Plus from the familiar green bottle. I then dressed in a non-branded polo style shirt and pulled some wrinkled khakis out of the dryer (non-metro rule of wearable laundry: clothes still in the dryer can be safely considered clean) before heading into the big city for a day at work (a high-tech job, but then nobody's perfect).
Mike Miller
North Bend, Wash.
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I think this is awesome! Guys should care about their appearance. I would rather date a guy other girls were envious of -- not pitying me for sticking with. Beer bellies, baggy jeans, and poor personal hygiene are NOT the way to go!
Rachel
Stillwater, Okla.
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Personally, I can't stand this trend. I work with a bunch guys who I swear are all desperate to become models or members of a boy band. At work, we used to call this one extra-preppy guy "Abercrombie boy." Well, over time, we got so many, it's just a general statement, not just one guy.
Personally, I wouldn't be using American Crew products on my hair if it wasn't for the fact my wife, a hairstylist, buys them for me. I'd still be a Sauve and Aqua Net kind of guy, regardless of the helmet head it gives people. I try to make myself look good, I work in public, seen by hundreds of people a day, but I don't need a catalog look. Old Navy, Hot Topic, and Vans shoes have worked this long AND got me a wife ... why change now?
Ryan Bordt
Turlock, Calif.
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Hey! I took the metrosexual test, and guess what? I found out I am a normal guy! All my answers fell in with the majority of all the other men who took the test. Go guys! From now on the girls should leave the toilet seat up for us and I won't feel guilty if I just want to watch the Friday night game with pizza and beer.
Brian
Dallas, Texas
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Maybe I'm confused on what the term "metrosexual" actually encompasses. My definition includes a new type of man who doesn't belong to any of the three major male categories: 1.) Gay And Proud, 2.) Straight Lumberjack Man, 3.) Straight Wanna-Be Pimp.
Metrosexuals are different than the obviously gay males in that we are attracted to women. We want to raise families, watch sports and hang out with our buddies. We are sensitive and like Steve Madden shoes, but we also know the right time to blitz and when to intentionally walk Barry Bonds.
We are also much different than the lumberjack, fashion inept, road-rage dad from yesteryear. We are modern and usually more open-minded. Some of us get our hair cut in salons, others at Costcutters. We don't get drunk and start fights. We are well-mannered and look respectable.
We aren't the slicked-hair, cologne-stank, wanna-be pimp date molesters. We want girlfriends to hang out with, clubs to frequent and many concerts and movies to choose from.
Brandon Broxey
Minneapolis
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The metrosexual guy: 6-pack abs, clean fingernails, smooth skin, clothes match.
The "masculine" guy: potbelly, back hair, dirty T-shirt, smelly feet.
Sorry Stacey Pressman, I'd pick the metrosexual any day.
Katherine
Hanover, NH
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Ladies' choice: A hot metro or a more traditional fella?
I have no problem with men admitting that some movies choke them up -- any movie where a dog or kid dies, or at the end of Armageddon when Bruce knows he will never see his daughter again -- but I'm a father, so maybe that has something to do with it. Anyway, that said, I don't spend more than $2 on shampoo, I buy Dockers at Sears for work, T-shirts and shorts from Wal-Mart for lounging around the house, and wear beat-up clothes for working on the yard or car.
Meterosexuality is a ploy to get men as insecure about their appearance as women. Rather than calling it "getting in touch with one's feminine side," I believe it's more like getting in touch with one's superficial side. Oh, by the way, I am not a big sports fanatic. I am more of a nerd type, you know, the kind of guy who would rather go see "Underworld" on a Sunday afternoon than watch a Buccaneers game.
Tony Mcgraw
Saint Petersburg, Fla.
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Here's a simple test for any man out there. When faced with a situation, ask yourself: WWJWD -- What Would John Wayne Do? If you can't picture The Duke applying a night-time facial mask, DON'T DO IT!!
Matt
Webster, N.Y.
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For the record, I do have a loofah, but not because I "exfoliate" or anything like that. Just wanted to tell the guys about this thing ... I discovered it when I was too lazy to grab a washcloth and just used whatever was around in my wife's bathroom -- that the loofah doesn't need to be washed or dryed or folded. This was the selling point, they are just way less maintenance than the washcloth.
David Colborne
Reno, Nev.
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You know, Stacey is one of the first women I have ever heard take a stand in favor of the normal guy, and I must say that I commend her. Not only is she frustrated with this "new thing," we are, too. Unfortunately, the occasions are few and far between when normal guys can hear a girl say that she likes a guy that acts like a guy. Making more than a generalization, these days girls will not even give you the time of day if you are not groomed like on television. For this she deserves many props and if she is ever in Atlanta tell her to look me up ... I'm not a bad-looking guy, with just a callous or two.
Neill Davis
Decatur, Ga
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I think the label of metrosexual, like most labels, is a broad generalization. I appreciate Ms. Pressman's distaste for "pretty boys." However, I think the more repugnant aspect is the narcissism and self-involvement of some of these men. Also, I think one can be well-groomed without making it the primary focus of daily life. The only alternative shouldn't be a slovenly, polyester-wearing, Bud-drinking, greasy-haired NASCAR fan.
In my own case, I am a 36-year-old attorney who mainly runs and lifts weights for some semblance of physical fitness. In my current profession, grooming is more important than when I worked on a loading dock while in college. I got my first manicure when I was 32 and get one about twice a year (no polish). I have to wear a suit and I prefer to be clean-shaven (I don't shave on weekends). I use Zirh cleanser and Nivea and a moisturizer after shaving.
Am I a "metrosexual"? I hope not. I watch football, basketball and baseball. I drink beer (and bourbon) and wine with dinner. I love my wife and daughter. And as I've gotten older, I've grown to realize it is important to take care of oneself. This requires some attention. It does not require total self-absorption!
Dominic DeCecco
Birdsboro, Pa.
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"Modern, straight, stylish, sensitive and well-groomed."
If that is an exception to normalcy it is a sad commentary on modern culture that we even have the term "metrosexual."
Jeremy
Detroit
Thank God someone wrote about this. Metrosexuality is horrendous. What in the hell is Demi Moore doing with that guy from "That '70s Show." What is that crap?! In the movies, you have feminine men taking the lead roles and scoring the chicks. I am so glad football is back -- at least there is some masculinity in this world -- even if some of those guys are metrosexuals. Bring back guy's night out and carousing and having fun and drinking beer. Be a man! But make sure you ask your wife first.
Steve
Tolono, Ill |
