The New 'New Man'

So as usual on Thursday morning I get the free weekly mens magazine, shortlist, as I enter the tube station, thie weeks edition shows a very striking red cover spelling 'MAN,' as a mens magazine that's no surprise. But opening the cover and flicking to the related article I found myself fully engrossed in the words, the article was thought provoking, comic and making perfect sense.

As we all know the idea of what a 'man' should be has changed over the years, the man's man, metrosexual, the new man .... But all that has changed according to this article, we are now looking for a balance between them. Yes it is still ok to like clothes and moisturise but now it is important for you to retain those defining masculine aspects. The new man is the mix between macho and metro, find that delicate balance, and you become 'apparently' what women want, the 'Rogue Male.'

In our modern day a 'man' has grown to be so much more, according to the article men should drive, but fight, in to sport but yet able to cook, have a beer and watch the game, but easily view a arty film with a glass of white. The new dimensions added create a more interesting, full and deep ideal for the man. I guess it combines the best bits of the man's man and the metrosexual, and why can't we match both? It's not as if these traits are contradictory.

According to shortlist these changes have been bought about by the changes in consumer culture and the rise in powerful women. It states ' Traditionally the male role is to be the provider, but female empowerment has muddied the waters, if men can't be providers, they can be protectors.' This also explains the rise in males partaking in contact sports, such as martial arts or kick boxing.

This is one of the best articles i have read in a long time, and who to think it from a free magazine! I throughly advise anyone read this if they have a copy and haven't done so yet, or pass it on to your boyfriends if you are looking for an upgrade! Plus a nice reassuring statistic was 60% of men will go and see Sex & The City 2 with their girlfriends..... does that make it ok for me to go?

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