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Beauty reviews: The men's range
We've decided to let our partners test a few manly products. Here's what they had to say...
 We've chosen Andy Ellis as our window to a man's world. Running, cycling and paddling-mad, Andy is the advertising manager for Runner's World and Beyond 42 magazines. He lives in Cape Town with his beautiful wife, Jill, and no-shortage-of-attitude-for-a-girl-so-young-daughter. |
A suited, clean-shaved young man goes down on bended knee; the creamy soft skin of his lover's hand gently nestles in his. He looks up, presents a watery visual embrace and stutters through his well-rehearsed proposition: 'My darling, will you marry me?' 'SAY WHAT!?SAID, SAY WHAT?' screams the creamy lover in total disbelief, enforcing her newly discovered quazi, channel 'o' rap speak. 'You want to get married?rever?'
Is it just me, or has the tide of tradition made a change? Men are meant to be the bachelors of the global 'hood'; the proud sticklers of non-commitment, lovers forever but never married. Well, if this is you Mr Quixote, then step back, focus on the big screen: the man's man has been subtly relegated, the sun is rising on the era of the woman's woman. Guys, you are in for a big surprise should you wish to marry your little Tomb Raider. In the new millennium - Lara Croft packs her own pistols.
How did this happen? Thank Elvis. The 1950's witnessed the birth of a mass media rebel, up until then the world was all about torture, war, famine and conformity (see getting stretched on the rack in the bowels of London Tower, The Western Front and Senator McCarthy as examples).
All public icons abided to a code of discipline and straightjacketed appearances. Elvis burst out of Graceland with that funky hairdo, silver sequins and blue shoes ? he gave our world purpose with his pelvis. The bravado of our new king sowed the seeds of individualism in the minds of women, but the stranglehold of years of traditionalism is hard to break. So the little seeds bided their time and as the world began to evolve and man began to ease up on himself, invent cool things, go to space regularly and use four letter words on TV, so did women begin to strive for their rightful place in the world? men.
Modern women have reached a point where the only thing that separates them from men is their ability to bear and nurture the future of the human race. Add this to fact that e-commerce is all about the cyber world, which makes physical strength irrelevant, coupled with a new breed of butch superwoman working construction, driving double pantechnicons and doing service in the battle fields of Iraq it's no wonder man is under threat. Talk about holding all the cards to future dictatorial rule of the world! On all accounts global role reversal has taken root. The implications of this phenomena on our relationships is immense ? the modern woman sees no point to a committed relationship, why should her delicate underwear compete for space with dodgy boxer shorts in the dressing table drawer of cohabital bliss? She is her own woman, with her own set of goals and aspirations for the future. It is now socially acceptable for her to experience a host of committed relationships without long-term commitment.
Our millennium minxes are so damn independent that it has reached a point where they are experts at embracing their new-found freedom, ruthlessly ditching men who may not entirely live up to their long term expectations of a partnership. Not so long ago this was the sole domain of the man. Nature's safety net to extinction is simple and effective; men are designed to think with their penis. Broody women of the old empire would simply dangle the lure of unconditional sex to hook their marital incumbent into a lifetime contract of employment.
Could the human race be facing extinction? Imagine a healthy guy refusing sex with a woman just because he is not in the mood? Most women can roam the desert for years and never even harbour a thought of the possibility of a stray penis at the next oasis. Men, on the other hand, can't operate heavy machinery after 5 days of abstinence! If man's basic offerings of security, strength and superior income have been diminished by the prowess of the modern woman and all he has left to offer are his genitals, the familial institution may lost forever?
Hang on! We are talking about women aren't we? The gender who are moved by the smell of milk chocolate, objects of beauty, trips to the hairdresser, the velvety touch of a baby's skin and the occasional desperation of men? The mechanics of the female biological clock haven't seized, they have just slowed down a little. Men are still being shepherded into marriage; bridal instincts still exist, but only after their women have sown their wild oats, conquered the world ? I have to say?ou go girl!
