It all started with the metrosexual, but quickly became something else entirely. It morphed into a cultural revolution in which the world ceased to care if you were a man, a woman, or something in between. Everyone has a right to be pretty, to take pride in his or her appearance. It took us centuries to accept that, but finally, at long last, we have arrived.
Chronicling our culture's sharp ascent from its enforcement of rigid gender roles and behavior to a more enlightened era where men have begun to truly embrace their right to be who they want to be, Handsome pulls no punches. Saddled with an NC-17 rating by the MPAA for its frank portrayal of the modern man, it explores the nature of masculinity, femininity, and the two extremes' places in American Culture.
Hailed as "...riveting..." and "...the most important film in the last twenty years...", it has been nearly unanimously praised by critics.
A few days ago, I saw an advertisement for a documentary called "Mansome" which sparked my imagination. The documentary's blurb is as follows:
In the age of manscaping, metrosexuals, and grooming products galore, what does it mean to be a man? Oscar nominee Morgan Spurlock and executive producers Ben Silverman, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman present a delightfully entertaining documentary featuring candid interviews from Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Paull Rudd,Zach Galifianakis, and everyday people weighing in on everything from the obsession with facial hair to body dysmorphic disorder.
I don't know if it's going to be the documentary I think it is; maybe it will, or maybe it won't. But the fact remains that the gap between how much men and women care about their appearance is slowly narrowing. Will we ever get to the point where men actively try to be pretty? I don't know; there is a fringe movement right now that is doing just that, though. Maybe it will become more mainstream. Either way, it's fun to fantasize about.
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