Fashions and styles seem to come and go in the night. I think they call them trends. We've all gotten caught in something that was trendy for the moment, don't pretend you didn't have MC Hammer pants and LA Lights. Im not usually one to be into or even notice such trends until well I'll be honest they are not cool anymore. However awhile ago I started to notice a new trend for guys. Well not really new kind of a reappearance of a trend: Men are interested in being men. As revolutionary as this doesn't sound, men have always been been men in a psychical sense, what Im taking about is men wanting to be gentlemen. I first saw this movement shortly after the AMC series Mad Men came out. Guys started coming in my shop asking for haircuts like Don Draper and wanting to try out straight razor shaves. Since I work in, I guess, what is considered a gentleman's trade I noticed a lot of questions about what kind of whiskey should you drink, what kind of suits to wear, where to get shoes shined or a shirt tailored. All things that seem to have died with previous more "manly" generations. I also noticed a lot of the ad's in Maxim, GQ, Esquire, and even Sports Illustrated were playing into this. The ad's where featuring guys with more of a dapper look, slicked back hair, nice suit or sports coat. Alcohol company's took advantage of this right away; Dos Equis with their "most interesting man in the world" campaign, Jim Beam has their "Guys never change" slogan, even P Diddy jumped on the bandwagon teaming up with Ciroc to create a "High-class Premium" vodka. As I noticed these things all culminating together I can't help but make one very significant observation. They want to be this high class mans man but on more than one occasion I had guys tell me appalling stories; cheating, stealing from family members, bailing on child support, and the list goes on. I actually had a guy tell me about how he got his girlfriend and one of her friends (the girlfriend didn't know about here friend) pregnant, broke it off with both of them, he would have any contact with them until the maternity results came back. They were both his. Then Mr. Charming asked me where he could get a good cigar. It amazes me how these guys are missing the point of being a "gentlemen". Being a gentlemen or a man isn't what you drink and wear it's DOING THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT. It's taking care of your responsibility's in life, trying your hardest, being able to admit when you're wrong or need help. I don't want to say a state of mind, cause that is stupid but being a gentlemen is an attitude it can't be bought or faked. Learning to be a gentlemen from the one dimensional personalities on television/advertising these guys are confusing being cultured/sophisticated with actually being a gentlemen. It's the gentlemanly attitude then the style comes in time. Seems to me they want the symptoms of being a gentlemen not the cause. Buying Michael Jordan's jersey doesn't mean you play ball like a super star. You should be setting your aspirations after a person because of what that person does or the way they act not because of what there appearance is. I guess that is what is wrong with our society, all about the sizzle not the steak.
Anthony
Ps. I know I can not spell or punctuate correctly
No comments:
Post a Comment