Purple velvet jackets
I got this book from the school library called Men and Masculinities in Comtemporary Japan. Sounds fascinating, right? I love this kind of stuff - the oppression of men blah blah blah - and sure there are just as many restrictions and gender expectations for men here (anywhere) as there are for women. This book aims to show how some men don't fit into (or consciously fight) that mold. They make it sound like it has a lot to do these days with Japan's economic slump, i.e. the salaryman thing doesn't work, we have to figure out how to be a new kind of man! Hooray for them, but
can we talk about the purple velvet jackets?
Chapter 3 is on Men's beauty work - its growing visibility and growing market. Yes, Japan takes metrosexual to whole new levels.
I, personally, do not find these kinds of men attractive. But then again, I don't find women who spend that amount of time and money on their appearance attractive either. I suppose there is some sort of aesthetic appeal... I can look at pictures of KimuTaku, member of SMAP and the example cited in the book as an ideal of masculine beauty, and say "Hmm, yeah, that's pretty," but attractive? Ew ew ew no. And it isn't just because I imagine his skin would be softer, smoother, and more hairless than mine.
When I went out to the movies with Ripley-san, we briefly talked about this (that's where the purple velvet jacket thing comes from). She's not a fan of it either. What does it say about men? And what does it say about the women who like these men? It seems like a big mess of capitalism and narcissism if you ask me. We're not liberating anyone this way. No, instead we're objectifying men the way we already do women. Why can't people just like themselves (and each other) the way they are? I believe in accepting and working with the features you already have, not getting plastic surgery to shave bone off your jawline or change the shape of your eyes. *shudders* Beauty work is not "expressing your individuality and uniqueness" if everyone is doing it. You have to find what's already unique about you and flaunt it.
And again, no wonder people here aren't making babies. Who has the time or money to spend on raising a child when they're too busy babying themselves?
can we talk about the purple velvet jackets?
Chapter 3 is on Men's beauty work - its growing visibility and growing market. Yes, Japan takes metrosexual to whole new levels.
I, personally, do not find these kinds of men attractive. But then again, I don't find women who spend that amount of time and money on their appearance attractive either. I suppose there is some sort of aesthetic appeal... I can look at pictures of KimuTaku, member of SMAP and the example cited in the book as an ideal of masculine beauty, and say "Hmm, yeah, that's pretty," but attractive? Ew ew ew no. And it isn't just because I imagine his skin would be softer, smoother, and more hairless than mine.
When I went out to the movies with Ripley-san, we briefly talked about this (that's where the purple velvet jacket thing comes from). She's not a fan of it either. What does it say about men? And what does it say about the women who like these men? It seems like a big mess of capitalism and narcissism if you ask me. We're not liberating anyone this way. No, instead we're objectifying men the way we already do women. Why can't people just like themselves (and each other) the way they are? I believe in accepting and working with the features you already have, not getting plastic surgery to shave bone off your jawline or change the shape of your eyes. *shudders* Beauty work is not "expressing your individuality and uniqueness" if everyone is doing it. You have to find what's already unique about you and flaunt it.
And again, no wonder people here aren't making babies. Who has the time or money to spend on raising a child when they're too busy babying themselves?
posted by Bibhatsu at 21:04
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