You Look Smart

Fluffy NYT article about how younger men are now into dressing better:

Dressing for Success, Again

 "And at Topman, the men’s branch of the popular Topshop, the category it calls “smart” clothing — dressier togs that straddle work and play — has been one of the best performers in its new New York store.

“I think it’s a reaction against the homogeneity of casual wear,” said Gordon Henderson, the design director of Topman. “There’s nowhere to go with that in terms of personality, whereas a suit sets you apart. And now there are suits that are cut for young people. There’s never been that before, so it’s new to them.”"

I like that phrase, "smart clothing". Shouldn't all clothing be smart, in the original sense of the word?

The SATC Look for Men

"Men are still from Mars. Or at least Dartmouth"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/fashion/04BASTIAN.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Look at all the classy clothes!

And don't you just love good writing? It's refreshing.

Peter Pan

Many college guys don't know how to act like adults. They live on a closed campus, food and housing provided, where they can frolick in the grass, climb trees, drink til they puke, and pretty much lead a life without any real responsibility.

As the school year ends, seniors are going to have to realize that they need to take care of themselves. They're going on the final abroad program, where friends aren't always there in their dorms waiting to "hang out," and you need to take a cab home at night (maybe).

But what about those men who can't let go? The ones whose aspirations are to remain in childhood, thiking they're "special" and live life thinking only about themselves? There's a point at which children's brains develop to consider others in their lives, a transition from a selfish perspective to a compassionate and accountable one. They realize that they should treat people the way they wanted to be treated, with respect and support.

Someone I know recently exposed a popular name for the man who can't leave his childhood; it's Peter Pan syndrome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puer_Aeternus

The man only cares about himself. I don't understand how anybody could get by in this world thinking that way--you'd hurt too many people. So effing stupid.

Feminism

I'm writing a paper about film and second wave feminism, so I took a few books out of the library. One was entitled "Does Feminism Discriminate Against Men?"

Here are some gems.
p. 4: “Expressing feelings of vulnerability brings women affection and men rejection."

p. 47
“When a woman touches a man on his rear, he’s likely to say, ‘thank you’; when a man touches a woman on her rear, she’s more likely to say ‘sue you.’

“Why this difference? He’s always had to work for sex, pay for sex, risk rejection for sex, perform for sex—so what he gets for no work, pay, rejection, or performing creates gratitude: He says ‘thank you.’ She’s had men pay for drinks and dinners before they even asked for sex, so when he takes it without asking and without paying, she’s more likely to say ‘sue you.’"

I hope you enjoyed that. There's even more where that came from.