« Metrosexual Is out, Macho Is In »

Beards, muscles, brawn. Could it be that the years of the metrosexual man are over and the macho man is back? "The new macho is the old macho," said Stephen Perrine, editor in chief of Best Life magazine. "It is about being strong and feeling confident, filling traditional male roles."
The recent demise of Cargo, a men's magazine dedicated solely to shopping, has been hailed as a death knell of the metrosexual trend. Perrine pinpoints the death of the metrosexual to a moment in last year's hit comedy "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," when Steve Carrell's character has his chest waxed.
"When they ripped the chest hair off Steve in 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin,' a whole generation of macho men wanted to smack her," Perrine said.
Leo Burnett, a Chicago advertising firm, conducted a global study of masculinity last year, which found half of men say their role in society is unclear and that they feel "less dominant" than in previous decades. More than 70 percent of men said advertising was out of touch with men's "reality," leading company executive Rose Cameron to recommend that advertisers "talk to men about their masculinity."
Advertising looks like it's starting to catch up. A recent Miller Lite ad campaign shows a round table of guys debating "man laws." Actor Jim Belushi just published an advice book titled "Real Men Don't Apologize," and Vince Vaughn's lovable brute in "The Break Up" did well in the box office.
"The metrosexual is the guy you call about waxing his eyebrows. The macho guy is the one you call to kill the spider and then to give it to you good. For woemn it's about a man's strength, protection and the sweet smell of his sweat."
Perrine said going to the gym is still considered macho, as long as it's focused on health and not just physical appearance. He said hybrid cars are part of the macho trend, too, as is a suit and tie for the office.
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