veronica 2 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Hey guys, just read an interesting bit about Japan's (girly) blokes that a friend sent on. (Don't know where it came from). Question to the guys: do you spend any cash on cosmetics? I would be interested to know what the guy thoughts are on that. Quote: In Japan some call them herbivores, and on Saturday nights they come out to graze: a perfumed army of preening masculinity. Groomed and primped, hair teased to peacock-like perfection and bodies wrapped in tight-fitting clothes, their habitat is the crowded city where they live in fear of commitment, and the odd carnivorous female who preys on them. For much of this decade, the older men who drove this country to the top of the economic league tables have looked on in bewilderment at the foppish antics of the generation below. Japan's twenty- and thirtysomething males seem disinterested in careers and apathetic about the rituals of dating, sex and marriage. They spend almost as much on cosmetics and clothes as women, live with their mums and sit down on the toilet when they pee. Some have even been known to wear bras. "What is happening to the nation's manhood?" wonders social critic Takuro Morinaga. Now they have their answer: Japanese males are transforming into grass-eaters. Coined by columnist Maki Fukasawa, the term soshoku-danshi (herbivorous male) has become one of those cultural buzzwords that hijacks the Japanese media every couple of years. With its implied disdain for vegetarians, the term has been popularised in a bestselling new book called The Herbivorous Ladylike Men (who) are Changing Japan by Megumi Ushikubo, president of Tokyo marketing firm Infinity. Her company claims that roughly two-thirds of all Japanese men aged 20-34 are now partial or total grass-eaters, and a very long way from the classic twin stereotypes of 20th-century Japanese masculinity: the fierce, unyielding warrior and the workaholic salary-man. "I noticed these major changes taking place between my father's generation, the 58 to 63-year-olds who are retiring now, and the under-35s," she explains. "This is just a very different breed." Ms Ushikubo believes that the post-war corporate samurai is increasingly a carnivorous dinosaur, whose legendary dedication to the company – at the expense of family – is as much a relic as dawn calisthenics on the factory floor. "Grass-eaters" by contrast, are uncompetitive and uncommitted to work, a symptom of their epic disillusionment with Japan's troubled economy. "People who grew up in the bubble era (of the 1980s) really feel like they were let down. They worked so hard and it all came to nothing," says Ms Ushikubo. "So the men who came after them have changed." Like many all-encompassing buzzwords, "herbivore male" can be laughably imprecise. Among his other qualities, the herbivore is close to his mum, has a liking for deserts and foreign travel and leans toward platonic relationships with the opposite sex. He will happily share a night with a woman without laying a hand on her and doesn't waste his money on prostitutes. But the term resonates with a generation struggling to make sense of profound social disruption rooted in economic changes. Wealth disparities are corroding Japan's meritocracy and poverty is rising. A 2007 OECD report showed that relative poverty in Japan is the second worst in the developed world, after the United States. Business magazine Weekly Diamond recently noted that more than 80 per cent of 35-year-olds in Japan live on an annual income of two million yen – a key poverty benchmark. "I don't think the lives my parents had is an option for us anymore," laments Kai Ishii, a 26-year-old broker in Shizuoka Prefecture. "I want to eventually get married and buy a house. I just don't know when I'll be able to do that, even if I'm still in a job." About one third of the Japanese workforce is now casual or part-time, and confidence in the future is at rock bottom. For many young men, the post-war dream of lifetime employment, home and family, with all the sacrifices it entailed, is fading. In response, some have turned their energies elsewhere, toward the once feminised sphere of consumption – or away from life altogether. Millions remain at home as "parasite singles", meaning they live with, and off, their parents. The pressing need to find a partner has been alleviated by the ubiquity of porn, sex toys and virtual sex on bedroom computers – one reason, say analysts, why consumption of condoms has been falling for a decade. Even those who opt for conventional marriage find their old role of main breadwinner is no longer available: men and woman increasingly share the roles of work and home. Many of these complex changes are also occurring elsewhere, and are not unwelcome, points out sociologist Yuko Kawanishi. "Japanese men had it good for a long time. They were macho and sexist, and neglected their wives, so it's good that they're discovering their feminine side, and learning to cooperate." Ms Ushikubo also hails the rise of the ojyo-man, or ladylike men. "My generation expected that sort of traditional man to pay for everything, to get the good job and support us," the 41-year-old author recalls. "But that system put a lot of pressure on men. They don't know when they'll be fired, or restructured. The idea that they had to carry the burden by themselves is fading and I think we're seeing more equal relationships." While sociologists debate its merits, the herbivore phenomenon has become popular media fodder. On one discussion show this year, a group of grass-eaters faced their older counterparts like opposing armies across a battlefield. "Men are turning into women," lamented critic Mr Morinaga. The blurring of gender boundaries has been highlighted by stories appearing to demonstrate that once proud alpha-males are being symbolically castrated in the home. Toilet-maker Matsushita Electric Works reported a survey this year suggesting that more than 40 per cent of adult men in Japan sit on the toilet when they urinate – a figure that is rising year by year. Nagging wives are also blamed for the rise of the Tenshi no Hizamakura, or Angel's Knee Pillow, a kneeling stool with an unfortunate resemblance to a church pew that brings men closer to the bowl when they pee. Designed to stop splashing around the bowl – women after all still do the vast bulk of household cleaning – the product's arrival prompted the following headline in one media outlet "Men brought to their knees by angry housewives". Marketing experts like Ms Ushikubo, who has also written a book called The Consumption Power of Twenty-something Happy Parasites, have been quick to learn the lessons of the new herbivorous world. Men are now leading purchasers of hair products, make-up, fashion accessories and manicures. A Tokyo-based company called WishRoom is even selling men's bras, some to middle-aged salary-men. "They were the generation we had been told were 'manly' – they led Japan in the post-war period," WishRoom president Masayuki Tsuchiya told the Japan Times this month. He said the company had sold more than 5,000 of the bras to men who are probably reacting against the classic stereotype of stoic, silently enduring male. "They said wearing a bra just made them feel more calm, relaxed and revived." True carnivores sigh in disgust, but could the grass-eaters be merely the latest flowering of an old tradition? Japanese culture has long had a strong element of androgyny: During the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), men played women and women dressed as men for the theatre, while erotic art celebrated bisexualism and transgender role-playing. The traditions live on in the Takarazuka Review, which features women performers in dress suits playing men, and in Kabuki theatre. The common element between the Tokugawa era and today, says Osaka-based philosopher Masahiro Morioka, is peace. "Japan has been free from any form of conflict since the Second World War, and that has liberated men from the need to be manly." Not that he or anyone else is advocating a return to war to give men back their symbolic cojones. "I think the changes among men are mostly healthy and are here to stay," says Ms Ushikubo. "Men are nicer to the women in their lives and happier with themselves." What can be bad about that? Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Zero! I'm in the sun and ocean so much that it would be a waste of time and money. Soap, shampoo, deodorant and an occasional cologne. That's how I get lovely before grazing on Saturday nights. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Originally Posted By: veronica Question to the guys: do you spend any cash on cosmetics? I would be interested to know what the guy thoughts are on that. Are you out of your mind?!! I don't even like cosmetics on women let alone on men! So no, I do not spend any money on cosmetics (nor does my wife). Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 No, not out of my mind. Read the article and I know a fair few guys who do. I don't personally like it but.... Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 The closest thing I have to cosmetics is a different soap for the face and some moisturizing cream. Does camouflage face paint count as cosmetics? Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 My "cosmetic arsenal" consists of soap (the same as I use for the rest of me, as it happens!) and some deodorant. Possibly some moisturiser for the hands, but that's because the olive waste dries them out to the point that they are cracking all over the place. I use water on my hair and a shaver on my face - nothing more. To quote Arnie "Don't be a girly man!" Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 What about epi? Lot's of japa men spend money on hair removal, facial and legs (for summer) Shaving eyebrows are part of the "tough guy" image..... Western men do body hair removal so they don't look like apes. You can shave eye brows or draws them. So if you change appearance is that cosmetics? As for the above article, just stating the obvious. Nothing new. Was like that 30 years ago. Just new labeling. How the japanese love creating new labels! (or -ism) Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 You guys know how I feel about lipstick. Another disgusting petroleum product Minus Eco-points for that ! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Papa was a staunch non believer - a mans man if you will - but I have broken him <snigger> He recently started using a mens range of spf 30 moisturiser and all of a sudden is having less of a problem with sunburn, looking like he's been on a bender because of a red nose, and dry itchy and easily broken skin. Now he is still a manly man, but with decent skin that doesnt itch, and is healthier. Deodorant is a must. And nice cologne is fabulous - but not TOO much, some of the older fashioned scents put on too heavy are a bit much. My teens all have professional facials - that is more about clearing problem skin. We would like to try and avoid the acne scarring that seemed inevitable in our generation if possible, and it really does seem to make a big difference when they have professional skin treatments, and follow up with good quality cleaners and moisture special designed for teenage breakouts. The older boys also have the joining bit in the monobrow caterpiller removed - no pretty girly eyebrow shaping - just the bit above the bridge of thier nose ripped off. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Originally Posted By: Jynxx You guys know how I feel about lipstick. Another disgusting petroleum product Minus Eco-points for that ! Yeah - sorry Jynxx ... I dont wear a lot of makeup - epsecially compared to the others in my social circle - but I am not giving up my lipstick!! The majority of the time I just use a lipgloss, sometimes a tinted lipgloss - but it is a MUST to wear lipstick for my job - it makes the lip patterns so much more readable for the client - plain black clothes, defined lipstick and mascara to enhance my facial expression - then I am ready for work. It is a bit like a building site worker putting on thier steel cap boots, tool belt and sun hat. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Make up? No, of course not. Must be a big city thing with some J dudes or something. Lots of dudes I know pluck their eyebrows though. Looks ridiculous! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Originally Posted By: Mamabear He recently started using a mens range of spf 30 moisturiser and all of a sudden is having less of a problem with sunburn, looking like he's been on a bender because of a red nose, and dry itchy and easily broken skin. Now he is still a manly man, but with decent skin that doesnt itch, and is healthier. That is hardly a cosmetic though is it MB? More functional than trying to make yourself beautiful. I just have a real issue with the whole idea of spending a lot of money or time to try and make yourself look more beautiful. Most of the desire to do so is because of marketing by the companies that make huge money from making people feel that they are not beautiful enough. So I dislike cosmetics and frankly think if you feel you need them then you must be quite insecure about yourself. I also dislike fashion, you may remember my disbelief that people would spend 1000's of $'s on a watch. Of course it goes beyond watches to clothes, shoes, handbags, whatever. The need to be 'fashionable' also in my opinion tells me that you are insecure about who you are, that you are seeking the approval (or envy) of others. When you are completely happy with the person you are you don't need the approval of others to feel good about yourself. Basically the whole industry that makes people feel 'ugly' if they are not spending stupid amounts of money on generally useless products just makes me shake my head in disgust. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Moisturiser gets sold in the cosmetics section sure. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 You know, cosmetic surgery is BIG in Japan. Both sexes. Usual is the "double lid eye" , nose job to make it look caucasian.. A common joke is when you marry a beauty and the kid looks like a bumpkin, making the hubby (or the wife) wonder it the other has been screwing some ape. The recommended method to identify if someone had a nose job is to push the nose up a little. It's supposed to hurt. This was in some japa magazine. Crazy. I heard the Thais (guys who want to be girls) dream about going to japan for cosmetic surgery. Apparently, Asians are more experienced with Asian. Years ago me and my mates used to talk about fashion in Japan. The consensus was : Asian all have black hair (true) and their facial feature is similar (could be said about any race). There was a lot of social stigma with hair dye, and beards, mustache then. So fashion was the only personal statement they can make. However the result was : everyone wore what's IN and ended up looking the same. Cosmetics, too is part of that uniform culture. There's the yobbo look, bikies look the same, can't escape the inevitable. Link to post Share on other sites
Nisoko 6 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Black hair has become something of the exception here I think at times! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I don't use cosmetics. I would never buy cosmetics. I use sunscreen during the summer months as my skin is really fair but thats it. I don't think sunscreen would be called a cosmetic. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Christ! no way would I want to use cosmetics, even my wife doesn't use any, which is great because I can't stand woman plasted with half inch thick makeup all over their faces! Yuk! Natural is best! LIke was mentioned above, it is all due to sales campaigns by the cosmetic companies brain washing people into thinking that sludge all over your face actually makes you look more beautiful. Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 soap and shampoo and deoderant Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 People get their heads kicked in for less back home. Other than the usual stuff in the bathroom I just use some moisturiser sometimes, have rather dry skin. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I sometimes have really dark rings around my eyes. Sometimes I use something to lighten them up. That's about it. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Originally Posted By: thursday I sometimes have really dark rings around my eyes. Sometimes I use something to lighten them up. That's about it. You bloody poofter! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 what a gay day!! Link to post Share on other sites
I'm Sexy 0 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Anyone with a wig? Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Not me, you understand. Link to post Share on other sites
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