Blog Post 15: Reflections

Reflections:
Directions: Please answer all the the questions below in a post on your blog, and be sure to label this post as Blog Post 15.

1) What was the one assignment that was fun to do and why?
My favortie assignments where the in-class debate and of course I liked it because I was on the team that won. I also liked the "worst date" assignment because it allowed us to work as a class together.

2) What was the one assignment that made you learn something about something? What was that "something" you learned?
I think it was all the assignments to be honest, it was the theme about masculinity that made me learn so much about. Ive learned so many different concepts and ideas behind mens masculinity and how men are viewed by society in so many different ways.

3) What was the one assignment that you did not care for? why?
I didnt care for some things that came across repetitive, liek annotated bibliographies and outlines...but mayeb it was a good thign voerall for peoplew ho really needed help and direction.


4) Do you think, overall, Blogger was a useful tool for this class? In what ways?
Yes, It helped to amke us organized, i think it allowed us to be more open as a class unit, we got to see eachothers work and having a class blog that was very well taken care of by Miss B was very very helpful.

5.) Describe one kind of assignment or task that we did NOT do that you either did on your own (say, customizing your blog, adding gadgets), OR an assignment you would have liked to have done, or a TYPE of assignment you would have liked to have done more of?
Personalizing the blog was a big highlight for me, making some type of amsculien inspired theme for each blog could be really cool. Maybe making the class more designed for classmates to interact through blogger more.

Research Paper 2: Final Draft

Jason Croft
Professor Magdalena Bogacka
English 101.0800
December 10, 2010

The Modeling of Masculinity

            If you had to place a bet on a fight between the male models of Calvin Klein versus the male models of Hugo Boss, I’m guessing you’d be going with the models of Hugo Boss. Today, ads create specific imagery to display certain types of masculinity to sell products and as argued by Susan Bordo’s chapter "beauty (re) discovers the male body", these images give birth to new trends/types of masculinities amongst men in society. David Coad’s book The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality, and Sport, and a piece by Rosalind Gill called "Body Talk: Men in the Spotlight" also help to provide support and evidence about ads and there connection to new trends/types of masculinity. To introduce you to the concept I will first discuss 3 types of representation of men’s masculinity provided by Bordo’s reading, so you have a understanding of the different type of modeling that takes place in advertisements. After, I will then connect the different types of modeling discussed by Bordo to the new type of masculinity these ads have helped to give birth to, as evidence that this concept is a reality and does take place. Lastly, I will connect the different types of modeling and the masculinities that are being created and illustrated to the brands that these ads are created for, drawing that point back to its creators. If your still thinking about the odds of that bet I mentioned earlier, maybe reading what Bordo had to say will help you understand why Hugo Boss models would beat the crap out the Calvin Klein models.

            Looking at different advertisements from different brands you can notice that there are differences between the models and how they model the brands product. Bordo, discuss that there are three specific types of male modeling that advertisers use to display products to create a certain kind of image, thus recreating masculinities. The three types of male modeling poses Bordo discuss are "I am a rock"(186), "Face-off"(188), and "the lean"(188). "Rock" focuses more on traditional views of masculinity, displaying this very physically fit strong man that comes off as intimidating, very self-confident, and is normally standing upright towards you. "Face-off" describes a type of modeling where the model pose is staring at the viewer creating a stare contest that he cannot loose, letting you know he’s watching you watch him and you will give in first. "The lean" focuses on more non-traditional forms of masculinity where the male looks younger, sometimes feminine, is usually slouching or looking away allowing you to look at him without a fight and provides a more alluring look giving the viewer thoughts of dominating him. These different types of modeling help create concepts for different types of masculinities that some men are replicating in their everyday lives, but all these masculinities were seen in society already individually being portrayed by everyday men, but time has started to change things. Today, advertisers are combining these different forms of modeling, creating new images and concepts, thus giving birth to new kinds of masculinity.

            Metrosexuality seems to be the new leading type of masculinity dominating the world today. The combination of those three different kinds of modeling and other factors have helped to create this new masculinity which describes straight men, who take pride in their appearance, and use money to buy a variety of products to better their appearance and recreate the images and masculinities of the advertisements. In Gill’s piece she discusses how men now, are looking for ways to individualize themselves as men (Session1). The masculinities created by ads are giving men room to find ways to be individually different in appearance and masculinity by providing different variations and fewer rules on how a man can appear and represent himself. A man can now choose to be "rock", "face-off, and "the lean" at the same time and vary which ones he represents the most or least, allowing him to be an individual but still be masculine and in most cases today that masculinity is metrosexuality. Advertisers for various brands have put together these images and help the creation of these ads but it was the brand they advertise for that provided the fundamental foundations and vision.

            As described in the chapter of Coad’s book titled "Ralph Lauren and His Models" he talks about how Ralph Lauren used major sports athletes to model his clothing to give American men a mental permission to wear his clothing because their favorite athletes were not only wearing it, but were taking an interest in fashion and their overall appearance (43). The designers of brands like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Hugo Boss at one time would’ve of had to rely on women to purchase clothing for men as Gill describes in "Session 2" of her piece, but because of marketing strategies like the one used by Ralph Lauren men now shop for themselves in hopes of establishing their identity and thus their masculinity. The brands are marketed differently and used the specific types of modeling mentioned by Bordo or combinations of them in an effort to create an identity a man can identify with and recreate in his own life. So in essence the brands create the foundation and the dream, and then the models and advertisements bring them to life for men to see.

            Now, back to that bet do you now agree that Hugo Boss male models would dominate the Calvin Klein male models in a fight? The Hugo Boss Models represent that tougher edgy side of male masculinity, more so the traditional male in new age fashion. Whereas the Calvin Klein models represents the more passive calmer side of masculinity that is being displayed more as the masculinity taking over. So the tougher Hugo Boss Models would def have won the fight over the Calvin Klein models. This bet goes back to this concept I’ve been discussing with support from Bordo, Coad, and Gill, who have helped to further the concept that ads do indeed help to give birth to new trends/types of masculinity thru the use of particular masculinities put an a image. Just by the discussion over the Hugo Boss models versus the Calvin Klein models we can identify specific types of masculine characteristics that are being displayed by each of the brands and men when purchasing these brands will recreate these images in real life, thus the giving birth of new trends/types of masculinity based upon images of specific male characteristics provided by male advertisements.

Works Cited Page

Bordo, Susan. "beauty (re)discovers the male body" The Male Body: A New Look At Men In         Public And In Private  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. New York, 1999. 168-225. Print.

Coad, David. "New York" The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport. NewYork:
            SUNY, 2008. 39-41. Print.   

Gill, Rosalind. "Rethinking Masculinity: Men and Their Bodies" The London School of      Economics and Political Science. Fathom. 2001.           http://www.fathom.com/course/21701720/session2.html Nov 26 2010.

Research Paper 2: Part 3: First Draft

Jason Croft

Professor Magdalena Bogacka

English 101.0800

November 28, 2010

The Modeling of Masculinity

            If you had to place a bet on a fight between the male models of Calvin Klein versus the male models of Hugo Boss, I’m guessing you’d be going with the models of Hugo Boss. Today, ads create particular images of masculinity to sell products and these images give birth to new trends/types of masculinities. Susan Bordo’s chapter “beauty (re) discovers the male body”, David Coad’s book The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality, and Sport, and a piece by Rosalind Gill called “Body Talk: Men in the Spotlight” all help to provide support and evidence about ads and there connection to new trends/types of masculinity. To introduced you to the concept I will first discuss 3 types of representation of men’s masculinity provided by Bordo’s reading, so you have a understanding of the different type of modeling that takes place in advertisements. After, I will then connect the different types of modeling discussed by Bordo to the new type of masculinity these ads have helped to give birth to, as evidence that this concept is a reality and does take place. Lastly, I will connect the different types of modeling and the masculinities that are being created and illustrated to the brands that these ads are created for, drawing that point back to its creators. If you still thinking about the odds of that bet I mentioned earlier, maybe reading what Bordo had to say will help you understand why Hugo Boss models would be the crap out the Calvin Klein models.

            As you look at different advertisements from different brands you can definitely notice that there are some very noticeable difference between the models and how they model the brands product. Bordo discuss that there are three specific types of male modeling that advertisers use to display products to create a certain kind of image, thus recreating masculinities. The three types of male modeling Bordo discusses are “I am a rock”(186), “Face-off”(188), and “the lean”(188). “I am a rock”(186) focuses more on traditional views of masculinity, displaying this very physically fit strong man that comes off as intimidating, very self-confident, and is normally standing upright towards you. “Face-off”(188) describes a type of modeling where the man is staring at you creating a stare contest that he cannot loose, letting you know he’s watching you watch him and you will give in first. “The lean”(188) focuses on more non-traditional forms of masculinity where the male looks younger, sometimes feminine, is usually slouching or looking away allowing you to look at him without a fight and provides a more alluring look allowing you the thought of dominating him. These different types of modeling help create concepts for different types of masculinities that some men are replicating in their everyday lives, but all these masculinities were seen in society already. Today, advertisers are combining these different forms of modeling, creating new images and concepts, thus giving birth to new kinds of masculinity.

            Metrosexuality seems to be the new leading type of masculinity dominating the world today. The combination of those three different kinds of modeling and other factors have helped to create this new masculinity which describes straight men, who take pride in there appearance, and use money to buy a variety of products to better there appearance and recreate the images and masculinities of the advertisements. In Gill’s piece she discusses how men now, are looking for ways to individualize themselves as men(Session1). The masculinities created by ads are giving men room to find ways to be individually different in appearance and masculinity by providing different variations and fewer rules on how a man can appear and represent himself. A man can now choose to be “I am a rock”(186), “face-off”(188), and “the lean”(188) at the same time and vary which ones he represents the most or least, making him an individual but still a representation of masculinity and in most cases today that masculinity is metrosexuality. Advertisers for various brands have put together these images and help the creation of these ads but it was the brand they advertise for that provided the fundamental foundations and vision.

            As described in Coad’s book in part titled “Ralph Lauren and His Models”(43) he talks about how Ralph Lauren used major sports athletes to model his clothing to give American men a mental permission to wear his clothing because their favorite athletes were not only wearing it, but were taking an interest in fashion and their overall appearance. The designers of brands like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Hugo Boss at one time would of had to rely on women to purchase clothing for men as Gill describes in “Session 2” of her piece, but because of marketing strategies like the one used by Ralph Lauren men now shop for themselves in hopes of establishing there identity and thus there masculinity. The brands are marketed differently and using the specific types of modeling mentioned by Bordo or combinations of them in an effort to create an identity a man can identify with and recreate in his own life. So in essence the brands create the foundation and the dream, and then the models and advertisements bring them to life for us to see.

Now, back to that bet do you now agree that Hugo Boss male models would totally beat the crap out of the Calvin Klein male models? Bordo, Coad, and Gill have help to further the concept that ads do indeed help to give birth to new trends/types of masculinity thru the use of particular masculinities put an a image. The 3 types of modeling described by Bordo along with insight from Coad and Gill provides support that those models we see in ads help to shape the masculinities men act out through trying to recreate what they see. By buying the product advertised and overall replicating the persona of the model they see they therefore become the masculinity the brand wants associated with they brand. Metrosexuality has become the leading new form of masculinity given birth from the combination of different kinds of modeling and masculinities to create a new trend/type of masculinity allowing men to be the representation of masculinity they prefer to be.

Works Cited Page

Bordo, Susan. “beauty (re)discovers the male body” The Male Body: A New Look At Men

……….In Public And In PrivateFarrar, Straus, and Giroux. New York, 1999. 168-225. ……...Print

Coad, David. “New York” The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport. NewYork:             SUNY, 2008. 39-41. Print

Gill, Rosalind.

Research Paper 2: Part 2

Research Paper 2: Part 2: Annotated Bibliography and Preliminary Thesis

Thesis:
Ads create particular images of masculinity to sell products and their images give birth to new trends/types of masculinties?

Source1:
Coad, David. The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport. NewYork:      
                SUNY, 2008. Print
Summary: The Metrosexual is a book written by David Coad that discusses men and the connections between there sexuality and sports. It discusses in detail the creation of the term metrosexuality and how it relates to sports and fashion and the combining of all those factors.
Assessment:This source is backed by countless amounts of information provided from to many outside sources to began to name. Coad did a great deal of research on all the topics he wished to discuss in his book. He found history, facts, and opinions to create a book driven to inform the reader about men and their sexuality as it relates to multiple topics; such as fashion, sports, and everyday living.
Reflection: This source relates to the thesis I have created by providing supportive evidence to the idea that modeling indeed has contributed to the creation of different trends/types of masculinity. For example Coad on page 43 talks about how the major fashion label Ralph Lauren used famous athlethes to promote and model his clothing, giving men permission and reassurance that it was ok to partake in the fashion.

Source2:

Gill, Rosalind. "Rethinking Masculinity: Men and Their Bodies" The London School of Economics and Political Science. Fathom. 26 Nov 2010. http://www.fathom.com/course/21701720/session2.html
Summary: Gill's piece discusses men's masculinity and the men's body. She talks in detail about the progression of men's masculinity and how their bodies are viewed by society and the different factors that help this progression.
Assessment:This lecture by Gill is backed by sources and also includes information provided from interviews conducted on over a hundred men. Throughout her lecture she gives numerous amounts of information from sources, fact, and opinion.
Reflection: This lecture relates to my thesis because Gill talks about the progression of men's masculinity as it relates to fashion and many other parts of society. She discusses different influences on mens masculinity and mens masculinity influence on the world. Providing my research useful facts and opinions concerning myt opic about modeling creating new trends/types of masculinity.

Quick Write: Pregnant Men in Okada's "Future Plan #2" and Coltrane's "Fathering: Paradoxes, Contradicitons, and Dilemmas"

Quick Write: Pregnant Men in Okada's "Future Plan #2" and Coltrane's "Fathering: Paradoxes, Contradicitons, and Dilemmas"
 Look a the photograph which I've included in the beginning of the Coltrane's chapter, "Fathering: Paradoxes, Contradictions, and Dilemmas." How does the image relate to the paradoxes Coltrane discusses? Choose one paradox from Coltrane's chapter, and develop a paragraph which discusses how the photograph reflects that paradox. You paragraph must include MLA style in-text citations.

 Looking at the photo and then the reading by Coltrane where he discusses "The Emergence of Modern Fathering" (436) you can see a growing paradox between the photo of the tw preganat men and Coltrane's description of how man should have love and conern for there children without it matching the maternal bonds of mothers to their children. Coltrane writes about how it was ok for men to assit in rasing the children with the mother, but not  taking on the role, cause researchers feel that to much male involvment on a maternal level will cause gender confusion.(437) That creates the paradox between the photo and what Coltrane discusses; men should be maternal and caring but not like a women or like the two men in the photo.

Final Draft: Paper 1

ENG 101.0800
Miss Bogacka
Jason Croft
November 8, 2010

The Metrosexual Handbook of 2009

            Did you know that once upon a time in America, the popular men’s magazine GQ was known as “Gay Quarterly” due to the negative association of metrosexuality and homosexuality by American society? Metrosexuality being the concept of straight men taking strong interest in personal appearance through grooming and fashion, behavior normally associated with women has been the driving force behind GQ magazine since Art Cooper took over editorship and has thus remained the same in 2009, evidence of this can not only be found in the 2009 issues but also in an article by Mark Simpson called “Here Come The Mirror Men” and a book written by David Coad called The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport. During 2009, GQ had articles that focused its mainly male reader’s attention, on how men and women were becoming more recognizably similar supporting concepts of metrosexuality. GQ also showcased to its readers during that year that men are taking more interest in learning about how to better their appearance and are even writing to the magazine asking questions. Based upon articles from the magazine and information from the article by Simpson and book by Coad, GQ could be described as the world’s handbook for metrosexuality. Diving right into it, GQ’s ability to blur lines between what is masculine versus what is feminine have seems to be the drive behind all its negative attention from societies who are not so freely excepting of metrosexuality, but also the strength of its connection to metrosexuality.

            GQ and other magazines like it are usually faced with negativity by societies where metrosexuality is not so accepted because of the magazines ability to blur the lines of what’s feminine and masculine. An article written by Chandler Burr called “Cologne.(men’s fragrance usage)” talks about the term “cologne” and it’s relevance to American society performing metrosexual behaviors while trying to deny they are with the use of terms like “cologne”. As described by Burr, in American society the use of fragrances is normally associated with actions done by women to further their appearance, but marketing companies developed a strategy of separating men and women fragrance by using the term cologne, which in origination is just a term for a specific type of fragrance and was not intended for the purpose of making American men feel comfortable with using fragrances. European and gay men have had no problem using unisex fragrances and because of that and other actions are normally associated with the concept of metrosexuality. Fragrances originally were created to be unisex and were intended for either male or female selection based on personal preference, and today most top fragrances makers still same fragrances in the traditionally way..  So American men will either have to fall behind or find they are reaching for the same bottle as their girlfriend.

Another interesting article that applied to the same concept was “That’s What I Was Gonna Wear!” written by Katherine Wheelock. In her article Wheelock discussed how over a period of time men and women who are dating tend to dress the same, so much that if they went in each other’s closets they could find something they have worn.  This is a trend that seems to be growing amongst celebrity couples and regular couples walking down the street. Once again the lines of what’s feminine and masculine are being blurred because men and women are taking the similar interest in the same type of clothing where fashion meant for their partner and making into their own. Also going back to talking about American society and how metrosexuality is kind of eased in there so is the process of men and women starting to dress alike as Wheelock describes when she says “Instead, you’ll notice one day that your jeans are a little girlie or that you can’t tell whose stripped V-neck is whose.”, thus taking a serious dive into the realization that yea, once you and your girl start dressing alike and you can’t tell whose clothing is whose you have definitely crossed over that line into the realm of metrosexuality. GQ is quietly dishing out more and more different articles persuading guys to the metrosexual lifestyle without ever having to use the term. The article touches on how in America we need a sort of “mental permission” to partake in metrosexuality because it’s still something being approved by society  which, is why it mentions top celebrities already partaking in this trend, trying to justify to men that “hey if Tom and Katie are doing it, it must be ok”. Men are proving it’s ok cause if it wasn’t they wouldn’t be reading or furthermore writing to the magazine to find out more.

During 2009 readers of the magazine wrote in questions to the monthly advice column called “Glenn O’ Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums” to receive answers from the GQ “styleguy”, who answered a few questions from the men about a variety of things concerning fashion and appearance. How can society deny metrosexuality and GQ not be seen as promoting it with an article like this? Men are finding they need help to fit in and look their best in 2009, one gentleman wrote into the magazine asking if his dreads would be a problem for his new corporate job (117). Another man wrote the “stylguy” because he was having trouble finding a pair of stylish golf shoes, saying that the variety that were available were all ugly and he wanted something better (117). This is proof that men have learned that appearance and fashion matter in 2009 and they are going to GQ for help, because it seems that not only men are becoming metrosexual, the world around them is as well despite how much society might want to deny it. But just in case there are men too shy to write their questions anonymously into GQ, they supply other kinds of articles to help men out.

Since all men can’t be brave, GQ is willing to assist those too shy to ask with articles like "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing" by Jason Chen. Chen is telling men that they should groom, how to groom, and that it is not as complicated as they may think it is. It gives detailed instructions on how to do a variety of hair trimming and the different tools required. If there is an article devoted to letting men know it’s ok to groom there facial hair and how to do it, times have changed and metrosexuality is indeed manifesting itself in a variety of environments within our world. Chen also tells men it’s ok to perform this task and if you don’t know how to do it here are instructions and if you don’t know the tools here are the tools and what they could cost you. GQ maybe hated by women very soon, for being every man’s handbook for metrosexuality, giving their men a reason to take more time in the bathroom then they do.

GQ magazine is without a doubt the handbook for metrosexuality above all other men’s magazine, because the term itself metrosexuality created by Mark Simpson was used to describe his opinion of a style exhibition created by GQ in London called “It’s A Man’s World” back in 1994. Simpson wrote an article called “Here Come The Mirror Men” which connects the concept that GQ is a metrosexual designed and themed magazine from then and continuing through 2009, and with the four articles I mentioned. Simspons article directly connects with the GQ article "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing" and  “Glenn O’ Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums”  because he discusses reactions from young men he interviewed at the exhibition and their thoughts and interest matched that of the men discussed in those two GQ articles. They were being convinced by the exhibition that the use of the same of these things could be cool, and they were learning about things they hadn’t known before. Simpson goes on to say “Metrosexual man wears Davidoff ‘Cool Water’ aftershave (the one with the naked bodybuilder on the beach), Paul Smith jackets (Ryan Giggs wears them), corduroy shirts (Elvis wore them), chinos (Steve McQueen wore them), motorcycle boots (Marlon Brando wore them), Calvin Klein underwear (Marky Mark wears nothing else)” which refers back to the article by Wheelock were celebrities are also mentioned partaking in actions described as metrosexual to let straight men know that even your iconic straight celebrities are in on it to. If the creator of the word “metrosexual” and GQ magazines articles have so much in common it can’t be denied that GQ has been and can still be considered a handbook for metrosexuality.

From The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport written by Coad we see the work that went into making GQ the metrosexual handbook it is in 2009. Coad discusswss, that when Art Cooper took over editorship of GQ he wanted to revamp the magazine and pull it away from its “homosexual” appearance and thus creates a balance that is today’s “metrosexuality”. So the idea of taking the world’s best sportsmen and making them models for ads came to light, bringing the blend of homosexual and heterosexual behaviors together. Male athletes are considered to possess a “hypermasculinity” as described by Coad so to display their interest in fashion and have them model clothes and appear in GQ once again as described in the articles by Wheelock and Burr gave men the “mental ok” to dive into men’s fashion and learn and become interested. Thus creating a reason for GQ to have articles like the “Glenn O’ Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums” and "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing" because some men now felt secure and needed assistance in learning and pulling off metrosexuality. GQ has pioneered its way through the years to 2009, from its connection with the creator of metrosexuality, its innovations as a magazine to help ok metrosexuality and its continued success as a men’s magazine has earn the recognition to be called the metrosexual handbook. There are no men’s magazines that have the type of credentials GQ has when it comes to metrosexuality.

               So, after finding out a little of the history between GQ and metrosexuality, and analyzing some of the articles GQ put out in 2009, does it matter that GQ was at one point dubbed “Gay Quarterly”? Let me answer for you by again reminding you that in 2009 GQ put out articles by Wheelock and Burr that showed that men were becoming more like women by performing activities associated with metrosexuality despite negative associations with homosexuality because it still prevailed through the use of comparisons to celebrities and athletes that men would look up to and gain a “mental permission” to go for it. That GQ put out another two articles one by Chen and another answered by GQ magazines “styleguy” exposing men’s interest in learning about fashion and how to better their appearance from men writing to the magazine asking questions, or GQ providing those too shy to write a guide on grooming. Lastly an article by Mark Simpson and a book by David Coad that where sources not created by GQ but still remained connect directly with GQ magazines growth into a metrosexual handbook because of GQ’s style exhibition in London that inspired Mark Simpson to create the term “metrosexual” and therefore inspiring David Coad to dig even deeper into the concept Mark Simpson created. In 2009 GQ still promoted metrosexuality through the pages of the twelve issues put out that year and will continue to do so because metrosexuality is the biggest growing form of masculinity looking to dominate the world since 1994. Best put by the creator of the term “metrosexual”, Mark Simpson himself said “Metrosexual man might prefer women, he might prefer men, but when all’s said and done nothing comes between him and his reflection”.

Works Cited Page

Burr, Chandler. "Cologne.(men's fragrance usage)" GQ 79.3 (Mar 2009): 102. Print.

Coad, David. “New York” The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport. NewYork: SUNY,      2008.Print.

Chen, Jason. "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing." GQ 79.10 (Oct 2009): 84. Print.

Simpson, Mark. “Here Come The Mirror Men.” Independent, 15 November 1994, Metro Page: ………22.  Print.        

Wheelock, Katherine. "That's What I Was Gonna Wear!" GQ 79.4 (April 2009): 54. Print.

"Glenn O'Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums." GQ 79.3 (March 2009): 117. Print.

Worst Date

Worst Date:

I was once asked by a friend of mine if I would go with her to a play she had to attend for a class she was taken. I told her yes I would come and I didn't think much of it, thinking it was just me doing a friendly gesture. Unfortunately she took my reply as a sign I was interested in her and considered this a "first date". I arrived to her school and we went to the play, the play was nice and we both seemed to enjoy ourselves. Afterwards we went down the street to a local pizza place and had a few slices, and we each paid for our own food. Then after that we got ont he train to head home, which took forever due to delays every other stop. While on the train we made conversation and I had a very good time and it seemed as though she did too. As we arrived to our stop we hugged and said bye and went our seperate ways. The next day I recieved a phone call from a mutal friend me and the girl shared and she asked me how I was such a horrible date. I was shocked and asked her what she was talking about, and she said the date you went on with the girl. I explained that I didnt take her out on a date that I simply went with her to a play and we ate after. She explained to me she considered it our first date and how she expected me to pay for the meal, to hold her hand as we walked around the campus, and kiss her goodnight. For a while me and her didnt speak, and I didnt care because I didnt give any reason for her to consider us going somewhere a first date. We eventually meet up again and sat down and talked about it and even though we are not dating we go out with each other every now and then and are clear about what we are doing. So for me the worst date I ever had was not knowing I was on a date to began with.

Research Paper2: Part 1

Jason Croft
ENG 101.0800
November 12,  2010

Part 1 of Research Paper#2: Proposal and Preliminary Thesis

Ive decided to write a research paper on the cocnept that in the modeling profession different type of images of men are used to display different kinds of personas,characteristics, and masculinities of men in relation to the brand they are assisting in selling. I will be first basing my research off of a chapter of a book called "beauty (re)discovers the male body" by Susan Bordo. After reading this chapter I agree with Bordo's idea that males model in distinctive ways to display certain charactertistics in support of the brand they are modeling.
From what I know about male modeling and whatIve seen,models are distinctly different in build and there display depending on the direction the brand wants to be represented at that time. Bordo suggest that models are seperated in to three distinctive categories; "i am a rock"(186)."the leaner"(188) and the "face off"(188). Just from looking at ads on my day to day living I notice differences between one brand is advertised versus another, and that certain brands you combinations of masculinties, characteristics, and personas to establish a look.
I will conduct my research using the chapter by Bordo as a primary resource and abse for comparison against my two other selected sources. Im considering looking into the words of brand creators to see what why they market they brand the way they do with male models. I was also considering  maybe looking into a how to guide for male modeling to see if it offered any auggestions for different types of male modeling and how to execute it.

First Draft: Research Paper 1

  

ENG 101.0800

Miss Bogacka

Jason Croft

November 8, 2010

The Metrosexual Handbook of 2009

            Did you know that once upon a time in America, the popular men’s magazine GQ was known as “Gay Quarterly” due to the negative association of metrosexuality and homosexuality by American society? Metrosexuality has been the driving force behind GQ magazine since its creation and has thus remained the same in 2009, evidence of this can not only be found in the 2009 issues but also in an article by Mark Simpson called “Here Come The Mirror Men” and a book written by David Coad called The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport. During 2009 GQ had articles that focused readers attention on how men and women were becoming more recognizably alike supporting concepts of metrosexuality. GQ also showcased to its readers during that year that men are taking more interest in learning about how to better there appearance and are even writing into the magazine asking questions. Based upon articles from the magazine and information from the article by Simpson and book by Coad, GQ could be described as the world’s handbook for metrosexuality. Diving right into it, GQ magazines ability to blur lines have seems to be the drive behind all its negative attention and also the strength of its connection to metrosexuality.

            GQ and other magazines like it are usually faced with negativity by societies where metrosexuality is not so accepted because of the magazines ability to blur the lines of what’s feminine and masculine. An article written by Chandler Burr called “Cologne.(men’s fragrance usage)” talks about the term “cologne” and its relevance to American society trying to say its ok with doing metrosexual behavior without having to claim it likes metrosexuality. Described by Burr, in American society the use of fragrances is normally associated with actions done by women to further their appearance, but marketing companies developed a strategy of separating men and women fragrance by using the term cologne, which in origination is just a term for a specific type of fragrance and was not intended for the purpose of making American men feel comfortable with using fragrances. European and gay men have had no problem using unisex fragrances and because of that and other actions are normally associated with the concept of metrosexuality. Fragrances originally are unisex in nature and were intended for either male or female use and most top fragrances makers still make fragrances unisex.  So American men will either have to fall behind or find them-selves reaching for the same bottle as their girlfriend.

Another interesting article that applied to the same concept was “That’s What I Was Gonna Wear!” written by Katherine Wheelock. In her article Wheelock discussed how over a period of time men and women who are dating tend to dress the same, so much that if they went in each other’s closets they could find something they have worn.  This is a trend that seems to be growing amongst celebrity couples and regular couples walking down the street. Once again the lines of what’s feminine and masculine are being blurred because men and women are taking the same interest in the same type of clothing where fashion meant for there partner and making into there own. Also going back to talking abut American society and how metrosexuality is kind of eased in there so is the process of men and women starting to dress alike as Wheelock describes when she says “ Instead, you’ll notice one day that your jeans are a little girlie or that you can’t tell whose stripped V-neck is whose.” Thus taking a serious dive into the realization that yea, once you and your girl start dressing alike and you can’t tell whose clothing is whose you have definitely crossed over that line into the realm of metrosexuality. GQ is quietly dishing out more and more different articles persuading guys to the metrosexual lifestyle without ever having to use the term. This is even goes to show again that in America we need a sort of mental permission to partake in metrosexuality because its still something being approved by society which, is why it mentions top celebrities already partaking in this trend, justifying to men that hey if Tom and Katie are doing it, it must be ok. Men are proving its ok cause if it wasn’t they wouldn’t read yet alone write into the magazine to find out more.

In GQ magazine during 2009 readers of the magazine wrote in questions to the magazine to be answered in an article called “Glenn O’ Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums”. The bases of this article were answers from the GQ “styleguy” who took time to answer a few questions from the men about a variety of things concerning fashion and appearance. How can society deny metrosexuality and GQ not be seen promoting it with an article like this? Men are finding they need help to fit in and look there best in 2009, one gentlemen wrote into the magazine asking if his dreads would be a problem for his new corporate job. Another men was finding trouble finding a pair of stylish golf shoes, saying that the variety that were available were all ugly and he wanted something better. This is proof that men have learned that appearance and fashion matter in 2009 and they are going to GQ for help, because it seems that not only men are being becoming metrosexual but the world around them is as well despite how much society might want to deny it. But just in case there are men to shy to write their questions anonymously into GQ, they supply other kinds of articles to help men out.

Since all men can’t be brave, GQ is willing to assist those to shy to ask with articles like "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing" by Jason Chen. Chen is telling men that they should groom, how to groom, and that it is not as complicated as they may think it is. It gives detailed instructions on how to do a variety of hair trimming and the different tools required. If there is an article devoted to letting men know its ok to groom there facial hair and how to do it, times have changed and metrosexuality is indeed manifesting itself in a variety of environments within our world. Chen is telling men that yes a behavior normally associated with women, something that from a distance seems complicated and messy is really not all hat hard at all, and not feminine. Saying to men again its ok to perform this task and if you don’t know how to do it here is instructions and if you don’t know the tools here are the tools and what they could cost you. GQ maybe hated by women soon for be every men’s handbook for metrosexuality, giving their men a reason to take more time in the bathroom then they do.

GQ magazine is without a doubt the handbook for metrosexuality above all other men’s magazine because the term itself metrosexuality created by Mark Simpson was used to describe his opinion of a style exhibition created by GQ in London called “It’s A Man’s World” back in 1994. Simpson wrote an article called “Here Come The Mirror Men” which connects the concept that GQ is a metrosexual designed and themed magazine from then and continuing through 2009, and that the 4 articles I mention coincide with GQ and the article written by Simpson. Simpson discusses what he sees at the exhibition and the variety of grooming products and fashions found at the exhibit that are for men, going back to all the articles describing men’s interest and concern for the use of these different things. Simpson goes on to say “Metrosexual man wears Davidoff ‘Cool Water’ aftershave (the one with the naked bodybuilder on the beach), Paul Smith jackets (Ryan Giggs wears them), corduroy shirts (Elvis wore them), chinos (Steve McQueen wore them), motorcycle boots (Marlon Brando wore them), Calvin Klein underwear (Marky Mark wears nothing else)” which refers back to the article by Wheelock were celebrities are also mentioned partaking in actions described as metrosexual to let straight men know that even your iconic straight celebrities are in on it to. If the creator of the word “metrosexual” and GQ magazines articles have so much in common it cant be denied that GQ has been and is the handbook for metrosexuality for the world.

From The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport written by Coad we see the work that went into making GQ the metrosexual handbook it is in 2009. When Art Cooper took over editorship of GQ he wanted to revamp the magazine and pull it away from its gay appearance. So the genius idea of tying the worlds best sportsmen as models for ad came to light and thus pulling the men’s style magazine into a more heterosexual light creating a balance that could be described as metrosexual. Male athletes are considered to posses a “ hypermasculinity” as described by Coad so to display there interest in fashion and have them model clothe and appear in GQ once again as described in the articles by Wheelock and Burr gave men the ok to dive into men’s style and lean and become interested. Thus creating a reason for GQ to have articles like the “Glenn O’ Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums” and "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing" because some men now felt ok and need assistance in learning and pulling off metrosexuality. GQ has pioneered its way through the years to 2009, from its connection with the creator of metrosexuality, its innovations as a magazine to help ok metrosexuality and its continued success as a men’s magazine has earn the recognition to be called the metrosexual handbook. There are no men’s magazines that have the type of credentials GQ has when it comes to metrosexuality.

               So, after finding out a little of the history between GQ and metrosexuality, and analyzing some of the articles GQ put out in 2009, does it matter that GQ was at one point dubbed “Gay Quarterly”? Let me answer for you by again reminding you that in 2009 GQ put out articles by Wheelock and Burr that showed that men where becoming more like women by performing activities associated with metrosexuality, that GQ put out another two articles one by Chen and another answered by GQ magazines “styleguy” exposing men’s interest in learning about fashion and how to better there appearance, and lastly an article by Mark Simpson and a book by David Coad that where sources not created by GQ but still remained connect directly with GQ magazines growth into a metrosexual  handbook. In 2009 GQ still promoted metrosexuality through the pages of the 12 issues put out that year and will continue to do so because metrosexuality is the biggest growing form of masculinity looking to dominate the world since 1994. Best put by the creator of the term “metrosexual” himself “Metrosexual man might prefer women, he might prefer men, but when all’s said and done nothing comes between him and his reflection”.

Works Cited Page

Burr, Chandler. "Cologne.(men's fragrance usage)" GQ 79.3 (Mar 2009): 102. Print.

Coad, David. “New York” The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport. NewYork,             2008. 39-41. Print

Chen, Jason. "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing." GQ 79.10 (Oct                                                                                                           2009): p84. Print.

Wheelock, Katherine. "That's What I Was Gonna Wear!" GQ 79.4 (April             2009): p54. Print.

"Glenn O'Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums." GQ 79.3 (March 2009): p117. Print.

Reflections on Bromantic Comedy

Title of the Movie: Wedding Crashers
Director: David Dobkin
Actors/ Performances (at least two): Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walkin
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Year: 2005
Medium: Film

Works Cited Entry:
Dobkin, David. Wedding Crashers. Perf. Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn. New Line Cinema, 2005.

1.) How do the main male characters behave in the movie toward other male characters? Toward female characters? Do you consider their behavior masculine? Why? Explain.

• The male main characters behavior towards other males in the movie varies from male to male. When dealign witht he father of the female objective a certain behavior and standard of must be up held to make sure you are in good standing with the father of the girl your trying to sleep with if the situation arises.
• When the male main characters go back with the family to there off the shore home they are dealt with the complicated situation of having there group versus another group of males. The males that already exist within the family compete with them on various levels. Each group of guys are defensive of other groups of guys.
• They treat women like sexual objectives to be conquered. They go out during wedding season and run scams to get single womem at weddings to sleep with them. The movie does take an interesting turn and shows that the male characters are into sexually objectifiying women until they find a woman they are really interested in.
• Yes, I think there behavior is masculine, they have a clear attraction for women. They perform in the typical behavior related to being masculine.

2.) Does the movie place more emphasis on the relationships/bonds between males or between males and females? Are there any connections between the movie and what David Grazian discusses about males behavior in "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife an Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity"?

• I think the movie puts a very stromg emphasis on both types of relationships. The storyline of the movie focuses on the "bromance" between the two male characters. The movie also focuses on the relationship between one of the male main characters and one fo the main female characters, and on the other types of interactions the male main characters have with other women.
• There are several connections between the movie and what Grazian discuss in the "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife an Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". The movie depicts the pre-scenario that guys go on before they go on the "hunt"; bigging eachother and talking about goals and objectives. The movie also depicts the hunt and the different scenarios that playout while guys are on the hunt and it gives great example of the "wingmen" concept.

3.) What seems to be the ultimate mesage of the film? In other words, what ideas about men and masculinity do you, the viewer, walk away with from this film?

• From this movie you get the sense that the masculinity displayed is a act or tempoary behavior displayed by men to deal with women and interactions in the real world until they feel a need to be serious about women and love. It also shows the boundaries and issues that may arise within a "bromance" depending on how the situation may play out.

Paragraph:

             The movie Wedding Crashers is abotu to guys who crash weddings in order to find single women to sleep with. This movie depicts several references of charactertistics associated with the concept known as "bromance". Both guys constantly playing the "wingmen" for each other at the weddings aiding in the conquest of women. Reluctantly both guys fall in love depicting a transition from the 'bromance" and treating women like sexual objectives to a more serious relationship and feeling. The movie corresponds very well with a reading by David Grazian called "The Girl Hunt: Urban Nightlife an Performance of Masculinity as Collective Activity". The movie does a great job of depicting several of the different things Grazian says about men and amsculinity and the way in which guys hunt girls.

Formal Outline: Research Paper 1

Preliminary Thesis: Metrosexuality has been the driving force behind GQ magazine since its creation and has thus remained the same in 2009, evidence of this can not only be found in the 2009 issues but also in an article by Mark Simpson called “Here Come The Mirror Men” and a book written by David Coad called The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport.
I.
1st Supporting Point: GQ and other magazines like it are usually faced with negativity by societies where metrosexuality is not so accepted because of the magazines ability to blur the lines of what’s feminine and masculine
Further Detail:  An article written by Chandler Burr called “Cologne.(men’s fragrance usage)” talks about the term “cologne” and its relevance to American society trying to say its ok with doing metrosexual behavior without having to claim it likes metrosexuality.
Further Detail: Another interesting article that applied to the same concept was “That’s What I Was Gonna Wear!” written by Katherine Wheelock. In her article Wheelock discussed how over a period of time men and women who are dating tend to dress the same, so much that if they went in each other’s closets they could find something they have worn.

II.
2nd Supporting Point: GQ also showcased to its readers during that year that men are taking more interest in learning about how to better there appearance and are even writing into the magazine asking questions.
Further Detail: In GQ magazine during 2009 readers of the magazine wrote in questions to the magazine to be answered in an article called “Glenn O’ Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums”. The bases of this article were answers from the GQ “styleguy” who took time to answer a few questions from the men about a variety of things concerning fashion and appearance.
Further Detail: Since all men can’t be brave, GQ is willing to assist those to shy to ask with articles like "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing" by Jason Chen. Chen is telling men that they should groom, how to groom, and that it is not as complicated as they may think it is. It gives detailed instructions on how to do a variety of hair trimming and the different tools required.

III.
3rd Supporting Point: Based upon articles from the magazine and information from the article by Simpson and book by Coad, GQ could be described as the world’s handbook for metrosexuality.
Further Detail:  GQ magazine is without a doubt the handbook for metrosexuality above all other men’s magazine because the term itself metrosexuality created by Mark Simpson was used to describe his opinion of a style exhibition created by GQ in London called “It’s A Man’s World” back in 1994.
Further Detail: From The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport written by Coad we see the work that went into making GQ the metrosexual handbook it is in 2009.

Analysis:
GQ magazine is without a doubt the handbook for metrosexuality above all other men’s magazine because the term itself metrosexuality created by Mark Simpson was used to describe his opinion of a style exhibition created by GQ in London called “It’s A Man’s World” back in 1994. Simpson wrote an article called “Here Come The Mirror Men” which connects the concept that GQ is a metrosexual designed and themed magazine from then and continuing through 2009, and that the 4 articles I mention coincide with GQ and the article written by Simpson. Simpson discusses what he sees at the exhibition and the variety of grooming products and fashions found at the exhibit that are for men, going back to all the articles describing men’s interest and concern for the use of these different things. Simpson goes on to say “Metrosexual man wears Davidoff ‘Cool Water’ aftershave (the one with the naked bodybuilder on the beach), Paul Smith jackets (Ryan Giggs wears them), corduroy shirts (Elvis wore them), chinos (Steve McQueen wore them), motorcycle boots (Marlon Brando wore them), Calvin Klein underwear (Marky Mark wears nothing else)” which refers back to the article by Wheelock were celebrities are also mentioned partaking in actions described as metrosexual to let straight men know that even your iconic straight celebrities are in on it to. If the creator of the word “metrosexual” and GQ magazines articles have so much in common it cant be denied that GQ has been and is the handbook for metrosexuality for the world.

Analysis:
From The Metrosexual: Gender, Sexuality and Sport written by Coad we see the work that went into making GQ the metrosexual handbook it is in 2009. When Art Cooper took over editorship of GQ he wanted to revamp the magazine and pull it away from its gay appearance. So the genius idea of tying the worlds best sportsmen as models for ad came to light and thus pulling the men’s style magazine into a more heterosexual light creating a balance that could be described as metrosexual. Male athletes are considered to posses a “ hypermasculinity” as described by Coad so to display there interest in fashion and have them model clothe and appear in GQ once again as described in the articles by Wheelock and Burr gave men the ok to dive into men’s style and lean and become interested. Thus creating a reason for GQ to have articles like the “Glenn O’ Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums” and "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing" because some men now felt ok and need assistance in learning and pulling off metrosexuality. GQ has pioneered its way through the years to 2009, from its connection with the creator of metrosexuality, its innovations as a magazine to help ok metrosexuality and its continued success as a men’s magazine has earn the recognition to be called the metrosexual handbook. There are no men’s magazines that have the type of credentials GQ has when it comes to metrosexuality.

Secondary Source #2: The metrosexual: gender, sexuality, and sport by David Coad

Chapter 3
Titled: New York
Pgs: 39 - 52

 The metrosexual,gender,sexuality, and sport

Secondary Source #1: Here come the mirror men

Here come the mirror menBy Mark Simpson

Apparently the first appearance of the word ‘metrosexual’ in print’.  Originally appeared in UK national newspaper the Independent, 15 November 1994 – included in ‘It’s a Queer World’ (Vintage UK 1996/Harrington Park Press US 1998), from where this text is taken from.

‘IT’S BEEN KEPT underground for too long,’ observes one sharply dressed ‘metrosexual’ in his early twenties.  He has a perfect complexion and precisely gelled hair, and is inspecting a display of costly aftershaves.  ‘This exhibition shows that male vanity’s finally coming out of the closet.’

And it’s busy filling the new-found space in there with expensive clothes and accessories.  ‘It’s a Man’s World – Britain’s first style exhibition for men’, organised by GQ magazine in London last weekend, proves that male narcissism is here and we’d better get used to it.
With pavilions representing top men’s fashion designers such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani and all the latest ‘grooming’ products, It’s a Man’s World is, as Peter Stuart, GQ publisher, describes it, ‘a terrific shopping experience.’
Metrosexual man, the single young man with a high disposable income, living or working in the city (because that’s where all the best shops are), is perhaps the most promising consumer market of the decade.  In the Eighties he was only to be found inside fashion magazines such as GQ, in television advertisements for Levis jeans or in gay bars.  In the Nineties, he’s everywhere and he’s going shopping.
Metrosexual man wears Davidoff ‘Cool Water’ aftershave (the one with the naked bodybuilder on the beach), Paul Smith jackets (Ryan Giggs wears them), corduroy shirts (Elvis wore them), chinos (Steve McQueen wore them), motorcycle boots (Marlon Brando wore them), Calvin Klein underwear (Marky Mark wears nothing else).  Metrosexual man is a commodity fetishist: a collector of fantasies about the male sold to him by advertising.
Even the title of the exhibition reveals how much times have changed.  Not so long ago the expression conveyed the idea that the world belonged to that half which shaved.  Nowadays it seems to mean that you have to have the right après-rasage face cream.
On one of the stands at It’s a Mans World men lie supine while attractive women in white coats rub luxurious moisturisers into their faces; cameras display the beauty treatment in close-up on banks of screens.  Behold the metrosexual pampered by women, technology and capitalism; behold the metrosexual as star.
‘It feels nice.  Basically you get a free facial out of it,’ says James, a nineteen-year-old in natty jeans and an Italian designer shirt, face aglow.  ‘This stuff is a bit out of my price range, I’m a student,’ he confesses.  ‘But if I had the money I might well buy the stuff.’
Is all this attention to appearance a good thing?  ‘Yes,’ says another young man, casually-but-carefully dressed in Caterpillar boots, pristine Levi’s, T-shirt, sweatshirt and bomber jacket.  ‘If women take so much trouble over their appearance it’s only fair that men should take a bit more themselves.  My girlfriend would certainly agree!’
But is it really about fairness?  Or about what you see when you look in the mirror?  ‘I suppose it’s mostly the way you feel,’ he admits.
A twenty-one-year-old stock manager in Gap agrees.  ‘Men are just as vain as women and it’s a good thing that we’re able to show it these days.’
One of the major interests behind metrosexual pride, as the impressive list of sponsors of this event (Dunhill to Porsche, Timberland to Simpson’s of Piccadilly) shows, is big business.  Metrosexuals are the creation of capitalism’s voracious appetite for new markets.
Traditionally heterosexual men were the world’s worst consumers.  All they bought was beer, fags and the occasional Durex, the Wife or ‘Mum’ bought everything else.  In a consumerist world, heterosexual men had no future.  So they were replaced by the metrosexual.
The promotion of metrosexuality was left to the men’s style press, magazines such as The Face, GQ, Esquire, Arena and FHM, the new media which took off in the Eighties and is still growing (GQ gains 10,000 new readers every month).  They filled their magazines with images of narcissistic young men sporting fashionable clothes and accessories.  And they persuaded other young men to study them with a mixture of envy and desire.
Some people said unkind things.  American GQ, for exampled, was popularly dubbed ‘Gay Quarterly’.  Little wonder that all these magazines – with the possible exception of The Face – address their readership as if none of them was homosexual or even bisexual.  Little wonder that It’s a Man’s World organiser Peter Stuart found it necessary to tell me that ‘all the men will bring their girlfriends.’
The ‘heterosexual’ address of these magazines is a convention.   There to reassure the readership and their advertisers that their ‘unmanly’ passions are in fact manly.  Nevertheless, the metrosexual man contradicts the basic premise of traditional heterosexuality – that only women are looked at and only men do the looking.  Metrosexual man might prefer women, he might prefer men, but when all’s said and done nothing comes between him and his reflection.
Metrosexuality was of course, test-marketed on gay men – with enormous success.  It’s a Man’s World is billed as the first men’s style exhibition – but the Gay Lifestyles Exhibition, which features fashion shows and a whole range of ‘mens products’, is already in its third year.  It was in the style-obsessed Eighties that the ‘gay lifestyle’ – the single man living in the metropolis and taking himself as his own love-object – became an aspiration for non-homosexuals.
Perhaps this is why Attitude, a style magazine launched earlier this year felt able to break with convention and address itself openly to gay men and ‘strays’ (gay acting straight men).
The New Lad bible ‘Loaded’, for all its features on sport, babes and sport, is (closeted) metrosexual.  Just as its anti-style is a style (last month it carried a supplement for ‘no nonsense’ clothes, such as jeans and boots), it’s heterosexuality is so self-conscious, so studied, that it’s actually rather camp.  New Lads, for all their burping blokeishness, are just as much in love with their own image as any metrosexual, they just haven’t come to terms yet.
Nor is metrosexuality a vice restricted to the poncey Southern middle-classes.  Working class boys are, if anything, even more susceptible to it.  For example, Newcastle men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five, apparently spend more money per head on clothes than any other men in Europe.  If you live with your mother, as do many working class boys until they marry, and, crucially, you have a job – your disposable income and your metrosexual tendencies are likely to be high.
And metrosexuals have an amazing sense of solidarity.  Back at It’s a Man’s World, Steve and Paul, two fashionably dressed men-about-London in their late twenties, admit to spending ‘a substantial amount’ of their income on male cosmetics and clothes, and think that the exhibition is ‘great’.  But they’re worried they might be letting the side down. 
Says Steve: ‘It’s a shame you picked us to talk to because we’re gay and people might think that a show like this is just for gays and wouldn’t come.  The thing is, straight men are just beginning to discover the joys of shopping and we wouldn’t want to scare them off.’

Copyright Mark Simpson 2006
(Originally appeared in the Independent, 15 November 1994)


Other Simpson articles on his 'bastard child' the metrosexual

http://www.marksimpson.com/
Here come the mirror men - link

Father of the term "Metrosexual": Mark Simpson

"Mark Simpson is an author and journalist.  He is credited with coining the term ‘metrosexual’ in the British newspaper the Independent in 1994 and also introducing it to the US in 2002, inaugurating the current global popularity of the term.  He is also credited with coining the ‘retrosexual’ in the sense of the anti-metrosexual."
Url for this brief article below:
http://www.scienceofthetime.com/scienceofthetime/members/mark_simpson/11/

Venn Diagram - Works Cited Page

Venn Diagram - Works Cited Page

Reading #1:
Author: Paul Theroux
Title: The Male Myth
Reading#2:
Author:Manning Marable
Title: The Black Male

Similarities:

• Similar negative sterotypes are used to describe each race.
• The seperation of men and women to create a specific mental outcome.
• Womens ability to sense inadequacy in men.
• Not acceptable to be highly concerned with obtaning knowledge or take an interest in writing.
• Black woman and white woman share a dismissive attitude toward black men.
• Systematic effort to shape the mental characteristics of a men.
• Physicality being a mens best attribute.

Differences: "The Male Myth"

• Traditionally their version of masculinity by society and family.
• Seperated from women to strengthen masculinity.
• Not feeling like a masculine male for liking things described as feminine.
• Complained of being seen as not masculine for taking an interest in writing.
• Being positioned in society as being above women.
• Abuse amongst each other to reinforce masculinity.

Differences: "The Black Male"

• Systematiicly forced into a specific version of masculinity created by white men.
• Seperated from women and family to weaken masculinity and family bonds.
• Not feeling like a masculine male because you were not allowed to do anything that supported those concepts.
• Having masculinity physically destroyed for taking an interest in writing.
• being regarded as less capable than black women to support family and maintain survival.
• Abuse amongst eachother for survival or financial gain.

Works Cited:
Marable, Manning “The Black Male: Searching beyond Stereotypes” Men’s Lives 5th edition. Eds. Michael S. Kimmel and Michael S.Messner. New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2001. 17-23. Print.

Theroux, Paul “The Male Myth.” Across Cultures: A Reader For Writers. 7th ed. Eds. Sheena Gillespie and Robert Becker. New york: Pearson and Long Man, 2008. 101-104. Print.

Awesome Quote from Paul Theroux

"Everything in sterotyped manliness goes against the life of the mind."(103)- Theroux

Theroux, Paul. "The Male Myth" Across Cultures
            New York: Sheena Gillespie, Robert Becker, 2008.101-105. Print.

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Preliminary Thesis:

            I will be looking at articles from the 12 issues of GQ from 2009 to prove that throughout the year 2009 GQ magazine was promoting metrosexuality to its readers. GQ over the course of years has been described as one of the leading men’s metrosexuality advertising magazines due to its style guides, articles, and advertisements.

Source1:

Burr, Chandler. "Cologne.(men's fragrance usage)" GQ 79.3 (Mar 2009): 102. Print.

           This article is about how American men are programmed to buy into the hype of the term cologne. In European countries men are not bothered by these silly terminologies because perfume is a French world for fragrance; a unisex term for it with no separation from male or female, it also not a problem for gay men either. Cologne is a word describing a very specific kind of perfume, but has been used by marketing companies to give men in America the psychological permission to wear perfume. The article also gives directions on what colognes to buy and how to wear them.

            This article is very relevant to the subject of my research paper. The article is discussing the use of fragrances by men, which is normally considered a feminine activity. The article goes into more detail about how this is more a problem for American men because gay men and European men have no problem with using fragrances and don’t need them to be classified as cologne. This all relates back to the concept of metrosexuality being promoted by GQ through this article which discusses the unisex uses of fragrance by men blurring the lines separating the sexes.

            The article about cologne talks about gay and European men who are the frontier for metrosexuality. It points how they are embracing the concept of being metrosexual by using fragrances and by not needing it to be classified by sex-based terminologies. It explains how the need for the cologne is just for American men because American society in essence is still coming to terms with metrosexuality. The article also points out for readers of this magazine that all the high-end fragrances that you are persuaded to buy by the magazine usually only come in unisex form. So American men will either have to fall behind or catch themselves reaching for the same bottle as their girlfriend.

Source 2:

Chen, Jason. "Trimming, Tweezing, And (Sometimes) Waxing." GQ 79.10 (Oct 2009): p84. Print.

           This article is telling men that they should groom, how to groom, and that it is not as complicated as they may think it is. It gives detailed instructions on how to do a variety of hair trimming and the different tools required.

            This article relates to my article because it emphasis the importance GQ magazine is promoting of men and trimming. Worrying about ones facial appearance is a characteristic more so associated with women and not men. Thus going back to the concept that GQ is promoting metrosexuality in 2009.

            The blending of men’s activities with those normally associated with women is a key representation of metrosexuality. An article discussing the different ways for men to trim up their facial hair and the tools they would need to be is not something that would follow traditional manly behavior. I’ve never known any man to carry a air of tweezers or waxing cream in there personal belongs. Yet metrosexuality brings a new level of concern for a men’s appearance.

Source 3:

Wheelock, Katherine. "That's What I Was Gonna Wear!" GQ 79.4 (April 2009): p54. Print.

This article is about how over a period of time when men and women start dating they tend to dress the same to the point where they can go in each others closet and find something they have worn. This is a trend that is growing amongst celebrity couples and eventually to most couples walking down the street.

This article is relevant to my topic because it shows how GQ magazine is showing the crossing of male and female taste in fashion. Men and women dressing alike while still in heterosexual relationships shows the blurring of female fashion into the men’s fashion choices and vice versa. Sporting the v-neck or cargo pants as your spouse or girlfriend is very much evidence of metrosexuality.

This article is great and my favorite part would be “Instead, you'll just notice one day that your jeans are a little girlie or that you can't tell whose striped V-neck is whose.” Thus taking a serious dive into the realization that yea, once you and your girl start dressing alike and you cant tell whose clothing is whose you have definitely crossed over that line into the realm of metrosexuality. GQ is quietly dishing out more and more different articles persuading guys to the metrosexual lifestyle without ever having to sue the term. This is even goes to show again that in America we need a sort of mental permission to partake in metrosexuality because its still something being approved by society which, is why it mention top celebrities already partaking in this trend, justifying to men that hey if Tom and Katie are doing it, it must be ok.

Source 4:

"Glenn O'Brien Solves Your Sartorial Conundrums." GQ 79.3 (March 2009): p117. Print.

This article features questions that were emailed to the GQ styleguy and the responses he gave back. Men directly send the style guy a question certain fashion dos or don’ts and get advice concerning the subject. Some questions relate to if something is wearable for he office or if I can actually pull of this hat.

This article is relevant because it’s showing wear some men heads are at and their concerns for fashion and how they look. Trying to gain confidence in going for something edgy or trying to find out where to buy the trendiest clothing.

            The article in its essence is going into the topic of how metrosexuality is growing and being put out there by GQ magazine. Men’s curiosity in what they wearing and how they appear is growing. They are looking for advice from a style expert from one of the worlds leading metrosexuality promoting men’s magazines.