Once upon a time gender roles were clearly defined – men had to be tough breadwinners and ladies weren’t afraid of real men with hairy chests that ate a lot of bacon. But somewhere along the line things changed (thankfully, in some cases); the Sensitive New Age Guy (SNAG) evolved and slipped on a pair of skinny jeans. Women everywhere swooned.
SNAGs showed women that men were capable of getting in touch with their emotional side and having deep and meaningful chats. This version of male kind cared about their fluffy animals and their appearance, so they ate vegan cheese and bought beauty products – which is only fair since women are often pressured to put a huge amount of effort into their physical maintenance.
For a time, these well-dressed gentlemen were a hit with the ladies. However, while everyone still appreciates a man who’s in touch with his sensitive side, some (overly) sensitive new age guys must have taken things too far – took too long in the bathroom perhaps? – and ignited the ’50s housewife many of us didn’t know existed inside ourselves, because the rugged macho man is now having a moment again.
Like all trends that eventually go out of fashion, we grew tired of long walks on the beach and instead longed for the rough and ready men of yesteryear. I think this happened right around the time tradies became so popular and Farmer Wants A Wife hit television screens across Australia.
But before you boys throw caution to the wind and re-grow all your back hair, I should point out that there is something to be said for balance. So while it may be true that no one likes a high maintenance man (or woman for that matter), no one likes an overly aggressive or insensitive one either. There’s a reason why ‘bad boys with a heart of gold’ are one of the media’s favourite stereotypes… Women are complex creatures, we want the best of both worlds. Sensitive but strong, rugged but not unruly (facial hair ok, back hair not so much), that’s not asking too much, right?
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