The metrosexual male: looking good. and proud of it

All Woman writer Michael A Edwards analyses a new type of modern man, one who gets a kick out of being fashionable and well-groomed. It takes a certain level of confidence to go to the salon, especially in Jamaica, where ‘real men’ don’t get mani-pedis and facials or spend a day at a spa being pampered

This is the metrosexual era. As coined in 1994, by English journalist Mark Simpson, the metrosexual is defined as ‘a dandyish narcissist in love with not only himself, but his urban lifestyle – a straight man in touch with his feminine side.’

Thus, detailed personal care practices, from tweezing one’s eyebrows to the use of special facial cleansers and regular manicure-pedicure sessions, even the extensive use of lotion – all thought to be the preserve of the fairer sex – are now part of the routine for many men. In particular, urban-based, upwardly mobile males are taking greater care of their appearance.

Of course, throughout the ages, there have been men noted for their fastidious devotion to proper grooming and personal care, but the general reaction from their ‘non-metro’ colleagues and even from some womenfolk was derision. The obvious epithets were levelled at them. They were ‘soft’, they were ‘gay’ and all the rest.

Today personal care for men is now the in thing. Hair, face and nail treatments are a habit for avowedly heterosexual men. Along with personal care and grooming comes an affinity for social activities like the theatre, music not overwhelmed by a ‘riddim’ (though metrosexuals also appreciate dancehall and hip-hop and other modern forms).

Oscar nominee Terrence Howard was quoted as saying, “I’m glad we now live in an age where men taking care of themselves is seen as a good thing.” Naturally, critical and commercial success has given Howard access to the A-list among hairdressers and personal groomers, but one can infer from his remarks that this was a development some time in the making. Others, like Real Madrid footballer and married father-of-three David Beckham, have sported sarongs, diamond earrings and nail polish.

Here in Jamaica, the male care business is growing, thanks in large part to the patient endurance of people like Sandra Samuels, whose Totally Male Salon has marked its first decade of catering exclusively to men.

A non-media contemporary of this writer put forward an interesting viewpoint. He contends that one part of the equation is that for some years now, the young Jamaican male has been an icon of violence and aggression; this aggression has frequently been symbolised in sexuality, with dancehall DJs – and others – using terms like kill, crush, grind, mash and slam to refer to sex. That kind of language has strong undertones of conquest and even subjugation.

Part of the backlash to this has been women’s growing celebration of straight men whose sexual personas encompass a gentler, more mutually engaging philosophy, reflected in their dress, personal hygiene and overall sensibilities.

Of course, its not nearly as simple as that. The ‘slammer’ is still revered by many as the ‘correct’ model of heterosexuality, thus leaving the ‘metro’ man in an awkward place: not homosexual by his own admission and practice, yet ‘not hetero enough’ in the eyes of his more rugged counterparts.

Ironically, members of the homosexual community, to whom the relatively new group is being disparagingly compared, have taken umbrage at the rise of the metrosexual, saying metro men are merely ripping off ‘attributes’, i.e. good dress and grooming, an appreciation of the fine arts, which they regard as their exclusive domain.

The media are both respondent to and driver of this social current. The Bravo network’s Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, with five homosexual men giving style advice to professed heterosexuals, has raised the profiles of both groups but has also sustained the stereotype and the line that homosexuals’ ‘own’ style and grooming for men and that the stylish man is mere steps away from homosexuality.

In the politically correct society we live in, usually making a personal judgment about someone’s lifestyle based solely on his appearance is frowned upon. Shamefully, we live in a society where a heterosexual male who takes care of his personal appearance is scrutinised by the public eye.

But more are braving that scrutiny and putting their preferences for perfectly co-ordinated outfits, meticulously scrubbed nails, neatly coiffed hair and a classical recital out to an increasingly accommodating Jamaican society.