I've just read an article on Salon.com Link Provided: http://www.salon.com/life/gender/index.html?story=/mwt/broadsheet/2010/04/07/retrosexuals_silliness ; as you'll see if you read it its about "Retro-Sexuals". While I couldn't exactly consider myself to be one. I do disagree with the authors conclusion. He considers this new social 'moment' to be a reaction of misogamy mixed in with an unhealthy homophobia. I respectfully disagree.
Ever since the American counter-culture revolutions of the 1960s' American culture, in particular the suburban culture; has revolved around the twin, but intertwined concepts of "Self Actualization" and "Consumerism". Self Actualization is, in effect, the pinicale of Mazlowes Hierarchy. It suggests that once all a persons needs, from social to such things as food and shelter, are realized; A person may then reach a state of enlightenment, where they will be happy and know themselves. Consumerism is a culture which simply encourages the buying of whatever. The strategy is simple; in order to be a more fulfilled person; one must buy things that will increase their status on mazlowed hierarchy. Then they can become more Acutalized.
Over the past 40 years this has perpetuated a sort of cultural death in America. Everything is more or less the same and there is no sense of uniqueness or sense of place in American culture. The point is its a very bland place with no sense of cultural inheritance.
Men, having held the keys to everything for the past 400 years; have been, obviously, left somewhat lost in this great wave of change. Like a ship adrift at sea, they too have been let alone with no sense of direction or way of knowing in which direction they should go, at least, in a cultural sense. Now that the social mores of western civilization are no longer with us; with nobody in authority (save the advertising companies) informing men on how to be men. Men are lost and have no idea of what it is to be a man or what ideals to strive for.
I believe that these retrosexuals, instead of being a bunch of women-hating homophobes, are, quite differently, simply men trying to reclaim a sense of cultural uniqueness and realness within the great white noise of our consumerist culture. The idea that practicing self-denial, giving ourselves whole heartily to a true ideal, loving our family; and being a voice of authority within their households; isn't just a flash of mass-nastolgia; its looking to reclaim an identity and sense of direction that was held tight by their grandfathers, only to be abandoned by their fathers. And now its up to us, the 3rd generation of mellenials to pick it back up and restore not our 'place in society'; it is forever lost; but our sense of self-direction; identity; and self-esteem.
I REALLY hope that this was understandable. Comments?
Ever since the American counter-culture revolutions of the 1960s' American culture, in particular the suburban culture; has revolved around the twin, but intertwined concepts of "Self Actualization" and "Consumerism". Self Actualization is, in effect, the pinicale of Mazlowes Hierarchy. It suggests that once all a persons needs, from social to such things as food and shelter, are realized; A person may then reach a state of enlightenment, where they will be happy and know themselves. Consumerism is a culture which simply encourages the buying of whatever. The strategy is simple; in order to be a more fulfilled person; one must buy things that will increase their status on mazlowed hierarchy. Then they can become more Acutalized.
Over the past 40 years this has perpetuated a sort of cultural death in America. Everything is more or less the same and there is no sense of uniqueness or sense of place in American culture. The point is its a very bland place with no sense of cultural inheritance.
Men, having held the keys to everything for the past 400 years; have been, obviously, left somewhat lost in this great wave of change. Like a ship adrift at sea, they too have been let alone with no sense of direction or way of knowing in which direction they should go, at least, in a cultural sense. Now that the social mores of western civilization are no longer with us; with nobody in authority (save the advertising companies) informing men on how to be men. Men are lost and have no idea of what it is to be a man or what ideals to strive for.
I believe that these retrosexuals, instead of being a bunch of women-hating homophobes, are, quite differently, simply men trying to reclaim a sense of cultural uniqueness and realness within the great white noise of our consumerist culture. The idea that practicing self-denial, giving ourselves whole heartily to a true ideal, loving our family; and being a voice of authority within their households; isn't just a flash of mass-nastolgia; its looking to reclaim an identity and sense of direction that was held tight by their grandfathers, only to be abandoned by their fathers. And now its up to us, the 3rd generation of mellenials to pick it back up and restore not our 'place in society'; it is forever lost; but our sense of self-direction; identity; and self-esteem.
I REALLY hope that this was understandable. Comments?