Manliness Must Reads: Metrosexual Edition
Is being a Metrosexual manly? The short hair helps the argument.
I subscribe to Google Alerts and receive maybe 100 emails a day on keywords appearing in blogs, news stories, etc. This past week, the keyword “metrosexual” showed up A LOT.
Plenty of of it has to do with news concerning the Beckham and Ronaldo battle for the king of metrosexuals crown. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though.
When Mark Simpson coined this term in 1994 and followed it up in 2002 with a story in Salon.com introducing “Becks” as the undisputed metrosexual, he solidified the word’s place in today’s lexicon. Beckham is one of those international sport stars that transcends the sport he plays. People know who he is – regardless if you know soccer or not.
Branding a star of this caliber with the term gives it a legitimacy it never had prior. There have been self-proclaimed metrosexuals along the way, but it is now mainstream. Being a metrosexual has moved from the fringes to many guy’s way of life.
Plan on seeing many more articles and discussions around this idea. I get the feeling men want to know if this is something they should pursue, and, more importantly, what women feel about the concept.
Manliness Must Reads
Lessons In Manliness: Private Ross A McGinnis and Petty Office Michael Monsoor (@Art Of Manliness) Every news wire and blog should pick this article up. People hear these stories in the abstract, but when a real person and a story get applied, it changes everything. Great post!!!
Cristiano Ronaldo Is An Oompa Loompa (@The Urban Backpacker) This blogger loves his sports. He found an interesting photo of Ronaldo that helped spur the whole “metrosexual” conversation. Short post, but very good.
Blog Pimping, or: Who Do You Want To Delight? (@43 Folders) Merlin writes one of the best blog posts I’ve ever read on a post from Jack Shedd’s blog. Try to answer the questions “Why start a blog? What is my voice? Why will people read me? How do I stand out or sell out?” Incredible post and got me thinking about what I want to accomplish with Return To Manliness.
Online College Degree Programs Offer Maximum Flexibility (@Frugal Dad) Good analysis of online degrees – pro’s and con’s. I like the interaction of live people, but others love the flexibility. The biggest bang for my buck has always been in person (and that goes for just about anything in my life of great importance).
On a side note, Merlin’s post on blog pimping really has me reflecting on what bloggers are trying to accomplish. The #1 rule you hear is write about something you love. I found it is not that easy. Any measure of success in blogging includes readership and pushing the discussion forward.
I blog for fun and eventually money. I watch my readership every day, but don’t obsess. Am I looking at this incorrectly? Do the purists have a point?
Thanks for the link! You know, I’ve never really thought the term “metrosexual” was very flattering, and I personally don’t strive for the label. I like to think of myself as more of a throw-back to an era when men were real men, and didn’t really care what people thought of their hair, their “style,” etc. I like old trucks and flannel shirts in the winter, and have never stepped foot in any place with “salon” in their name.
Frugal Dads last blog post..Easy Way to Save Money and Calories: Eat Before You Play
It’s funny you mention pinping one’s blog. I am about 5 days from reaching 100,000 hits. It’s amazing because I remember when I thought 30 hits a day was a big deal. I just couldn’t believe that 30 people wanted to hear what I have to say.
I never started blogging to become a ‘big time’ blogger. You’ll notice I don’t have ads or anything on my blog. I started because I would see things in life which would drive me nuts and I wanted to have an outlet for expressing that. It was so clear to me that people were getting in their own way regarding living on purpose.
I don’t much plan my posts beforehand. If I have an idea, I’ll write it down. For the most part, though, it’s been whatever I feel moved to write about. Whatever I feel passionately about. And my readership went from 30 to almost 2,000 a day. I don’t post stats on PI, because it isn’t about stats for me. Stats are just the indicator that what I write resonates with certain people.
If you start bloggin, make SURE you are blogging about something that moves you, on which you are passionate. Blogging can suck up much of your time and if you are doing it just to make money, you probably won’t stick with it for very long. It becomes a chore instead of a compelling way to divulge the contents of one’s mind.
Hayden Tompkinss last blog post..How to Achieve Your Childhood Dreams
@Frugal – Flannel shirts and old trucks IS a style and a good one.
@Hayden – I read your blog and like your content. The one reason to show up at any website is content – whether pictures, video, advice or stories.
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