METROSEXUAL

'Metrosexual' is a word describing men who have a strong concern for their aesthetic appearance, and spend a substantial amount of time and money on their images and lifestyles. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology and definition of the word are:
[< metro- (in METROPOLITAN a.) + SEXUAL a., punningly after HETEROSEXUAL a. and n.]
n. A man (esp. a heterosexual man) whose lifestyle, spending habits and concern for personal appearance are likened to those considered typical of a fashionable, urban, homosexual man.
Debate surrounds the term's use as a theoretical signifier of gender deconstruction and its associations with consumerism. Current gender scholars view 'metrosexuality' as representative of the embracing of relational understanding in addition to its lifestyle and aesthetic implications.

Contents

Evolution of the word

Other terms

Narcissism

Changing masculinity

The commercial metrosexual

Metrosexual Companies

See also

References

External links

Evolution of the word

The origin of the term can be traced to an article titled "Here come the mirror men",[1] dissecting the new urbane man by Mark Simpson, published on November 15, 1994 in ''The Independent'', a major British daily newspaper. Barely any usage of the term in print publications can be found in the same decade. Simpson returned to the subject in 2002 in an essay for the then very popular online magazine Salon.com called "Meet the Metrosexual," introducing the term to the US.
'Meet the Metrosexual' was much forwarded and percolated around the Web - and also heavily exploited (without any mention of Simpson or the Salon article) in a nakedly derivative article in Australia's main daily The Sydney Morning Herald in March of the following year called 'The rise of the metrosexual', illustrated, like Simpson's original, with a picture of David Beckham [2] . By May of 2003, the term was also in frequent use in British press articles. In June, a ''New York Times'' article, titled "Metrosexuals Come Out", which credited Simpson as coining the term in 1994 but didn't mention his Salon.com essay of the previous year, inaugurated a host of copycat articles in the American media. Various sources incorrectly claim that the trendspotter Marian Salzman coined the term, but by Salzman's own admission ^[1] Simpson's 2002 Salon.com article was her source for the term. The concept behind the word is discussed in detail in Simpson's 1994 book Male Impersonators, which explores the performativity of male life - incorporating the concept of the metrosexual into both the academic and popular lexicon. On June 22, 2003, Simpson satirized Salzman in ''The Independent'' for her exploitative use of the term without mention of Simpson. Salzman has since recanted.
The key to the current popularity of the term is Simpson's 2002 Salon.com article "Meet the metrosexual" which proffered David Beckham as the metrosexual posterboy. The huge advertising agency Euro RCSG Worldwide adopted the term shortly thereafter for a marketing study, and the New York Times made it a Sunday feature, "Metrosexuals Come Out"; the story trickled into local news outlets across North America.
Simpson's Salon.com definition is more nuanced from metrosexual's common use today. His article was detached, wittily ironic, with more than a dash of anti-corporate disdain, and his definition exists outside the gay-straight style binary that defines the boundaries of fashion for many Americans –
"The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis – because that's where all the best shops, clubs, gyms and hairdressers are. He might be officially gay, straight or bisexual, but this is utterly immaterial because he has clearly taken himself as his own love object and pleasure as his sexual preference. Particular professions, such as modeling, waiting tables, media, pop music and, nowadays, sport, seem to attract them but, truth be told, like male vanity products and herpes, they're pretty much everywhere.
For some time now, old-fashioned (re)productive, repressed, unmoisturized heterosexuality has been given the pink slip by consumer capitalism. The stoic, self-denying, modest straight male didn't shop enough (his role was to earn money for his wife to spend), and so he had to be replaced by a new kind of man, one less certain of his identity and much more interested in his image – that's to say, one who was much more interested in being looked at (because that's the only way you can be certain you actually exist). A man, in other words, who is an advertiser's walking wet dream."
^ Simpson, Mark. (July 22, 2002). Meet the metrosexual. Salon.

[A former local radio Metro Radio presenter Mitch Murray claims he is the progenitor in the 1980s. The word had a very different connotation, he says, as it was simply a play on words involving 'Metro Radio' and heterosexuals. Murray would send a weekly tape to the local radio station in Newcastle upon Tyne. 'Very early during the process', he made a few station identification segments one of which he says included the phrase 'We are the Metrosexuals'. Unclear whether the segment, was actually broadcast. ^[2]]
Rising popularity of the term followed the increasing integration of gay men into mainstream society and a correspondingly decreased taboo towards deviation from existing notions of masculinity. Over a short timespan, the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada introduced same-sex marriage legislation, various US states legalized same-sex marriage and civil unions, the US Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy statutes as unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas and gay characters and themes, long present on TV shows like ''Will & Grace,'' ''Queer as Folk,'' and ''Ellen'' made further inroads. In particular, the Bravo network introduced ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'', a show in which stereotypically style- and culture-conscious gay men gave advice to their heterosexual counterparts.
Media explaining the term often rely on citing a few individuals as prime illustrations. Simpson's 2002 Salon.com article 'Meet the metrosexual' used Beckham as its prime exemplar - and most journalists and marketers followed suit. David Beckham or Tom Egger have been called a "metrosexual icon"^[3] and is often coupled with the term. Amply referred-to individuals include personalities such as Brad Pitt, Arnold Schwarzenegger^[4], Ryan Seacrest^[5] after filming his most famous ad sporting Beautymist panty hose.
You know Jasper was supposed to put something in here about Jordan Grant but i couldnt find it, so this is Casey, and damnit i cant find it, but yes jordans metrosexual we all know, the socks, sweaters, eyeliner, ect. jordan i love u!

Other terms

Over the course of the following months, other terms countering or substituting for "metrosexual" appeared. Perhaps the most widely used was "retrosexual," a man who rejects focus on physical appearance, sort of the opposite of a metrosexual (again coined by Simpson, who described the term in a Salon.com article entitled "Beckham, the virus."^[6]
Another example, the übersexual, coined by marketing executives and authors of ''The Future of Men'' (and perhaps inspired by Simpson's use of the word 'uber-metrosexual'), caused Simpson to reply, “Any discussion in the style pages of the media about what is desirable and attractive in men and what is 'manly' and what isn't, is simply more metrosexualization. Metrosexuality—do I really have to spell it out?—is mediated masculinity.”^[7]
Many of the individuals now named übersexuals — e.g. George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Bono—were once shining examples of metrosexuality, showing little differentiation between the two terms.
Laurence Godfrey is said to favour the descriptions "sumosexual" and "tyrosexual" since learning that "retrosexual" is in use elsewhere.
Most recently, marketers and magazines like Men's Health trying to sell even more cosmetics to men have tried to foist the 'heteropolitan' on the public. As with the defunct 'ubersexual' they claimed that the metrosexual was 'dead' and had been replaced by the 'heteropolitan'. Again, there was no real differentation from the metrosexual, there was, as with the 'ubersexual', just a more uptight version of him. Mark Simpson wrote in the Guardian in 2007 about the irony of 'metromag' Men's Health jumping on the 'heteropolitan' - and homophobic - bandwagon, asking 'When is Men's Health going to come out to itself?'. [3]
None of these metro-offspring have thrived, metrosexual however seems to have stuck and become part of the language.
:Metrosexual is also a term joked upon people, as certain subway systems in various parts of the world are called Metro; this led to a non-related association that the word means 'person who has sex in the subway'.

Narcissism

Narcissism according to an authoritative Simpson, plays a crucial role in the metrosexual concept. As Simpson writes in 'Narcissus goes shopping' ('Male Impersonators', 1994), consumerism and narcissism are closely related. Citing Freud's ''On Narcissism'', Sigmund Freud which analyzes the psychological aspect of narcissism and explains narcissistic love as follows:
:"A person may love: (1) According to the narcissistic type: (a) What he is himself, (b) What he once was, (c) What he would like to be, (d) Someone who once was part of himself."^[8]
The metrosexual, in its original coinage, is a person who, under the spell of consumerism, is or desires to be what he sees in magazines and advertising. Simpson’s metrosexual would be a type A or type C narcissist, as he loves himself or an idealized image of what he would like to be.

Changing masculinity

Traditional masculine norms, as described in Dr. Ronald F. Levant’s ''Masculinity Reconstructed'' are: “avoidance of femininity; restricted emotions; sex disconnected from intimacy; pursuit of achievement and status; self-reliance; strength and aggression; and homophobia.”^[9]
Statistics, including market research by Euro RSCG, show that the pursuit of achievement and status is not as important to men as it used to be; and neither is, to a degree, the restriction of emotions or the disconnection of sex from intimacy. Another norm change is supported by research that claimed men “no longer find sexual freedom universally enthralling.” The most important shift in masculinity is that there is less avoidance of femininity and the “emergence of a segment of men who have embraced customs and attitudes once deemed the province of women.”^[10] What is accepted as "masculine" has shifted considerably throughout the times, so the modern concept of how a man "should be" differs from the ideal man of previous eras. Some styles and behaviors that are today considered feminine were, in the past, part of the man's domain (e.g. knee britches, makeup, jewelry). Hence, as the concept of ''femininity'' conquered more territory, ''masculinity'' became more restricted. Perhaps metrosexuality is a reaction against this shift, as some men feel too confined within the gender roles. It could also be considered a means of establishing greater equality between the sexes through a shift toward androgyny.
Changes in culture and attitudes toward masculinity, visible in the media through television shows such as ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'', ''Queer as Folk'' and ''Will & Grace'', have changed these traditional masculine norms. Metrosexuals only made their appearance after cultural changes in the environment and changes in views on masculinity.
Simpson explains in his article ''Metrosexual? That rings a bell...'' that “Gay men provided the early prototype for metrosexuality. Decidedly single, definitely urban, dreadfully uncertain of their identity (hence the emphasis on pride and the susceptibility to the latest label) and socially emasculated, gay men pioneered the business of accessorising—and combining—masculinity and desirability.”^[11]
For more detailed information on Simpson's view of his 'offspring' and the implications of it, see his interview on Salon.com in 2004 in which he answers questions put to him regarding the metrosexual by the world press:
[4]

The commercial metrosexual

In its soundbite diffusion through the channels of marketers and popular media, who eagerly and constantly reminded their audience that the metrosexual was straight, the metrosexual has congealed into something more digestible for consumers: a heterosexual male who is in touch with his feminine side - he color-coordinates, cares deeply about exfoliation, and has perhaps manscaped.
Men didn't go to shopping malls, so consumer culture promoted the idea of a sensitive guy who went to malls, bought magazines and spent freely to improve his personal appearance. As Simpson put it:
:"For some time now, old-fashioned (re)productive, repressed, unmoisturized heterosexuality has been given the pink slip by consumer capitalism. The stoic, self-denying, modest straight male didn't shop enough (his role was to earn money for his wife to spend), and so he had to be replaced by a new kind of man, one less certain of his identity and much more interested in his image – that's to say, one who was much more interested in being looked at (because that's the only way you can be certain you actually exist). A man, in other words, who is an advertiser's walking wet dream."^[12]
This commercial vision is also adapted in television’s metrosexual archetype, Bravo’s ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'', in which the “Fab Five” instructively transform the appearance of the straight guy—but largely avoid dealing with his personality.
In some contrast, there is also the view that metrosexuality is at least partly a naturally occurring phenomenon, much like the Aesthetic movement of the 19th Century and that the metrosexual is merely a modern incarnation of a dandy.
Another person who confesses to his metrosexuality is Mike Greenberg, co-host of the popular morning sports talk show "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio. He has many times confessed to being metrosexual and his book has "Confessions of a Metrosexual Sportscaster" on it.
Another person who confesses to his metrosexuality is Dominic Monaghan, star of ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy and ''Lost''. He has jokingly admitted that he "believes he should have been a homosexual - because he loves make-up, painting his nails and wearing skirts", although some would argue that this points more towards transvestism. ^[13]
''Stuff'' has proclaimed Ryan Seacrest as "the poster boy of metrosexuality."^[14]

Metrosexual Companies

In recent years, a number of brands have emerged to captilise on the market of men that spend substantial amounts of money on their images. Indeed retailers including KJ Beckett and Thomas Pink have seen great success selling their concept to stylish male consumers. Furthermore mens magazines such as GQ and Esquire target men's fashion, style, and culture. Finally brands such as 2(x)ist have emerged and seen great success from marketing to the metrosexual customer.

See also

★ Narcissism

★ Consumerism

★ Masculinity

★ Masculine psychology

★ Homomasculinity

★ Homosexuality

★ Homophobia

★ Gender role

★ Dandy

★ Macaroni

★ New Romantic

★ Fop

★ ''Metrosexuality'' (a TV series)

★ Pomosexual

★ Übersexual

★ NBC Guy

References

1. http://www.marksimpson.com/pages/journalism/metrosexual_ios.html
2. Murray, Mitch. (January 9, 2007). "Questions", ''Daily Mail'' (London), p. 55.
3. Chrisafis, Angelique. (June 16, 2003). "Spot the salmon pink shirt". ''The Guardian'' (London), p. 6.
4. MetroDaddy speaks!
5. {{cite web|title=Rise of the
Its most accurate application in contemporary American media might have been a 60 minutes story on Joe Namath whereby he was suggested by reporter Bob Simon to be "perhaps, America's first metrosexual" http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/16/60minutes/main2191681_page2.shtml
6. Beckham, the virus

:"Becks is the uber-metrosexual, not just because he rams metrosexuality down the throats of those men churlish enough to remain retrosexual and refuse to pluck their eyebrows, but also because he is a sportsman, a man of substance—a "real" man—who wishes to disappear into surfaceness in order to become ubiquitous—to become media."
7. Metrodaddy v. Ubermummy
8. The major works of Sigmund Freud, , Sigmund, Freud, William Benton, 1952,
9. Masculinity Reconstructed: changing the rules of manhood: at work, in relationships and in family life, , Ronald F. Dr., Levant, Dutton, 1995,
10. Metrosexuals: The Future of Men? Lillian Alzheimer
11. Metrosexual? That rings a bell…
12. Meet the metrosexual
13. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18022007/364/monaghan-m-metrosexual.html
14. http://www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/index.aspx?id=1821&src=stuff_ed

External links

★ "Meet the Metrosexuals" Mark Simpson introduces the metrosexual to the US in a 2002 ''Salon'' piece.

★ 'Metrodaddy Speaks!' Mark Simpson answers questions from the global media about his offspring in 2004

★ Mark Simpson reassesses the term in 2005

★ Mark Simpson's blog

★ "Gay or Straight? Hard to Tell" (''New York Times'', June 2005)

★ "The Metrosexual Defined; Narcissism and Masculinity in Popular Culture" Article exploring the commercial and sociological aspects of the metrosexual

★ "Metrosexual Tarot: 'Queer Eye' collides with The Occult" (Yahoo! Pick of the Day, December 2004)