Another recent trend: men pampering their bodies. Randy Stinson critiques the trend, calling it the feminization of the American male. This line critiquing Tony Glenville’s Top to Toe made me chuckle:
For instance, Glenville advises, “A special occasion calls for special treatment, and taking the time to visit your hairdresser, go for a massage, and have a facial scrub will all add to your confidence.” In another section, he tells us, “At sporting events, whether cheering your team on or participating yourself, the wrong footwear can completely skew an outfit.” I wonder if Chipper Jones knows this?
Stinson’s point is that pampering oneself encourages the sin of self-absorption. “We do not need prettier boys. We do not need softer men. What we need is a church culture that will call boys and men to lives of self sacrifice as exampled by the picture of Christ in Ephesians 5 who loved the church and gave himself for her to his own neglect and sacrifice.” [Read the article]
Comments (2)
Hm…. I dunno. Apples and oranges? I very much want as “men with chests,” as Lewis would call it. I am just uncomfortable with the male/female dichotomy that Stinson uses to get there.
Values may manifest themselves differently but I tend to think the principles are gender free. Thoughts?
I had a similar question: Men pampering themselves is self-absorption while women pampering themselves is… (a) acceptable because they’re women, (b) also self-absorbtion, or (c) ____ ?