Poll: The 'Real' Man Debate

[Hunter Hyena]

Recently I have been in a debate with family and friends over how men should/shouldn't act/dress. This mainly started with my family when I started dying/straitening my hair and focusing more on my appearance. Now the official debate started when my mom found out (through conversations) I wore eyeliner and shaved most of my body hair. She started saying how 'real' men shouldn't shave and should not wear make-up.

So I suppose my question is, do 'real' men care about their looks, or do they not? What are your thoughts and opinions on this?

 

[DoPo]

I don't care as much. I shave a couple of times a week (maybe more, when needed), prefer my clothes functional (which includes "don't look horrendous") and that's pretty much all of it.

But I'm not sure I'm real, though.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

No man can comfortably wear skinny fitting jeans.

It's just not possible

 

[Shadowstar38]

Your mom sounds judgemental as hell. I would think women would like a guy that cared enough about what he looked like to go through all that.

My answer is, there's no standard for what "real men" should look and dress like. Just do what you feel.

 

[Andy Shandy]

I don't particularly care. I shave once or twice a week but that's it in terms of 'grooming'.

 

[MammothBlade]

"Real" men dress however they want to. Dresses? Go for it. Skirts? Why not?

 

[Thaluikhain]

Placing restrictions on what "real men" can do? Fuck that.

 

[omega 616]

I guess when people say real men they mean "lets take a trip back to the 60's". I know this is as worn out as 200 year old carpet but would Chuck Norris use hair straighteners? Would he wear eye liner?

I guess that's what she is driving at, your meant to be working out, getting drunk, belching, scratching your nuts in public, making a mess blah blah blah. Just do what you want to, except hurt people ... that's not cool.

 

[AndrewF022]

I would be more in the 'I care less about my looks' camp. As far as I go with personal grooming is: Shaving my face + neck, obviously bathing regularly (granted haha) and using deodorant and aftershave. As for clothes I generally wear higher quality jeans with buttoned shirts and a jacket.

So I wouldn't say 'Real Man' as much as I would say 'Regular Guy' haha.

So you can do whatever the hell you want, go for it. However you still have to understand that people may question what you do anyway, especially when it comes to makeup/a ton of hair products, shaving body hair (especially the legs if you shave those) and wearing something like Skinny leg jeans. As open as I am to people doing what they want, if I passed you in a shopping center (mall) looking like that I'd probably give you a sideways look myself...

 

[Loop Stricken]

What is a real man?

A miserable little pile of secrets.

 

[Random Fella]

I'd be lying if I said when I saw men with straightened hair and earrings that I didn't think less of them.
But that's just me, anyone should dress and look however they want, many people have different opinion on what a 'real' man or 'real' lady looks like, but of course there is no 'real' anything, people just dress and look how they want to.

 

[Random Fella]

I'd be lying if I said when I saw men with straightened hair and earrings that I didn't think less of them.

*looks at pony avatar* That's... interesting...

OT: The idea of a 'real' man is stupid, just ignore it and act without regard for the notion. Men are just men. People who talk about 'real' men just need to acclimate themselves to the new century.

Well, I am quite the fan of irony

 

[Kae]

I hate the "Real Men" bullshit, it doesn't matter there isn't such a thing, just dress however you want, if somebody tell you it's wrong then ignore them because they really have no right to tell you what is wrong about how you dress.

And don't get me started with the stupid "Real men don't cry" thing...

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

My only problem with metrosexuals is that they indirectly cause us borderline ape-men to be considered less attractive than we should be. Just like what happened with women in the 1900's, all you waxed, shaven individuals are creating a new, unnatural body standard for the rest of us. Even if I wanted to wax, it'd be futile; I'm pretty sure I'd have a Santa Clause situation on my hands.

Unfortunately, I can't find a clip, but you know the scene -- the hair instantly regrows, because darnit, Santa has a beard. Just expand that to the whole body.

Speaking of manliness, I learned today that there was a Roman politician named M. Manlius Capitolinus, which is officially the best name for a politician ever.

 

[Suijen]

Isn't eyeliner traditionally used by women? Unless this catches on, you're going to remain a guy using women's cosmetics. But if it does catch on, then yeah, it'll be fine. Standards change, and standards for what's appropriate and inappropriate for men and women change.

It's not unmanly to care about your appearance. It's just what that appearance is in debate. No one would call you a pussy for washing your face and shaving. But slapping on traditional womens' cosmetics and beauty products will look unmanly.

 

[renegade7]

Dress how you want the world to see you. If you want to come off as a respectable man, you'd better look the part, especially where work and dating are concerned.

'Manliness' is a poor excuse to look like a slob. If you have to get a job to support yourself or family, a real man would shut up about how ladylike taking care of oneself is.

 

[loc978]

eh... man or woman, I say just do what's comfortable. Personally, my grooming doesn't go far beyond hygiene, because I'm uncomfortable with makeup and excessive shaving (on me, it would have to be excessive... and I'd lose my +1 natural armor vs slashing weapons, as well as my +20 cold resistance)... and I have other things to do with my time.
If you're the opposite, that's fine. I won't judge another man for using makeup if he doesn't judge me for not using makeup. Same for shaving the ol' chest and belly.

 

[Roboticus]

Dress however the hell you want, in the end of the day it really doesn't matter. What's "normal" and what a "real man" is changes depending on what culture or social group you're talking to. Every group, and individual making up that group, has their own opinion. Herd mentality and all that, the people that an individual associates with helps decide his opinions and vice versa. If you come from a more conservative house hold they might see that as strange, but let's say you came from a household of, I don't know, artists? The more conservative household would see it as strange and feminine while the second family might see it as personal expression. That being said the second family might not be as appreciative if you went out wearing jeans, work boots and a carhart jacket.

Anyway, the idea of a "real man" is a social construct so the idea of what it looks like changes from (sub)culture to (sub)culture. If you dress outside of what your area's dominant culture considers manly, then you'll be seen as unmanly. That's just sort of how the human race works. It always has been and until we have some massive psychological change as a species that's the way it always will be.