Wake Up: A Strategic Intel Report on Men

QUARTERLY

FALL 2014

A STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE R EP ORT THE ISSUE // MEN

CONTENTS C O V E R

P H O T O :

K I N G

L A W R E N C E

2 // C O N T R I B U T O R S 3 // L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R 5 // G LO S S A R Y O F G U Y T E R M S 7 // M E N A C R O S S G E N E R AT I O N S 1 1 // R A D D A D S 1 7 // T H E B E S P O K E B LO K E 2 1 // M Y A D I D A S 2 3 // T R U T H B O O T H 2 5 // D U D E , W H E R E ' S M Y Ü B E R ?

3 1 // T R A N S M I S S I O N S F R O M M A R S 3 5 // P E R M I S S I O N T O P R I M P 3 9 // F I S H W H E R E T H E M E N A R E 4 3 // M A N X I E T Y 4 7 // N O R O M C O M S , N O P R O B L E M 5 1 // B R E A K FA S T F O R D I N N E R 5 5 // B R O F I L I N G 5 7 // I LO V E YO U , M A N 6 1 // F I F T Y S H A D E S O F M A S C U L I N I T Y 6 9 // A L E A G U E O F T H E I R O W N 7 3 // F O O T N O T E S 7 9 // P H O T O C R E D I T S

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DUDE, WHERE’S MY ÜBER?

THE BESPOKE BLOKE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I LOVE YOU, MAN

BLAKELEY JONES

MORGAN ACEINO

WHITNEY ANDERSON

SARAH CEGLARSKI

BROFILING

PERMISSION TO PRIMP

MEN ACROSS GENERATIONS

MANXIETY

JASMEET GILL

SEAN McNAMARA

SABENA SURI

RYAN FEY

SEAN TIDWELL DESIGN

NO ROM COMS, NO PROBLEM

STRATEGY ALBERT PRANNO

LAUREN ALBEE

ART DIRECTION

RAJAT GUPTA

BRANDING & MARKETING

DENA GONZALEZ

ANALYTICS

CAROLINE DENTON

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CREATIVE

MY ADIDAS

RAD DADS

CONTRIBUTORS

JEFF HOLMAN

FROM MARS TRANSMISSION FROM MARS

ALAN HUYNH

EXPERIENTIAL A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

CRISTINA PEDROZA

FIFTY SHADES OF MANLINESS

PRODUCTION

MARK ANDERSON

FISH WHERE THE MEN ARE

CONTENT

ANNA NESSER

LYDIA SULLIVAN

TRUTH BOOTH

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

JOSH CHRISTMAN

DON FISCO

MIKE WALLEN

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A

L E T T E R

F R O M

THE EDITOR 3

A

s a male, I have mixed feelings (yes, we have feelings) about the subject matter of this issue.

On the one hand, I find myself increasingly frustrated with the way men are portrayed in media. On the other, the very idea of men’s “rights” – and I’m talking about the humanist concept, not the hate mongering of fringe trolls – rings oblivious in the wake of recent events like the misogyny-fueled Isla Vista killings, the NFL’s response to brutal cases of domestic assault, or the victim-shaming of celebrities whose private photos were hacked and leaked. Regardless, it’s an important topic to explore as we look around the corner at what’s next for marketers.

Look at Honey Maid’s “This is Wholesome” campaign, a beautifully nuanced portrait of changing family dynamics in America. Leave it to an oldfashioned graham cracker brand to land a progressive message about inclusivity with some of the most touching brand storytelling since Dove’s “Real Beauty.”

The human insight that Mondelez captured here is as simple as it is universal: unconventional familial structures, represented by interracial, same-sex, and single-parent families, are becoming the new normal.

What this work, and the subsequent #NotBroken effort on National Stepfamily Day, did so brilliantly, aside from provoking the evangelicals into a lather of intolerance, was hold the screen up as a mirror, and allow us to see ourselves – and our collective values – reflected aspirationally and authentically at the same time.

Unfortunately, when it comes to modeling masculinity, too many marketers are lagging behind – not leading – reality.

S E A N C H I E F

Too many brands default to a paintby-numbers approach to “man talk,” speaking in a language that’s more heavily influenced by broad sitcom generalizations than it is by an understanding of the unstated desires of actual men. So what’s the missing ingredient? Empathy – for the audience and its many idiosyncrasies.

Men are chasing the idea that they can have it all, too. Powerful professional and perfect(ish) parent; sensitive spouse and sturdy-as-oak provider. Call it a focus group of one, but in addition to being a husband and father, I have a career that I’m deeply committed to, working with a group of incredible people whom I also consider family, and in a world of increased time scarcity, not to mention elevated expectations all around, that frequently requires making tough tradeoffs between the two.

Now, much as I’d like to extrapolate from my own personal experiences, at Omelet we rely on a more rigorous methodology.

So to better understand the current state of manhood, who better to talk with than real men? In researching this issue, our team of strategists and cultural anthropologists went into the field to get inside the hearts and minds of a diverse group of guys.

In these pages, and for the first time in supplementary video content, you’ll find some nuggets from those conversations.

After spending months studying the beliefs and behaviors, attitudes and aspirations of this audience, we walked away with one incontrovertible truth: men are complicated creatures. Certainly more so than the allergic-to-shopping, lightbeer-quaffing, household-chore-avoiding, man-cave-dwelling receptacle for box scores and nachos that you see portrayed in commercials every Sunday afternoon.

So let’s start thinking about them – and marketing to them – differently.

M c N A M A R A

S T R AT E G Y

O F F I C E R

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GLOSSARY OF GUY TERMS

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brocabulary n. / bro•cab•u•lary Vocabulary used by bros (including many portmanbros). brogrammer n. / bro•gram•mer A male programmer with the "trappings of a frat boy." bromance n. / bro•mance A platonic, yet loving relationship between two males. guyliner n. / guy•li•ner Self-explanatory. See: Pete Wentz, Jared Leto, Russell Brand, or Johnny Depp in Pirates films. #HowToDad n. / #how•to•dad A hashtag made popular by Cheerios, encouraging dads to celebrate their parenting styles. manchild n. / man•child A man who just needs to grow up.

Man Jose n. / man•jose City in Northern California with a predominantly male techie population (see also: brogrammer). manorexia n. / man•o•rex•i•a The term for anorexia in males. manscaping v. / man•scap•ing Male grooming, collectively.

mansplaining v. / man•splain•ing A man explaining something to a woman in a patronizing way, with confidence that he's right because "he's a man." mantastic adj. / man•tas•tic How a guy feels when he does something "macho" (or gets a manicure). manxiety n. / man•xi•et•y Male anxiety about finding "the one" before it's too late. manzilian n. / man•zil•ian The male version of a wax 'down there.' rad dad n. / rad•dad The new breed of guitar-playing, beard-sporting cool dads.

S.A.H.D. n. / Marketing speak for a stay-athome dad. spornosexual n. / spor•no•sex•u•al A self objectifying, body-conscious male (see: David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo). #ThatsAClownQuestionBro n. / thats•a•clown•ques•tion•bro A hashtag spawned by baseball player Bryce Harper’s postgame interview, implying a leading / irreverent question.

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MEN ACROSS GENERATIONS J A S M E E T

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G I L L

Man Up. Grow Some Balls. You Throw Like a Girl. Real Men Don’t Cry. Nancy. Sissy.

Pansy. Who Wears the Pants Anyway?

W

hile these phrases are still all too common in our cultural lexicon, our shared definition of what it means to be a man has become more openminded as society reexamines the role of gender and its effect on personal identity. In fact, a recent study by the Cassandra Trend School revealed that 67% of adults agree that gender doesn’t define a person as much as it used to.1 As broad socioeconomic shifts continue to transform the way we measure success, both personally and professionally, in the home and the workplace, and women make progress in closing the pay gap, at least in the strata below the c-suite, responsibilities that were traditionally stigmatized for men have become more accessible.

Today, long-held beliefs that men should be the sole breadwinners, providers, and protectors, are giving way to more progressive family dynamics. We’re seeing a growing number of men who are choosing to go against the grain of traditional expectations – 16% of fathers are choosing to be stay-at-home dads.2 For most, it’s not perceived as a default or a weakness, but rather as an aspiration, something to be proud of.

While it’s a safe bet that millennials are driving this shift in social norms, we can’t ignore the role that Gen Xers and Boomers have played in priming the pump for change. For generations that were exposed to very different models of manhood, from the Rat Pack to the Brat Pack, the Marlboro Man to the Brawny Man, they still managed to raise a more enlightened cohort of sons and daughters.

That begs the question, how does the underlying meaning behind what it means to be a man differ from generation to generation? And is there a common thread that ties them together?

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MILLENNIALS

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VALUES

Work/life balance, instant gratification, personal fulfillment, honesty, self-reliance, self-confidence, family.3

CHARACTERISTICS / T E L LTA L E S I G N S OF A "MAN"

Health-conscious, scruff/beards, optimistic, teamoriented, confident, self-aware, tend to care more about their social status, try to stand out, image-conscious, interested in social/environmental change.

SOCIETAL INFLUENCES

These millennials are living in a post-patriarchal age where: geek is the new alpha, freedom of expression is encouraged, meanings of “gender” are blurring between male and female (gender bending, gender claiming, gender neutral).6

ICONS

Ryan Gosling, David Beckham, Peyton Manning, Elon Musk, Drake, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Paul, Aziz Ansari, Zach Galifianakis

DID YOU KNOW?

11 million men in the US are knitters. There has been a 10% decrease in razor sales since Movember and the beard trend took off.8 89% of millennial men can recall online ads and are 2x more likely to be influenced by them.9

MARKETING IMPLICATIONS

Millennial men are in the primes of their lives, and they’re not concerned at all with dealing with societal constraints.

They’re throwing out the traditional rules of manhood and challenging the very definition of the word “man.” They’re becoming more secure as a generation, which is evident in their support of gay rights and their support for women as leaders in the corporate world and breadwinners at home.

For marketers, we need to give this generation of men the opportunities to discover, experience, learn and as a generation, collectively redefine modern manhood. The old stereotypes and traits are out the window. Brands need to broaden their messaging to encompass a wider range of portrayals of the millennial male audience. Let’s help them break down barriers and figure out who they really are inside.

GEN X

BOOMERS

Practicality, security, realism, ambition, accountability, work ethic, selflessness, corporate success, family, compassion, purpose.4

Chivalry, power, dominance, mentorship, confidence, tradition, family.5

Not overtly into their appearance, tend to be clean shaven, are realists, drink scotch, have a DIY attitude, stressed, live by the 9-5 workday, builders by nature, relish the underdog story, brave, skeptical. *manhood tends to be more defined by possessions like car, wife, house, etc.

Have chest hair, muscles, live by a “good things come to those who wait” mantra, value order and hierarchy, try to fit in and conform with everyone else, traditional, resilient, hard-working

The portrayal of men as patriarchs – approaching the “obsolescence of a power structure built on and in the service of the prerogatives of white men.”7 (NY Times), generation of latchkey kids, The Great Recession

Men were expected to assume the roles of provider, protector, procreator; the Great Recession causing them to lose a significant portion of what they’d worked for their entire lives

Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jordan, Patrick Swayze, Hugh Jackman, Tony Hawk, Harrison Ford, Kurt Cobain, their dads

Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, JFK, Ernest Hemingway, Johnny Cash, John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Sean Connery, Paul Newman

11% of Gen Xers are now formally enrolled in school.10 More likely to rank "sexuality" as more important than millenials and boomers.

20% of Boomer men are estimated to be single.11 10% of Boomers expect to never retire. The suicide rate for Boomer men has gone up almost 50% in recent years.12 47% of Boomers are less likely to pick the lowest-priced brand.

To put it bluntly, a number of Gen Xers have grown up feeling screwed. They’re dipping into their retirement funds, face a slacking global economy and will probably never see the same financial success that their parents experienced.

They’re inherently skeptical and cynical – often working hard and not quite reaping the rewards. As their kids grow up and move on to their own lives, Gen Xers are starting to connect more with the values they related with when they were younger. They’re now more interested in compassion, diversity, self-esteem, simplicity and purpose. They’re going back to school, learning a second language, working on their physical well-being and gaining knowledge and experience in hobbies or trades that they never had time to gain. Let’s help them regain some of their youthfulness and stop sweating the stuff they can't control.

Boomers today are extremely resilient and are approaching “third age” with optimism. They’re not too much into planning anymore, instead they’re living in the now – grabbing experiences and adventures as they come by. They’re throwing out their old rules and making it up as they go. They’re defying their “age” and expecting brands to help them keep with their new adventurous mentality. Instead of focusing on their numerical age, brands should communicate with this generation through their lifestage – which is a lot more youthful than they technically are.

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RAD DADS S A B E N A

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S U R I

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cene: it’s only 8 am, and every morsel of a burned breakfast has made its way to the floor. One kid has destroyed the remote control in the garbage disposal, while the other is giving the walls some new artwork, courtesy of a soiled diaper that his father is too inept to change. Cut to the dad, a bumbling troglodyte, whose exasperated shrug lets us all know he shouldn’t have been entrusted with them in the first place.

Cue the laugh track.

Let’s face it: we’ve all had a cheap laugh at the plight of Mr. Mom. Dumb sells, so why fix what ain’t broke?

(Spoiler alert: Because today’s dads are pretty darn rad).

BRAVE NEW WORLD The archetypal portrait of the father figure has historically looked something like this: successful, powerful, yet mostly uninvolved in the day-to-day of his household—the very essence of a “provider.” For inspiration, look no further than Mad Men’s Don Draper.

As the Creative Director of a New York ad agency, he provides more than his family could ever ask for. But from the very beginning of the show, it becomes strikingly clear that he’s entirely disconnected from his family; he barely speaks with his wife, and cannot hold a conversation with his daughter.

Fortunately, today’s dads are less Don Draper and more Damian Abraham.

Who, you ask? Abraham is the tatted frontman for the hardcore band Fucked Up. A human wrecking ball whose punk antics, from breaking pint glasses over his head onstage to taking the stand as

a hostile witness of Fox News’ Red Eye, in an Obama t-shirt no less, Damian also has a degree in gender studies and is the father of two little ones, Holden and Dorian. While he loves what he does, he says, “the only problem I have is being away and knowing that I’m missing part of [my kid’s] life.”1 Surely a different answer than Mr. Draper would have provided. But he’s still definitely a “cool dad.” After all, son Holden knows their band name is actually called Fucked Up, and Abraham doesn’t care if he says it out loud (just not in school).2 While he might be a slightly radder dad than most (dads, you’re still cool sans the mosh pits), Abraham reflects a simple fact: the modern dad is comfortable with being himself and being a father. Which is to say, in 2014, the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Modern fatherhood is nuanced—there’s no longer a standardized playbook.

Today’s dads wear their dad-ness on their sleeves, choosing to babywear or push the stroller on a shopping trip.3 They’re spending more time with their kids: the amount of time that fathers spend with their kids has nearly tripled since 1965.4 And they’re loving it: 75% of dads call fatherhood their most important job.5 They’re even pitching in when it comes to household chores typically reserved for mom. They now spend roughly 10 hours/week on housework and 7 hours/week on childcare— up from 4 and 2.5 in 1965, respectively.6 The reason for this shift is multifaceted, but debated explanations include blurring gender roles, greater equality between men and women, and simply a departure from the rigid, traditional, conservative thinking of the past.

The point is, we’re in the era of the “rad dad,” so why can’t we all come to terms with it?

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WORKING DADS While there’s certainly been an uptick in dads staying at home, there is still a huge contingency of dads bringing home the bacon. But, it turns out, it’s predominantly a shared duty: 60% of today’s households are dual income.7 This reality takes some of the pressure off dads who otherwise simply wouldn’t have the time (and perhaps the energy) to spend with their children.

That should be a good thing, right? In principle, yes, but in practice, it’s not exactly a walk in the park for working dads. Though many say that being a father is what they’d like to focus on most, 33% struggle to balance work and family life (compared with 26% of moms).8 Another indication that the archetype of the “provider” has been abandoned: dads are looking for fulfillment through a participatory role in their family life.

BEING A [STAY-AT-HOME DAD] DOESN'T MEAN LETTING GO OF YOUR AMBITION.

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S TAY- AT- H O M E D A D S Luckily for stay-at-home dads, they don’t have to choose between work and family—though, as many will tell you, work equals family. The reality is, stay-at-home dads (SAHDs) are killing it. They’re a growing segment, nearly doubling in size since 1984; today, approximately 16% of all dads are stayat-home.9 Their days involve things like sewing dresses from reclaimed flannel shirts, playing kickball in the rain, and learning tandem skateboarding routines with their kids.10 Dads just being rad with their kids reinforces the idea that they don’t have to change who they are to be great role models.

What has perhaps spurred this shift is summed up nicely by GQ: “The decision to stay home with the kids isn't seen as a failure of their responsibilities but as a lifestyle choice that makes sense in an era when 40 percent of wives out-earn their husbands and men are beginning to embrace a more fluid interpretation of success that places a premium on fulfillment, not money and status.”11 Simply put, men aren’t necessarily relegated to the role of the breadwinner, which gives them the latitude to adjust their priorities as they see fit. Progress.

SAHDs even have a dedicated conference, aptly titled the At-Home Dads Convention, where they discuss relevant issues in their role as parents, and in culture today.12 They also have a beautifully designed magazine, called Kindling Quarterly, which features high-concept delights like attractive

dads on bikes playing the ukulele, and is committed to “thoughtful dialogue” around being a stay-at-home dad in today’s world.

Unfortunately, like so much social progress, the stay-at-home dad concept is still not universally accepted. 32% of stay-at-home fathers cite feeling disapproval from others as a result of their career choice.13 GQ once again hits the mark: “Being a SAHD doesn't mean letting go of your ambition. Just like being ambitious no longer means leaving your kids with a sitter every day. Even with fading gender norms, we're still putting ourselves in boxes. It's time to have it all.”14 Why can’t we, as a society, accept the rad?

D A D S I N P O P C U LT U R E & E N T E R TA I N M E N T Speaking of pop-culture, when it comes to modeling dads, the mainstream media continues to revert to hackneyed stereotypes embodied in characters like Homer Simpson and Peter Griffith.

AE’s “Modern Dads” puts the spotlight squarely on dads who haven’t grown up since their college days. While there are some sweet moments, the show rings exploitive and doesn’t really give dads the credit they deserve; instead, it relies on scenes like dads dressing up in boas and crowns for laughs. As Reality Blurred puts it: “So why not film them doing things they would actually do and saying things they actually say? Why

not show the actual experience of being a father raising kids, the good and the bad, the poignant and the hilarious?

What, is that too much reality?”15 Moms Night Out, a movie about what happens when a group of stay-at-home moms leave their kids with their fathers for a night, is equally disappointing. The film features ridiculous situations like a trip to a tattoo parlor, the hospital, and even jail, all because these women left their children in the hands of their incapable fathers. Film critic Christy Leimart notes that the film “peddles archaic notions of gender roles in the name of wacky laughs.”16 But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Short-lived NBC comedy Up All Night featured Will Arnett as a lovable stay-at-home-dad; although he was sometimes clueless and confused, like any new parent, he was also intensely proud of his role—a refreshing shift from the usual portrayal. Chris Rock’s character in 2012’s What to Expect When You're Expecting created the image of an undeniably badass dad, handling three little ones with swagger and style.

And while the white-hot Instagram account “DILFs of Disneyland” (think dads with strollers, two kids in either hand, and wearing Disney princess crowns) could be dismissed as trivial, it has broader positive implications, celebrating the unique combination of masculinity and childrearing in the real world.

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DADS IN MARKETING Madison Avenue is doing slightly better than Hollywood when it comes to portraying dads. This is perhaps evidenced best by the existence of the Dads 2.0 Summit in Houston, where dad bloggers and brands get together to talk about the portrayal of fathers in the media.17 A conference like this just makes sense in 2014: with 30% of dads doing the grocery shopping for the family, smart, strategic, and authentic dadvertising can help tap into an underserved market opportunity, especially when it comes to basic household goods.18

range of fathers in intimate moments with their sons and wives, and Hyundai’s “Dad’s Sixth Sense” Super Bowl spot shows how dads are always saving the day, in ways big and small.

From owning the #HowToDad hashtag to a cheeky Tumblr full of dad tips, Cheerios is a clear leader when it comes to messaging that actually works for the modern father. AdWeek certainly recognizes its expertise, describing the dad in one commercial as “sensitive but no pushover. He's the rule maker, not the rule breaker—but he'll be your buddy as well. He's a good dad, one who cares about his kids, even though he wings one son across a bed in the first scene.”19 And the ads clearly worked, garnering 80% positive sentiment on Twitter.20

That’s not to say that we don’t have a long way to go. Lowe’s “Valspar Reserve” spot shows an irresponsible, helpless dad who has no qualms about lying to his wife about everything being “alright” while she’s away on business, or LG’s “Just Like Magic” spot that portrays a father and his son as incapable of procuring their own food.23 The good news is, these ads no longer fall on deaf ears, accepted as the norm for dadvertising; today, they start a fire. This was definitely the case with a 2013 Huggies commercial with the following premise: “To prove Huggies diapers and wipes can handle anything, we put them to the toughest test imaginable: Dads, alone with their babies, in one house, for five days.”24 The ad prompted a Change.org petition, with 1,300 signatures demanding it be pulled.25

In a surprising turn of events, some automotive brands have moved away from that category’s traditional masculine stereotypes and embraced the idea that male car drivers can be sensitive, too. Chevy Malibu’s “Car for the Richest Guys on Earth” shows a

In the CPG world, Tide does a great job at portraying a dad who is his daughter’s favorite playmate in “The Princess Dress.”21 Dove Men+Care’s digital campaign for Father’s Day features a “Call For Dads” video, serving as a touching tribute to #RealDadMoments and a celebration of fathers everywhere.22

WE NEED TO EMBRACE THE IMAGE OF THE RAD DAD, CARRYING HIS KIDS IN ONE ARM, HIS LONGBOARD UNDER THE OTHER. 15

M A R K E T I N G I M P L I C AT I O N S Our advice? Ask questions – lots of them. And really listen to the answers.

Pay attention to local dad groups, bloggers, and publications like Kindling Quarterly. Collect stories and insights from real fathers, who represent varying segments, interests, and past experiences, and look for patterns that point to commonalities between them.

Then, talk to them like humans. Make them feel proud of their identities as tea-partying, diaper-changing, dinnermaking, guitar-playing, dog-walking extraordinaires. Before we can truly break away from the one-size-fits-all, typecast approach to speaking to men, we need to first clear the cache of the manly-man rules that govern so much of our discourse on this subject. We need to invent, encourage, and embrace new archetypes from the vast grey space between black-and-white gender roles depicted in so much media and marketing. Just as we need the image of the female CEO or Senator, taking the helm with equal parts grace and gravitas, we also need to embrace the image of the rad dad, carrying his kids in one arm, his longboard under the other, having his proverbial cake and eating it too.

Above all else, we need to give them the credit they deserve. Being a dad today is no easy task. The speed at which gender norms are changing certainly complicates things, as does the reality that the very concept of “normal” is in the eye of the beholder, and what’s acceptable in certain communities is still stigmatized in others. So give them a high-five the next time you see them at the park or supermarket – it’ll go a long way in validating their progress.

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THE BESPOKE BLOKE S A R A H

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C E G L A R S K I

IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK I’M WATCHING ON THE STREETS OF MANHATTAN, THE FIRST PLATOON, FIRST COMPANY, FIRST REGIMENT, OF A NEW PEACOCK REVOLUTION. IT’S ALMOST INCONCEIVABLE THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN, BUT SOMETHING’S GOING ON WITH MEN’S CLOTHING. AND AFTER DECADES OF BEING TORN, SHREDDED, DECONSTRUCTED… I’M NOW SEEING A SARTORIAL SPLENDOR THAT GOES RIGHT TO THE DETAILS OF MEN IN TAILORED CLOTHES AND SUITS.” 1

B I L L N E W

Y O R K

T I M E S

C U N N I N G H A M

P H O T O G R A P H E R

( J U N E

2 0 1 4 )

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r. Cunningham, per usual, is on to something. He goes on to point out that, at the time of this New York Times feature in June, Saks Fifth Avenue displayed menswear in all of its Fifth Avenue windows, primo real estate in the fashion world. Cunningham notes the “details of men’s dressing from cufflinks to tie to shoes…the whole works. It’s all there.”

And that’s perhaps his most prescient observation: it’s all there. Not just taking over department store windows on Fifth Avenue, but blanketing magazine stands, littering our Instagram feeds, popping up in new, male-focused e-commerce sites, and being captured click-after-click by street style photographers. Fashion, once a difficult – and almost taboo - nut for men to crack, is now more accessible than ever, and men are following suit (pun very much intended) and shelling out. Last year, the menswear category grew by 5% in the US, slightly edging out womenswear’s 4% growth. At $60.8 billion in menswear retail sales, and 70% growth worldwide since 1998,2 this “peacock revolution” is big business – and getting bigger.

Some point to the tech boom and consequent death of traditional office wear. “For so long, you wore a suit and tie, and all of the sudden, guys are saying, ‘I don’t have to do that,’” says Michael Londrigan, Dean of Academic affairs at LIM college and author of Menswear: Business of Style.3 Celebrity stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn agrees, “The idea of what’s appropriate to wear is fading away. At the end of the day, it’s just about what looks good.”

Men are eschewing khakis and polos and mass-produced suits for a more bespoke style. Not only is a developed sense of style a way for men to stand out and express themselves, it can be good for business, too. 30 year-old tech entrepreneur

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Rameet Chawla, dubbed “the most stylish man in high tech” by the New York Post, claims “The way I dress gets me noticed and attracts clients,” adding that he’s “on a personal crusade to try and make people in [the tech] industry dress a little sharper.”4 (See @rameet on Instagram for further proof.)

So where are men turning to know what looks good? Well, other men mostly. “I cannot stress the importance of what the street style bloggers have done,” said Saks menswear director Eric Jennings in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Jennings notes that what is most valuable for men is that they “can see how it’s put together.” The advent of social media has fueled the menswear revolution, particularly for millennial men, with 20% of 18-25 year-old men looking to social networks and lifestyle blogs for guidance on fashion trends.5 "From my boyfriend to my clients, most men care about how they dress, but they don’t know how to do it,” says Mandelkorn. “They usually have someone telling them what’s good.”

And since not everyone can afford a personal stylist, brands, publishers, and influencers have stepped up to the plate to meet that need.

“Look great, without the work” touts Trunk Club,6 which hand selects clothing items for its male members and delivers them packaged neatly in a trunk. Others in the membership game include Frank & Oak, which curates a monthly men’s clothing collection, aiming to “break rules and challenge convention.”7 Men can now get clothing recommendations based on their personality, lifestyle, size, even their favorite color. But going bespoke doesn’t mean going broke. Affordable yet stylish men’s suiting is cropping up all over the place, from J. Crew’s Ludlow line to newcomers like Jack Spade to imports like Suitsupply, all of which

offer suiting options under $1,000.8 Startup Pursuit, which promises to “suit the next generation,” was developed by an Ohio State University student who set out on a mission to create the anti-suit warehouse vibe for his contemporaries. Without price tag as a major barrier, menswear has officially been democratized, opening up the field to a much wider audience.

In addition to quality menswear being within reach of men’s wallets, it’s also right at their fingertips. Blame it on store-phobia or just a pure search for efficiency, but 85% of men like to shop online9 and over half have shopping apps installed on their mobile devices.10 Meeting this consumer need head on is Dash Hudson, a men’s shopping service catering to a younger demo and specifically designed for mobile use.

Creating an “Instagram-like” seamless shopping experience11 that aggregates various items of clothing and multiple brands in one feed, Dash Hudson provides a stylist’s perspective on each

item and allows shoppers to purchase directly through the app.

Fashion, like music or art, is a leading indicator of broader attitudinal trends.

So what can we as marketers take away?

Men are spending more, searching more, and generally just caring more about their sense of style. What guys wear is as much an extension of self as what kind of phone they’re carrying or what kind of car they’re driving. We talk about “lifestyle brands” all the time, and since fashion is an increasingly important component of a man’s lifestyle, there’s a big opportunity for brands to appropriate it as a way to make themselves relevant in the minds of their male consumers.

If this blooming menswear trend has taught us anything, it’s this: know your audience and be flexible (and smart) enough to meet him where he lives. Bend the rules (and then give him permission to follow them). And most importantly, put it all within reach, otherwise you may lose your man before you even have him.

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MY ADIDAS

Throughout time, a man’s status has been tied to his footwear.

Early in history, more valuable slaves were given shoes while their less fortunate or less celebrated brethren were left barefoot. As we progressed into the Victorian era, men began wearing stylish shoes to convey to others their status in society.

Finally as we began to witness his airness take shape, Nike released the Jordan collection of shoes, which were marketed as the secret behind Jordan’s amazing athleticism. Whether it’s the Rolling Stones rocking Chuck Taylors or Kanye West releasing his own line of limited edition Nikes, men care about the shoes on their feet as much as the job they have or the clothes they wear. With the release of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, it's never been easier for men to find inspiration or shoe styles that represent their swagger. As shoes and sneakers become more visible thanks to the new influx of limited edition sneakers, we’re finding that these days, the shoes really do make the man.

A L A N

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H U Y N H

S N E A K E R H E A D S ' FAVO R I T E M OV I E S

0*

20

40

60

80

100

PULP FICTION

FORREST GUMP FIGHT CLUB WO L F O F WA L L S T R E E T

Sneakerheads will buy, sell, or trade shoes in order to get more valuable shoes.

INCEPTION GOODFELLAS STEP BROTHERS

*

WHERE THEY BUY THEIR SHOES

700 600 500 400 300 200 100 NIKE

Sneakers that are "high fashion" are often the most in demand.

FOOTLOCKER / HOUSE OF HOOPS E B AY LOCAL SHOPS FINISH LINE FAC E B O O K G RO U P S

Recently, skateboarding brands and shoes have been targeting Sneakerheads by releasing limited edition shoes.

RESELLERS E A S T B AY F O O TA C T I O N

600

900

1200

1500 Commerce for specialty sneakers represents $1.1B in the U.S. alone.

JORDAN ADIDAS VA N S ASICS

CONVERSE REEBOK LI-NING

CHUCK TAYLORS

1970

SNEAKERHEADS

0

1984

AIR JORDANS

1985

MY ADIDAS

1988

JUMPMAN

1991

FAB FIVE

2006

STARBURYS

2009

AIR YEEZYS

Fans of b-boys, music, and basketball collected sneakers associated with any of the three movements.

Air Jordan 1s were released.

Run-DMC released the first corporate sneaker song, "My Adidas."

eBay is the second largest sneaker marketplace with over roughly 11 million sneaker auctions going on at a time.

To increase sales to a more diverse audience, the Jumpman logo was unveiled along with Spike Lee's commercials.

Became first college basketball cultural icons repping the black shoes and black socks.

NIKE

NEW BALANCE

1921

ONLINE MARKETPLACES

T H E I R FAVO R I T E B R A N D S

300

VICTORIAN MALE MARKETING

Chuck Taylors were introduced in 1921 and held a monopoly on the basketball shoe until the 1960's.

PEOPLE

0

1860

“Self-display was traditionally regarded as effeminate by many middle-class men, advertisers and merchants worked aggresively to recast shopping and consumption as attractive activities for men...”

S PAC E J A M S H AWS H A N K R E D E M P T I O N

NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS

“Seen through the eyes of the white masters as nonproductive property, children were seen as unworthy of needing footwear...”

Sneakerheads collect shoes that intersect culture and sports.

THE DARK KNIGHT

1845

Stephon Marbury released an affordable basketball sneaker targeted towards inner city youth, but they never took off due to poor quality craftsmanship.

High fashion meets sneakers as Kanye West teams with Nike for a limited run set of sneakers aimed at sneakerheads and unveiled during NY Fashion Week.

PUMA

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INTRODUCING OMELET’S

TRUTH BOOTH There’s something about a confessional that makes people…well, confess. When four physical walls go up, the emotional walls come down. That was the vision for Omelet’s Truth Booth, a mobile pod constructed with our own manly bare hands. Our goal? To get raw responses from real people. Judging from our inaugural session at Bar Nine Collective in Los Angeles, we definitely succeeded.

The Truth Booth captured completely unfiltered thoughts from loads of people about everything from how the definition of masculinity has changed over the past two decades to their pop culture icons. Their answers will make you cringe, reflect, and laugh – a lot.

Check out the full footage at Omelet's YouTube page, and stay tuned for future Omelet Truth Booth episodes.

A F E W O F O U R FAVO R I T E Q U OT E S : On masculinity 20 years ago vs. today: “Being a man today – you have to be more cultured. You have to be aware of not only your surroundings, but also of the world around you. The whole world’s at your fingertips now.”

“There’s a lot more fat and a lot more hair.”

On how the dating game has changed: “It’s more enigmatic now. Nobody really knows. Guys are playing to cultural norms popularized by the Internet.”

“It’s turned into, you have to develop an elevator pitch and a ‘certain look.’ Everything’s so fast. You have to stand out better.”

YOUTUBE.COM/OMELETLA

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PRIMARY RESEARCH A DIFFERENT WAY TO DIG IN At Omelet, everything we do is guided by a rigorous audience-first approach, and we’re driven by a relentless sense of curiosity. So when it comes to research, we don’t stop at Googling. We believe the most powerful insights come straight from the horse’s mouth. That’s exactly why we’re all about really talking to people - the actual humans who can make or break your brand.

Tell us: when was the last time you looked forward to a focus group or enjoyed watching interview footage? Probably never. Our methodologies are non-traditional (read: fun) and interesting for us, our clients and the people we talk to – no matter the format.

Curious? Awesome. Send us a note any time at strategy@omeletla.com. We’d love to chat.

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DUDE, WHERE'S

MY UBER? W H I T N E Y

25

A N D E R S O N

I

n 2012, on our second date, my husband picked me up in a beat-up 2000 Honda Civic. I've never been one to fawn over cars (or disparage them), so I didn't give his car much thought - though I wondered briefly why someone who could certainly afford a nicer car had not chosen to get one.

As he drove, he casually mentioned that the air conditioning broke a few years back and he hadn't gotten it fixed. Okay, I thought, hot temperatures don't bother him. And neither did inconvenience - as evidenced by his opening the driver's side car door to collect the ticket to enter the parking lot.

He matter-of-factly explained the driver’s side window no longer rolls down.

What intrigued me most about this was that he was not in the least bit embarrassed by it.

He was completely comfortable with the car and with himself. In the city of Los Angeles, a status-conscious car culture if there ever was one, this struck me as unusual. After all, single men have been trained to expect women to ask, “What do you drive?” within 10 seconds of meeting, as evidenced by Swingers, a cult film that captured postmodern masculinity in Los Angeles.

Over time, I began to wonder whether my now-husband’s complete nonchalance about his car was unique or if this was actually a sign of a trend. Are cars as status symbols and markers of success and masculinity gradually losing their power in America?

Do men feel less pressure to impress others with their choice of transportation than in the past? It would appear so. A growing body of evidence suggests that men are increasingly rejecting the concept of a car as a signifier. For example, millennial males’ agreement with the statement, “The vehicle a person owns says a lot about them” dropped 36% from 2007 to 2014.1 On a similar note, AutoTrader’s “Next Generation Car Buyers Study” found that millennials

see cars as more of a practical purchase, rather than an emotional one.2 The minivan – the ultimate in practicality - is increasingly being embraced by dads who reject the notion that it’s not a “manly” vehicle. As one GQ writer and minivan driver explained, “The real transformation that a man undergoes when he buys a minivan isn't from being a real man to being a spineless pussy; it's going from caring what people think to not giving a shit.”3 Men are not just caring less about what people think of their car choice, many are rejecting car ownership entirely. Countless researchers have noted that millennials aren’t buying cars at rates anywhere near those of previous generations.4 But not all have pointed out that this phenomenon is actually trending faster with men.

A recent study by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found that the percentage of men ages 25 to 29 who have driver’s licenses declined by 10.6% over the past 15 years.5 The number of women with licenses has also gone down – but only by half that.6 Car makers are hoping millennials’ lack of interest is economically driven, and as the recession recovers they’ll move to the suburbs and see owning a car as a necessity. But the shift away from car ownership is more complicated than simple recessionary pressure, and quick attempts to grab millennials’ attention, like Chevrolet’s adding "lemonade" and "denim" as paint color options to appeal to "a 23 year-old who shops at H&M… and listens to Wale with Beats headphones," hasn’t successfully addressed the deeper cultural shifts.7 So what exactly is dismantling the once strong connection between cars and identity?

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Freedom mythos is over. For North Americans, the car once represented mobility, adventure and independence. The crosscountry road trip was almost a male rite of passage, like a mini Homeric odyssey, and car makers captured this spirit in countless ads. Males dominated as protagonists in road films, including classics like Easy Rider and On the Road, which glorified manly, cross-country travel. But with registration fees, insurance costs, smog checks, maintenance, traffic, toll roads, and fluctuating gas prices, car ownership requires more than just plunking down a few grand and driving off into the sunset. James Bond notwithstanding, cars are increasingly seen by millennial men as more of a nuisance than a fun, freedom-enabling toy.8

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Overly complicated. Lessons in fixing cars were a father-son ritual for several generations. But as cars get more complex and more computerized, this type of bonding has waned. “The car… allowed fathers to act like a man, be in a manly state and try to teach his son to be a man and be responsible and be accountable,” a Boomer interviewed by NPR explained.9 But dads today are more emotionally involved with their children; they don’t use the family car as a way to connect with their sons. Which is a good thing because it would practically require an engineering degree.

Sharing economy. In a city like Los Angeles, there’s Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and an array of shared rental car services, including Zipcar, Getaround, and RelayRides. Unlike previous generations, male millennials are used to owning fewer things; they don’t buy CDs or newspapers, and it’s natural and convenient to them to rent, borrow or share.

A Northeastern University researcher interviewed users of car-sharing schemes and found they prefer variety: “People get to try out different cars, different lifestyles, different identities. By contrast owning a car, they said, felt like being tied down—like a marriage.”10 While this trend affects both genders, men are slightly more likely to be early adopters of new tech services, which may partially explain why women drivers currently outnumber men in the US, 105.7 to 104.3 million.11

Smartphones and public transportation. Twenty years ago if you had a long transit commute, you could read, sleep or play The Legend of Zelda on Nintendo Gameboy. But with smartphones, men can do everything from knock out a couple hours of work, to binge watch The Walking Dead or Sons of Anarchy. The ability to be productive and entertained is one reason why the use of public transit in the US in 2014 reached its highest level since 1956.12 And there’s a big appetite to enhance and extend the nation’s public transportation system: in the last two years 70% of transit tax initiatives have succeeded.13

Cites are becoming more bike friendly. Between 1990 and 2009, the number of cycling trips rose 64%.14 A growing number of urban men feel freer and more masculine commuting on their bike. A man interviewed by citylab.com, explained. “For me, cycling=self-sufficiency, which is about as traditionally ‘masculine’ a concept as there is in this country.”15 Another cyclist stated, “I'm living [masculinity on a bike]: freedom, health, power, virility, and feeling like you're a tough and happy dad.”16

When men like Lenoardo DiCaprio and Larry David started buying Priuses – others followed suit. This was a key turning point for American car culture, as the cost of one’s car stopped being a (somewhat) reliable indicator of an individual’s economic status.

Granted, the Prius is a badge of a different sort, “Hey, I care about the environment,” but its success helped to break the correlation between a person’s income and the brand of car they drive.

Wealthy tech entrepreneurs who wear jeans, hoodies and drive average cars (e.g. Mark Zuckerberg and his $30,000 Acura TSX) have also helped to break this once predicable correlation. Low-key is the new cool and a Honda is basically normcore for your car.

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But if the emotional triggers that worked in the past to stimulate desire don’t resonate with younger men, what will it take to get them to buy a car or upgrade their beaters? Especially when they prioritize experiences, like vacations and nice dinners, over ownership. I was surprised when I posed this question to a 25-year-old in my office. He told me: “The car maker would have to convince me it would help save the planet.” He went on to explain he wanted more than a hybrid, which he saw as incrementally better than a gas-fueled car; he wanted transformation. “It would also have to have revolutionary features that change the way I live my life.”

So it seems one of the biggest influences on car culture is the rate of technological advancement in other industries, which has been so rapid it has trained younger men to

expect gigantic steps forward.

Disruptive technologies and innovation spark their passion now, not the spirit of the open road. Millennial men are not overly impressed with the industry’s current offerings, with the exception of Tesla, the Apple of the car world, which excites them because it’s an industry disruptor, green, and designed with style. But it’s also priced out of reach for most. The solution is for car makers and marketers to think far, far outside the box with their offerings, to take much bigger risks and to stop assuming a small bit of personalization and a better economy is going to entice millennial men to purchase a car. It may actually take affordable, driverless cars to trigger a purchase in some stalwarts given all the great alternative options today, at least to those in big cities. In 50 years, “real men drive stick” may mean very little. Because real men may not drive at all. Robots will.

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TRANSMISSIONS FROM MARS J E F F

31

H O L M A N

I

n 1992, John Gray introduced us to the bestselling relationship guide Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. Spoiler alert for those who missed it: the fundamental psychological differences between men and women, and in particular their conflicting styles of communication, are so profound that it’s like we come from different planets.

In the 20-something years since Gray published this idiot’s guide to gender norms, the landscape of human communication here on earth has undergone tectonic shifts. Today, we communicate more frequently, in smaller doses, and often from afar; the always-on connectivity of social and mobile technology has radically changed the way we “speak” with each other.

The lines of communication between Mars and Venus are reflective of the distance between these two planets; from carefully-crafted texts to picture-perfect Instagrams, Snapchat to Tinder, Gchat to OkCupid, men can be in constant contact with women anywhere, anytime, on any number of platforms, with minimal intimacy or vulnerability. But since the dawn of time, men have socialized very differently with one another than they have with women.

So what about Martian-to-Martian conversations? What does modern discourse look like in homosocial

(that’s sociologist speak for nonsexual) relationships between men?

Has male bonding changed in the digital age?

The answer: guys may be looking to compensate for the detached nature of modern courtship with closer, more personal friendships.

We’re all familiar with the term bromance, a label that conjures up imagery of two emotionally stunted men fumbling through their feelings under the pretense of a shared interest or activity. While this concept seems innocuous, even progressive when contrasted with the paternalist standards of past generations, it speaks volumes about our collective discomfort with meaningful male friendships.

Recently, actor and screenwriter Simon Pegg was asked about his close friendship with frequent collaborator Nick Frost, to which he replied, ”We always sort of flinch at this ‘bromance’ buzzword that comes up – there’s no equivalent for women, because it’s not weird if women are friends.”1 Labeling male friendships in these terms can contribute to the expectation that same-sex connections are meant to be relatively shallow, based more on drinking, talking sports, pursuing women, and playing video games than on companionship and selfimprovement. And the rise of the

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man-child stereotype, epitomized by the Beta Male protagonists of Knocked Up or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has only reinforced this dynamic. Men who once defined success by their accomplishments, in their careers or marriages (read: responsibilities), have become obsessed with perpetual play and self-involvement (read: arrested development).

A recent poll of UK men found that 42% of respondents admitted they had some growing up to do when it comes to certain responsibilities and behavior.2 What about the other 58% of guys seeking to embrace a more mature version of masculinity?

Our grandfathers likely belonged to some fraternal social organization, frequented their local barbershop, fixed stuff together, or joined an athletic association where they ultimately learned from each other how to be better, manlier men. They served alongside other men in the military, attended all-male schools, and belonged to clubs that didn’t admit women.

These institutions of a bygone era were built on the dated notion that men should be strong, authoritative,

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and dominant in the public space.

As modern America has evolved towards a more gender-equal society, at least beneath the homogenous ranks of top management and elected offices, many of these spaces have transformed into thriving coed environments. We go to co-ed schools, live in co-ed dorms or social houses, play on co-ed athletic teams, even navigate co-ed bathrooms; we enter the workforce on a relatively level playing field with women; we go to the same gyms, drink in the same bars, play in the same recreational sports leagues.

In light of these literal and metaphorical walls being broken down, the very idea of a men’s club has almost become a punch line.

But make no mistake – men still make room to socialize amongst themselves. Their quarters have simply become smaller, more democratic, and even more domestic. Virginia Woolf once asserted in the 1929 essay A Room of One’s Own that a woman needed her own space in the home to connect with her identity and creativity.3 These days, men are discovering that they need a dedicated space of their own, where they can be

in control (or at least pretend they are), escape the burdens of domesticity, and spend time with their toys and friends. So they’re carving out subterranean man caves, tiny houses, or garage workshops where they’re free to simply do guy stuff,4 protecting or reaffirming their masculinity, whether or not it’s actually in question.

from the boys-will-be-boys brand of debauchery modeled in The Hangover into bonding experiences that participants actually want to remember the next day. It’s through these experiences that men communicate with each other – about work, relationships, finances, and health – without fear of judgment, only support and advice.

Let’s follow Paul Rudd for a minute and take a look at where his characters go. In Knocked Up, Rudd as “Pete” slinks away to a fantasy baseball league, which is shrouded in so much secrecy that his wife suspects him of cheating, and when she catches him in the act, feels an even greater sense of betrayal than if he’d been unfaithful. In I Love You, Man, Rudd as “Peter Klaven” learns the ropes of male friendship from his eventual Best Man in a guys-only converted garage owned

by Jason Segel’s “Sydney.” Both examples show an Average Joe’s need for a space where he can explore masculinity – without judgment – in the trusted company of close friends.

The Blind Barber is a great example of a masculine hideaway, built around the simple alchemy of an unfussy haircut, close shave, and stiff cocktail like the Smoke & Dagger.5 Similarly, Deus Ex Machina has created a mecca for men to combine their passions for surfing and building custom bikes. Neither of these brands is selling a product or service so much as they’re providing a physical space and experience that men can share with other men.

It turns out that doing stuff, like physical, IRL (that’s internet speak for in real life) stuff, is exactly what drives modern male relationships.

From the expected sports, music, gambling, outdoorsy activities, and road tripping to left-ofcenter stuff like cooking, crafting, improv classes, book clubs, and coffee tastings, guys rally around – and connect through – common pursuits. Even the sacred ritual of the bachelor party has transformed

So what does this mean for marketers? It means that there’s a huge opportunity to intercept and engage with men – not the solitary man hiding in his cave, but rather clusters of men who flock together in the open, driven by equal parts testosterone and shared vulnerability – with real-life activations. So maybe instead of building a mobile app that socially gamifies the augmented reality of a digital comic book, think about engaging groups of guys with some good old-fashioned experiential action they can touch, play, or solve together in a physical space. It’s how we do here on Mars.

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PERMISSION TO PRIMP M O R G A N

From the beginning of time, men have been judged (and defined) by their machismo. Who’s burliest? Strongest?

Smelliest? Still mostly true, right? Meh. Maybe in the locker room, but that’s about it.

Caring openly about one’s self-image used to be a pastime reserved for women. But in this era of gender blurring and general body obsession, guys are finally coming out of the closet about how much they actually give a damn.

“The shift toward men being comfortable with how they look and taking care of themselves has been

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A C E I N O

radical,” said David Grainger, Editorin-Chief of Esquire Magazine, in an interview recently. “Twelve years ago, 15 years ago, if you were interested in style, then you just were [considered] gay. And I think it's really an interesting symbol of how the definition of manhood and masculinity has been expanding to include more and more options.”1 So what was the catalyst? Some might point to the Mad Men bump. Others will say it’s macro gender blurring.

Could it be manzilians? Whatever the cause, the shift has led to both great and grotesque phenomena for the modern male and his self-image.

THE GOOD: METRO AND MACHISMO FRIENDS AT LAST 20 years ago, journalist Mark Simpson coined the term “metrosexual” and simultaneously threw a bunch of perfectly fine dudes into existential crisis. “Am I a nancy because I use conditioner?” “Bow ties are gay? Wait, what?” “I’m called to task because I know a thing or two about a vintage Pinot?”

Over the past few years, convention has been called into question at an accelerated pace across the board.

One of the results? Society’s risen above the shallow label and guys can relax a bit.

During a chat with Josh Boyd, one of the brilliant brains behind the Blind Barber, he noted that guys have a very different relationship with their self image today.

“The ‘metrosexual’ is just becoming the modern man. You see some of the manliest guys around come into our shop. They aren’t looking for pampering specifically - they’re just giving a shit,” said Boyd, adding, “But not too much of a shit.”

And for guys, that’s a pretty big step considering where we were 20 years ago. Fitness expert David Baudendistel agrees, maintaining that “to be masculine these days requires an element of courage because it does mean you’re willing to bring your whole self at any risk, and I think anyone can do that to the extent that they’re willing to become a little more vulnerable and courageous.”

Bravo, boys.

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THE BAD: THE RISE OF THE SPORNOSEXUAL According to the JWT State of Men report, 78% of guys say that they feel as much pressure as women do to look in-shape.­2 At the time of this writing, a quick Googling of the term “selfie” returns more than 213 million results and the news story of the day is that Nokia made a phone just for selfies.3 Enter the latest label on the scene: spor•no•sex•u•al: noun. “A new breed of metrosexual, especially into sports, porn, big strategically placed tattoos and fitness of his own body.”

- Urban Dictionary The wave of self-obsession that’s drowning pop culture today is the likely culprit for this newly minted, eternally offensive label (given to us by the one and only Mark Simpson, yet again). Need some real-life examples? David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are the poster boys.4 Or you can just check out the hashtag #sexyguy on Instagram, and you’ll get your fill.

"It's hard to say if 'spornosexuality' is a product of a body-obsessed culture that idolizes sports figures, or backlash against an increasingly egalitarian culture with less pronounced role definition between the genders," said Kim Schneiderman, a Manhattan psychotherapist.5

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Apparently the species feeds on attention, so if we all ignore him, maybe he’ll go away. Fingers crossed.

THE HORRIFYING: THE MANOREXIA EPIDEMIC Another side effect of our bodyobsessed culture is what scientists have dubbed “fat shaming.” Research published by University College London suggests that people who felt discriminated against because of spare tires – who had been the butt of jokes, patronized or hassled or given worse service in shops and restaurants – were actually more likely to gain weight.6 According to the Daily Mail, a third of teen males have suffered from 'manorexia' - either by purging or abusing drugs - as a result of hating the way they look.7 “Manorexia is the favored tabloid term for the eating disorder anorexia – self-starvation in pursuit of the 'perfect' body, commonly associated with girls and women – when it occurs in men, as it is increasingly doing.”8 The biggest difference in manorexia and anorexia: the focus on muscle over thinness.

Guys feel the need to be chiseled to the point of perfection or risk being ridiculed. Even the high-profile guys feel the pressure. According to The Guardian, “The Hunger Games actor Sam Claflin thinks he's fat when he isn't – and says it is because the idealized cinema body shape is forced on men as much as women.”9

THE TAKEAWAY Give the guys a break. Men are going through a major shift in their relationship with self-image.

Demonstrating that you understand that caring isn’t douchey, caring too much might be, and caring to the point of unhealthy simply isn’t okay.

Provide experiences that embrace and temper - their newly refreshed ego and its role in their lives. Because in the end, they’re looking for brands that really get it. Not just another label.

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FISH WHERE THE MEN ARE A N N A

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N E S S E R

Sure, it’s hot to market to women right now and brands are (finally) getting the hang of it (think Under Armour, Always, and Dove). Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be the first person to applaud these efforts, but, what about the guys? Don’t they deserve some love? I mean, they shop too - in fact, they are currently outspending the ladies and have a 24 percent higher lifetime spending value because they shop more often and have larger transactions.1 Trouble is, many of them feel we’re talking to them all wrong. Surprisingly enough, not ALL men respond to cheap humor and lingerie-clad women with brand loyalty. So, while it’s great we’re revamping how we approach the female consumer, perhaps it’s time we re-examine the way we talk with men.2 What follows is a guide to capturing the elusive male consumer.

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THEIR ENVIRONMENT Until recently, women have seemingly owned the shopping arena. According to conventional wisdom, women control the purse strings for their families (making them expert money managers), but at the same time are also notorious for the kind of shopping frenzies that have become the basis for entire movies (Confessions of a Shopaholic). Well, the reality is a little different. Men have actually surpassed women in shopping, specifically in categories that are considered dominated by the ladies, most notably, apparel.3 Yes, men are doing their fair share of buying, but do they really shop?

And what if he was already set on buying shoes? Well, in that case – no research necessary. He’s most likely going to grab the same pair of Nike running shoes he’s bought 5 times in a row – he knows how they fit, he knows his size and (bonus) he likes what they say about him. In this case, brand loyalty wins. As a die-hard, 28 year-old, male Nike fan put it: “as a brand they are the convergence of all the things I love about everything… they are culturally relevant and they are just #1.” He’s already bought into the brand so now he’ll keep buying their product.

But why?

THEIR HABITS

T H E I R B E H AV I O R

What did I do before buying my last pair of shoes? Well, I checked some of my favorite blogs to see what’s hot, asked a few friends for their opinions – and then yes, I even dragged a friend to the store with me to browse the selection (because it’s fun) and eventually I even chatted with a salesperson before making my final selection – it’s really quite the process.­4

While women are considered to be more interdependent with individuals, men are considered to be more interdependent with groups. Women strive to feel connected to the people around them, whereas men seek out connections to more “abstract and larger groups of people”.6

And how about a guy, what will he do?

Maybe he wasn’t even thinking about buying shoes today, but then he saw a digital banner while reading an article online. Since 50% of young dads (2540) are influenced by digital ads and banners, he decided to do some research on these shoes. After checking out a few sites and maybe some social networks, it seems like everyone is all about these shoes – now what? He’s probably heading to his most trusted retailer, Amazon.com, where he’ll make the final purchase. No advice from friends,

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no browsing, no salesperson. A much quicker, much more impulsive path to purchase than his female counterpart.5

Sure, that seems fairly obvious – but what does it mean for marketers? Most importantly, this interdependence with groups suggests a major opportunity for brands - because of their affinity to the collective, brands have a chance to turn the male buyer into a loyal advocate.

Couple that with an ever-growing tendency for men to make impulse purchases and brands have a golden opportunity on their hands – men may very well be the next breed of shopaholics.7 So, how do we hunt the elusive male?

EQUIPMENT FOR THE HUNT

Make it easy: target men in their preferred shopping habitat – online.

Give them what they want: the information to feel credible and validated.

Make it fun: get them to buy in to your brand and not purchase a product.

Make it sharable: 44% of men told their friends about positive experiences they had online concerning products or brands.8

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MANXIETY S A B E N A

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S U R I

S

erial dating. Watching that biological clock tick. Egg freezing. Waiting for “Mr. Right.” We’re no strangers to the stereotypical plight of the fixated 30-something woman, a goto archetype in movies and on TV, however out-of-touch with reality it may be.

But what if those eggs were, in fact, sperm, and that Mr. was a Mrs.? Yep, you heard that right. Once justified for acting like a manchild until age 35 or even age 40, many men are finding that extended bachelorhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it’s downright giving them manxiety.

While the term “manxiety” has been thrown around to describe various hardships that accompany the male condition (i.e. depression, the need to conform to societal standards of masculinity,1 or even a fear of marriage2) the use of the term in an April 2014 Daily Beast headline struck a cord: “High Manxiety: Thirtysomething Men Are The New Neurotic Singles.”

The article writes: “Like its feminine counterpart, manxiety stems, in large part, from doing life math…. men are fretting about their closing window to meet someone and have kids.”3 But why the sudden uptick in anxiety among these (and presumably, coming-of-age) men?

It would be remiss to pen an article about dating in 2014 and fail to mention online (and mobile) dating.

It’s the age of convenience, as well as the “end of courtship,” according to The New York Times.4 Since we have endless potential matches at the tip of our fingers, and can simply swiperight and swipe-left to find our next date (or one night stand), we are, in a word: overwhelmed.

It’s a classic marketing dilemma: choice paralysis. Psychologist Barry Schwartz argues that “more choices make us less likely to take action, and to be less satisfied with our eventual decision….We engage in frequent regret about the roads not taken.”5 Whereas 10 or 15 years ago, singles were restricted to meeting someone in college, at work, or in a range of social situations, the Internet has opened up all kinds of possibilities.

But isn’t that a problem for women, too?

Yes. The difference lies within the context of gender norms. While it’s “normal” for women to stress about finding the perfect man from age 16 to the moment he “puts a ring on it” (see the first paragraph of this article, any episode of Sex and The City, or any chick flick, ever), such is not the case for men.

Judging from pop culture, men are supposed to want multiple partners and aren’t supposed to be searching for “the one.” In fact, bachelorhood is downright glamorized in universally popular shows like Entourage and movies like Wedding Crashers and Wolf of Wall Street, while the romantic male leads in

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How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and the new comedy From A to Z are painted as effeminate weirdos. It’s why we call Taylor Swift a slut in the same breath that we mourn the end of George Clooney’s bachelorhood or the arrival of Ryan Gosling’s new baby.

Just look at the headlines. Twisted, isn’t it?

Something’s gotta give. As one popular male blogger puts it: “I was once a part of this hazy, undefined dating-but-not-dating scene. I never liked it, because nobody does. I never found any happiness in it, because nobody does.”6 Which brings us back to manxiety.

It’s clear that not all mid-thirty (or even mid-twenty) men are actually happy doing this one night stand, no strings attached song and dance. The rules of the game have simply got to change.

If technology has taught us anything, it’s that it breaks down barriers and has the power to fundamentally change society. The Internet gives us egalitarianism. So why not use it to change the way men date? If women are using sites like OkCupid and Tinder to find

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love, let’s encourage men to do the same, without shaming them or jumping to conclusions about their intentions. Let’s start publishing more articles about how men can find their perfect woman, not the other way around. Let’s change the conversation as it currently exists.

If we’re fighting for women and men to be seen as equals, changing what society expects of men when it comes to courtship is a natural piece to this very complicated puzzle.

As marketers, we shape society in ways we might not immediately realize. Our budgets are (sometimes) huge, and our media plans farreaching. When a campaign works, people share it—and don’t we all want to make a viral video, anyway? (Yes, see our Content issue of Wake Up).

So let’s create messaging that shows the world that a guy looking for a wife isn’t some hopeless romantic, but a man with a plan. That wanting to settle down, plant some roots, and have some babies isn’t just some crazy cat lady’s dream.

And maybe, just maybe, we’ll find the cure to manxiety.

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NO ROM COMS, NO PROBLEM S A B E N A

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S U R I

This is a chat with Alex van der Hoek, founder of Gay Boy Guide, a gay lifestyle blog that seeks to “inspire a new generation of gentlemen to respect each other and themselves even when parts of the greater society may not.� He tells us about the trials and tribulations of dating in the gay world.

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Q: First of all, tell us about yourself.

What do you currently do for fun and what do you do professionally?

A: I grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia right outside of Atlanta and then I came out to the west coast to go to USC, and got a degree in Film and Communication. Since graduating I’ve been writing, producing shorts, and doing odd films here and there. And then of course writing for the site.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the site for those who don’t know?

A: I was having such a hard time dating in LA. And I wanted to get to the bottom of why. [There are] all these challenges and obstacles when you’re trying to be this great, amazing, best version of yourself, and sometimes that just goes horribly wrong and you’re not that person. It’s also about when, after you come out, there’s kind of this huge learning curve. There are so many terms. We don’t have a ton of rom coms and we don’t have our parents to look to, to show us what a homosexual relationship looks like or what homosexual dating looks like.

There’s more coming out but it’s coming out of the woodwork, you know? [The site] seeks to be a guide for guys who have just come out, who are new to gay culture and don’t really know anything about it. Because I don’t know anything about it, so it’s a little bit of the lost leading the lost, but hopefully we can all tell stories to kind of help each other.

Q: From when you started this site to now, has anything changed? Are you in a relationship? What have you learned from your dating experiences?

A: I am in a relationship now; we’ve been dating for 7 going on 8 months.

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It’s a crazy story. With the site it's just kind of taken turns that I haven’t really expected in terms of readership, you know, having straight girls reach out to me, having straight guys reaching out to me. I was writing with one audience in mind but then it expanded to other people and different people who are, to my surprise, relating to what I was talking about and being interested in a subculture that they weren’t really a part of, but still learning from it.

Q: How would you describe dating in the gay community as a whole? I know it’s a big question but if you were to sum it up how would you talk about it?

A: The gay community…it’s so different from city to city and it depends on so many things like the weather and if it’s the type of culture where you go out all the time or if it’s a rainy city so you do more inside things. Those are all things that kind of affect the dating culture.

But technology has been a big part of gay dating. With Grindr it was actually one of the first dating apps, before Tinder and OKCupid. Grindr was the pioneer of mobile and online dating. It was one of the first apps that showed you who was gay in your area. Because one of the difficult parts of being gay is you might go out to a bar and unless it’s a gay bar, you’re not gonna know who’s gay and who’s not, and you might hit on a straight person but you also don’t want to not hit on that person because you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity. So, I think that’s one of the big challenges.

Q: How would you say that it’s different from dating as a straight person?

A: In talking to some of my straight guy friends, there is so much pressure as a straight guy to be a provider and to be

able to pay for the date. There’s all these kinds of formalities in place that make dating really difficult: you can’t just walk up to a girl and say ‘hey lets go grab a drink.’ There’s a little bit more formality to how you approach a girl, how you treat her when she arrives, do you pick her up? In the gay community, both a good thing and a bad thing is there aren’t those formalities. You’re dating someone who is exactly like you, by the looks on paper. So, there’s a little more casualness to it. Which is great because you get to kind of be more at ease and that sort of thing, but at the same time, there’s not as much chivalry. In the gay community chivalry has never really existed, you know? We don’t really know how to treat another guy without making him feel emasculated.

Q: In the gay community, is there a divide between guys who are looking to play the field and guys who are looking to settle down or do you feel like there’s an overwhelming majority on either side?

A: I see it as stages and phases. I think that I myself have gone through phases where I’m not looking to settle down, I’m looking to meet as many people as I can and go out and have fun and do that sort of thing. And then you get tired of that and you come back to, “oh I just want something serious.” So I think that guys, gay guys especially, are always kind of in flux with that. I don’t think there’s necessarily a divide; I just think people aren’t always in touch with what they want and they’re not always honest about it. My thing is that you should just always be honest with where you are, what you’re going through and what you really expect from this date or this person.

OKCupid and platforms like that, but as a whole how do you think technology has affected dating in the gay community?

A: I think it’s made it so easy. What I was talking about earlier, about knowing who’s gay and who’s not, it’s made that part very easy. We gripe a lot about it in places like Los Angeles and New York but it’s actually really beneficial for people who are in less gay communities. So if you’re in a small town outside of Atlanta, it’s really nice to be able to see who around you is gay because they’re not always visible. One of the things with the gay identity is that it’s not something you can always read by body language or what they look like. Sometimes it needs to be a platform or it needs to be obviously stated in order for you to know what’s out there. On the other hand it’s also cheapened relationships. In a way, it’s commoditized ourselves in that we’ve become kind of “well I didn’t really like this one so I’m just gonna go to the next one.” So there’s become this bad habit of treating guys as if they’re part of this large set instead of a unique individual.

It’s been both good and bad.

Q: If you could give any kind of tip to guys in the gay community who are looking to find what you have in your relationship or something worth settling down for, what would that tip be?

A: Date a lot, travel, but also be optimistic and be a little bit callous.

Find that tricky balance of being open but guarded at the same time. Don’t take every rejection personally and see the good that came out of that rejection.

Learn from it.

Q: You mentioned Grindr and

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Y O U T U B E . C O M / O M E L E T L A

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What happens when you give five guys some (really great) omelets, a few beermosas and whiskey by a fire? Free-flowing Truth. That’s what.

At Omelet’s first-ever “Breakfast For Dinner” roundtable, we delved into everything from being a dad today to grooming and porn and everything in between.

But we didn’t just eat and gab for naught. The discussion gave us some pretty fantastic, candid insights into modern masculinity like… … It’s way more okay today than it’s ever been for guys to care about their appearance. … Doggy style is overwhelmingly the position they’d choose if they could only pick one for the rest of their lives. … They aren’t afraid to spend $$$ if it’s on a piece of tech that has major utility.

Check out the full discussion at our YouTube page for all the deliciousness (the food) and dirt (it’s so good) that went down. And be on the lookout for another round of Roundtable shenanigans in our next issue of Wake Up.

ALEX, 24 Blogger extraordinaire, founder of the site GayBoyGuide.com, improv enthusiast and well-fed but hungry writer.

Q U I N C Y, 4 1 Walt Disney illustrator, former theme park caricature artist, Columbus Ohio native and perpetual wearer of hats.

ALFREDO, 35 SoCal native turned East Coast dweller, soccer aficionado, avid photographer and firm believer in dance parties.

WESTON, 32 Builder of modern homes, former psych major, drinker of campfire-flavored scotch and Lakers fan (even when they suck).

ERIC, 38 High-end residential designer, casual surfer, esteemed curator for the famed and hunter of the unusual.

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BD THE FOOD

H O M B R E B R E A K FA S T I N S I D E : Eggs, chorizo, manchego cheese, roasted new baby red potatoes, caramelized vidalia onions, shallots, and bacon fat.

O N T O P : Arugula and rocket lettuce (mesclun), cherry tomatoes, pickled red chilis, and bacon vinaigrette.

O M E L E T P R E P : Start by cooking the pork chorizo in your cast iron skillet to season the pan.

When the chorizo is cooked through, remove it from your pan and set it aside.

Next, cook the thick-cut smoked bacon in the same skillet. Resist the urge to clean it first - that’s primo seasoning you’ve got there. Remove the bacon and half the bacon fat from the pan. Keep the bacon fat... we need it later. Side note: You actually only need the bacon fat for this recipe so feel free to start snacking on the bacon.

Now, add sliced Vidalia onions (and a little butter if you’re feeling crazy) to the cast iron skillet and slowly caramelize. You’re looking for brown throughout, not black or crispy. Be patient.

Remove and set aside when they are done.

Next, add your sliced potatoes (think thick potato chips). Add salt, coarse cracked black pepper and a dash of smoked paprika. Cook until the potatoes are no longer crunchy but remove before they

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start to break apart. (Poke with a fork to check for doneness. You’ll know.)

Finally, crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk with salt and pepper. Then grate your Manchego cheese.

S A L A D P R E P : Make the dressing by combining two parts bacon fat to one part olive oil and one part champagne vinegar. Add finely diced shallots, crushed garlic, a tablespoon of your favorite mustard, salt and pepper. Beat it good with a fork. You want to smash up the shallots a bit. Then cut your cherry tomatoes in half.

They’ll be our cherries on top in the end.

M A K E I T : In an 8" omelet pan, add some butter and little bit of the bacon fat over a medium heat.

Then add some chorizo, potatoes, and caramelized onions. Once it’s heated through and starting to crust up, add some of your eggs in and stir them around for a few seconds.

Once the eggs have set up (a minute or two), give it a quick flip and remove from the heat and top it off with the grated cheese. Fold it over and put it in the center of a plate.

Make a quick salad with mesclun (fancy salad greens) and baby romaine using your bacon vinaigrette and cherry tomatoes. If you have any leftover shallots, throw 'em in. Place some salad right on top of the omelet, top with pickled red chilis and enjoy!

RECIPES THE BEVERAGES

ALMOND-INFUSED BOURBON

BEERMOSA

Every man needs an impressive go-to cocktail to whip out now and again. We love this one because it’s surprising, tastes amazing and involves a blow torch.

Looking for a gnarlier version of the mimosa?

Say hello to our friend, Beermosa. It’s a simple, dangerously good take on a familiar favorite.

W H A T Y O U ' L L N E E D : Almonds, bourbon, maple syrup, an orange or two, some ice, a coffee filter, a vegetable peeler (or a knife - we don't care), a blow torch (yeah, really).

In whatever glass you’re using, fill it halfway with Chimay. Then the rest of the way with Prosecco.

Finish with a splash of OJ. Voila.

T H E I N F U S I O N : First, soak 12 ounces of raw almonds overnight. Sorry, but you've got to prep for this bad boy.

T H E N E X T D A Y : Drain the almonds and place them in a food processor. Add a cup of water and a cup of your bourbon and let the food processor go on high for a minute. Add the rest of your bourbon into a blender with a quarter cup of real maple syrup and the almond mix and blend well. Filter out the almonds using a coffee filter or fine sieve. Let it sit for 24-48 hours.

THE DRINK: 1. Using a vegetable peeler, cut long slices of orange peel and roll them in sugar.

2. Pour the almond-infused bourbon over ice in a glass.

THANKS TO OUR MAN-CHEFS M A R K A N D E R S O N & R YA N F E Y

3. Ready? Using a torch, scorch an orange peel and drop it in the drink while it is still on fire. Confirm the flames are gone and consume responsibly!

Cheers.

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BROFILING B L A K E L E Y

C

lose your eyes and picture a “bro.” Are you seeing a white dude between 18-35 years old, wearing some sort of frat uniform that consists of Polo, Brooks Brothers and Sperrys, while slamming back beers, bragging about banging hot babes and pumping iron at the gym?

If so, you’re not alone. Nearly every form of modern media reinforces a shallow, negative stereotype of the bro. News stories and magazine articles portray his lifestyle as one based on privilege, self-centeredness and sexism.1 Movies like The Hangover and Old School depict a world where boys never outgrow the frat house. An entire genre of music has been dubbed “Bro Country,” and pop culture sites obsess over budding celebrity bromances. We’ve all been programmed to assume we know everything about the bro, just by looking at him.2

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In light of all these precedents, it’s no surprise that our knee-jerk reaction to anything bro-related is little more than an eye roll. But what if we’re missing the bigger picture? Bros can be intelligent, ambitious, and,

J O N E S

dare I say, far from cookie-cutter.

Behind the beer pong trophies and backwards baseball caps, there’s a man that’s misunderstood.

To really get the bro, we must first understand where the term “bro” comes from. Although using the word didn’t gain widespread (over) use until fairly recently, “bro” has existed as an abbreviated version of “brother” since as early as 1660.3 Today, men refer to each other as a bro when they feel camaraderie strong enough to consider a person’s friendship the equivalent of having an actual, genetic brother. In stark juxtaposition to the casual context in which the general public is guilty of throwing around the word, men use the term bro within their community quite differently. For guys, it’s an identifier. Labeling someone as a bro serves as a sort of man-code: if you like a guy, he’s a bro. If you don’t, he’s not. Being among bros means you’re among friends. Really, a man’s bros are no different than a woman’s best girlfriends. So why all the negativity?

This group has been pigeonholed as a bunch of hedonistic, party

boys. But as it turns out, some of the most successful and prominent men in today’s society are former bros – more specifically, “frat bros.” Fraternity men receive the brunt of the hate when it comes to the notoriously negative bro stereotype. However, in a 2006 study led by psychologist P.D. Harms, fraternity men actually exhibited higher levels of personality traits associated with successful leadership later in life, such as sociability and conscientiousness, coupled with a driving ambition.4 Case in point: investment tycoon, Warren Buffett, a former member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity whose net worth of $55 billion consistently lands him at the top of Forbes richest person list. And there’s founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, a frat guy who hasn’t forgotten his roots (he still stops by his former fraternity house when he’s in town to drop off booze5).

Other successful former bros include Michael Bloomberg, Sam Walton and Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike.6 Aside from moneymakers and entrepreneurs, a notable number of bros have also held prominent government leadership positions.

Fraternity men have made up 85% of U.S. Supreme Court justices since 1910, 63% of U.S. presidential cabinet members since 1900, and historically, 76% of U.S. Senators.

In addition, a whopping 18 U.S. Presidents have been former fraternity men.7 More recently, the term “brogrammers,” was coined to describe a new breed of computer programmers taking over Silicon Valley. Much to the chagrin of their nerdier coworkers, brogrammers have helped make the tech industry sexy with their lethal combination of bro-ey traits and quick-as-a-whip brains.8 Despite their seemingly one-note front, not all bros are created equal – in fact, there are niche communities of bros cropping up everywhere. From Bronies (guys who really dig My Little Pony), to Bro Gamers (dudes who do nothing but play video games) and ‘Gaybros’ (a self-titled, Redditbased community of gay men with traditionally manly interests like sports, hunting, and beer),9 these guys are proving they’re more than the stereotype we’ve given them.

Clearly, not all bros fit a mold.

The reality is that somewhere along the way, we collectively agreed to accept a stereotype of a group of people based solely upon superficial attributes while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge the stark evidence that they’re much more than their label. It’s time to stop brofiling and take a serious look at the man behind the label.

THREE GOLDEN RULES FOR EMBRACING THE BRO

1

Don’t be too quick to judge a bro by his admittedly bro-y cover.

2

Recognize that these men believe in community and consider friendship a major pillar of their lives.

3

Accept that being a “bro” is more of a badge than a buzzword.

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I LOVE YOU, MAN S E A N

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T I D W E L L

Abbott and Costello. Martin and Lewis. Damon and Affleck. Jay and Silent Bob.

Dynamic male duos have been a fixture in Hollywood since pictures started moving. These relationships, once defined by two contrasting personalities bonded together through shared masculinity and stoic, I-got-your-back mutual respect, have transformed into unapologetically gushy, I-love-youman codependency.

In recent years, we’ve seen onscreen friendships blossom into deep platonic love affairs; from the gospel according to Judd Aptow, whose “Frat Pack” canon includes Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, Anchorman, and Superbad, to knockoffs like You, Me, & Dupree, Wedding Crashers, Dodgeball, to the nuanced indie mumblings of Humpday and Oldjoy. Today, our leading men are more expressive, with greater aptitude for hetero intimacy than ever before. And it’s worth noting that this evolution from id to ego, and postmodern embrace of close male friendship, isn’t just relegated to on-screen relationships.

Behind the camera, we have codirectors Phil Lord and Chirstopher Miller, BFFs since their first year at college, who turned their shared love for storytelling into a shared entertainment empire with the LEGO Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and 21 Jump Street franchises. And in the writer’s room, there’s Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, close friends since college whose inimitable brand of WTF Humor has achieved legendary comic status on screens big and small.

So the question becomes, as Hollywood takes its bromances to next-level intimacy, are realworld relationships between men following suit? Meaning, are these

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pop-culture idols giving the rest of us permission, even confidence, to express our love for our best buds?

Or is Hollywood simply reflecting the broader cultural changes of its audience?

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Smart money usually follows the audience. The formula works something like this: if there’s unmet demand from the ticket buyers, Hollywood will keep churning out supply to meet it. In other words, if we want to see flawed men baring their feelings, in equal parts tenderness and raunchiness, and are willing to pay for it, studios will keep producing iterations of The Is The End or Workaholics as quickly as we can gobble them up.

we’ve been steadily moving away from patterns of gender policing, played for questionable humor in SNL’s Ambiguously Gay Duo, and even further away from the broader masculine ideal of rugged individualism, projected in testosterone-fueled buddy films like 48 Hours and Lethal Weapon.

Perhaps it’s an indication that we’ve outgrown the cycle of compensating for threats to one’s own masculinity with suspicion, or worse, aggression.

After all, we live in a world where the president can hug his running mate, athletes openly weep and embrace each other, and the most powerful CEOs can come out. But there are socioeconomic factors at work here too.

If we buy that assumption, we then have to ask, what’s caused our collective sympathies to shift from Redford and Newman to Rogen and Franco? Certainly,

Not too long ago, guys graduated from school, got married, and had kids in less time than it takes most young men to find a full-time job today. In 1960, 93% of men ages

25-42 were in the labor force; by 2012 that number had dropped to 82%.1 The stark reality in our post-recession economy is that guys aren’t bringing in as much of the green, making it more difficult for them to grow into traditional adult milestones. If you adjust for inflation, the median hourly wages of men 25 to 34 are a fifth less than they were in 1980.2 That certainly doesn’t make finding a partner any easier – actively dating, including dining out, activities, and dating sites, could add up to more than $3,500 a year.3 Higher costs of living, particularly in the housing market, combined with stagnant or lower wages, have also resulted in more roommates living together for longer periods of time.

According to the 2000 census, the number of nonfamily households has gone up by 23% in the ten years

since 1990, and that was fourteen years ago.4 Ultimately, these factors have contributed to prolonged adolescence; today, the average man gets married at 29.8 years old, a significant difference from 22.8 in 1960’s.5 So if guys are staying single longer and living in close quarters with other guys, how do they fulfill their need for intimacy and craving for community? You guessed it – with bromances. Whether you accept or loathe the label, it’s hard to argue that today’s men are interested in forging more emotional bonds with other men, as is evidenced by the spotlight that Hollywood and popular media have placed on these relationships, both on-andoff-screen. One thing’s for sure: Bromethius is rising. Where it goes from here is another topic for another issue.

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FIFTY SHADES OF MANLINESS C R I S T I N A

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P E D R O Z A

N

ot long ago, I played a random, lengthy game of word association with a group of friends. It was part alcohol-induced fun and part social illustration of how strong (and different) the links we develop between certain ideas, things, and people tend to be.

When I chose to explore masculinity across cultures for this article, I found myself thinking about that word association game again. My mind was flooded by an endless stream of references that ranged from the modern hyper-masculine Khal Drogo to the old-school, martial artist Bruce Lee, and I couldn’t help but wonder: how do non-Caucasian guys today think about masculinity in the face of these representations in the media?

An analysis of the cultural state of the “modern man,� combined with a look into three of the most prominent American races, reveals a story most marketers are missing entirely.

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T H E M O D E R N M U LT I C U LT U R A L M A L E : MACHO MACHO MEN Machismo’s definitely having another moment in the limelight. Not only has there been a surge in action movie releases1 over the past couple of years, but guys are driving a 200% increase in testosterone prescriptions. The overexposure to “manliness” in media has men playing a game of male catch up, using virility boosts to fit the standards reinforced by pop culture.

Many guys think of the ‘M’ word (masculine, macho, manly, muscular) just as much as some women obsess about the ‘B’ word (beautiful – get your mind out of the gutter). Nevertheless, the nuances of masculinity within multiple cultures are often lost in a majority-blended identity. One in which the stereotypes

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about different cultural backgrounds aren’t truly reflective of whom these men believe themselves to be.

With limited (and often inaccurate) depictions of multicultural men in the media, it can be challenging for anyone to identify what it means to be a man in a melting pot. So can these guys truly relate to a hegemonic ideal of masculinity celebrated in American pop culture? And if there is one, how much does it reflect the diversity of their thoughts, lifestyles, and backgrounds?

There may not be one single answer to these questions, but exploring the gamut of possible responses is precisely where we need to begin.

A BO UT 56% O F MEN EX PRES S THAT DEFINING W HAT I T M EA NS TO B E A M A N HAS BECOME MORE CO M PLEX . 2

M E N O F S U B S TA N T I A L A C T I O N : M OV I N G PA S T T H E N E R DY P O R T R AYA L O F A S I A N M E N There are more than 7 million Asian men in America from all ancestries — Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese, etc.— so it’s hard to believe that they’re still simply stereotyped as shy intellectuals and tech nerds. They’re so much more than that.

San Francisco artist Deborah Enrile Lao decided to challenge this narrow view by developing a series of posters called “The Manhood,” showing a multidimensional portrait of Asian masculinity through the personas of five iconic men: Bruce Lee, Jeremy Lin, George Takei, DJ Qbert and Richard Aoki.4 Lao’s approach to the series—using primary colors and faceless outlines—is simple yet clever.

She wanted to convey a notion of

masculinity that exceeded physical, stereotypical traits and showed the impact of different heroes across disciplines: sports, music, martial arts and political activism. Among these men you can see the strength, assertiveness, and confidence expected in male gender roles, while also considering their well-rounded humanity.

Lao chose these icons for a reason.

Jeremy Lin, point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, had to work really hard to prove his intellectual capacity, which in no way diminished his athleticism on the basketball court.

Richard Aoki, a sociology academic, helped shape the Black Panthers in the 1960s,5 a movement renowned for its confrontational stance. George

O N LY A Q UA RT ER O F M EN CO NSIDER PO RTRAYA LS OF T H EIR G EN D ER I N ADS TO B E A CCURATE. 3

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THE ABYSS BETWEEN BRUCE LEE & WILLIAM HUNG MORE OF THIS DANIEL DAE KIM Cop in Hawaii Five-0 STEVEN YEUN 6 Zombie Annihilator in The Walking Dead WILL YUN LEE Mutant Samurai and Texan entrepreneur in Wolverine and True Blood SENDHIL RAMAMURTHY Doctor/Mutant/District Attorney in Heroes and Beauty & The Beast JOHN CHO Frat boy in American Pie, stellar Star Trek Officer, romantic lead in Selfie AARON YOO Wall Street hot shot in The Good Guy, suburbia sidekick in Disturbia

L E S S O F T H AT KUNAL NAYYAR Astrophysicist, odd romantic and selective mute in The Big Bang Theory KEN JEONG Gangster and awkward sidekick in The Hangover and Community MASI OKA Samurai comic book enthusiast in Heroes DANIEL PUDI Pop culture obsessed and detached film student in Community

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Takei, on the other hand, has used his notoriety as an actor to bring a powerful yet compassionate voice to the LGBT movement.

These men and many more are just the beginning of a new era of Asian American masculinity. For marketers, that means sitting up, taking notice and helping them break the stereotypes they’ve been burdened with for so long.

DEBUNKING THE AFRICAN A M E R I C A N " P L AYA " Sitting at the opposite end of the stereotypical spectrum is the modern African American man.

This cohort rarely has to deal with being categorized as effeminate or quiet. Instead, they’re inundated with hyper-masculine testosteronedrenched representations in the media that portray them as aloof,7 highly physical, overly ambitious, and devoid of sensitivity.

However, many African American men don’t entirely identify with this portrayal. If you actually talk to them they’ll tell you:

"It really bothers me that people think they can take one look at me and just know me.

I'm way more than what I look like on the surface."8 Q UINCY , 4 1 RO UNDTA B LE R ES PO NDE NT

These guys are looking to redefine these gender norms typically ascribed to them. Icons like Leroy Johnson and Steve Urkel were just a couple of the trailblazers who, in what seemed like a strange approach back then, led the way in doing just that.

Leroy’s dance moves and fluid sexuality in Fame9 weren’t representative of an extremely heterosexual behavior expected from black men in the 80’s. Steve

OLD SPICE BREAKS DOWN MASCULINITY MOLDS Isaiah Mustafah, aka original Old Spice guy, introduced the notion of the suave, sexy, great smelling dude all girls would want to be with, while Terry Crews’ version of the now iconic cologne guy, has helped debunk older stereotypes10 by ridiculing an out-oftouch version of masculinity.

Urkel, conversely, was the innocent dork that had “no game on and off the court.” Both characters were sensitive, passionate and driven, but the positive sides of such values were downplayed by how “off ” their behavior was from the standards of a masculine black man. While seemingly progressive, these examples further fueled the development of the stereotypical African American machismo that endured for too long.

However, fast forward 20-something years and black men are being more outspoken about how they see themselves. Men like singer/ songwriter Frank Ocean, actor/ dancer Corbin Bleu, Cosmos host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, E! News co-anchor Terrence Jenkins, and Daddy Doin’ Work blogger Doyin Richards are turning the page to a new chapter of manhood for younger generations of African Americans.

Across the board, men are embracing the shift. It’s become especially evident in their relationship with fashion. Style, more than ever, has become a form of self-expression, and they feel confident about wearing “color, accessories and/or patterns that may not be traditionally worn by other men.”11 The type of clothes and styling choices these trendsetters are exploring are a departure from the what most would prescriptively associate with an urban look,12 but the style remains true to the historical and urban perspective of the group as reflected by one of the most influential lifestyle traits for African American males: Street Etiquette.13 The bottom line is this: the portrayals of this group of men need a makeover. Marketers can give them more room to explore the progressive, instead of making them fit a mold of who they are traditionally perceived to be.

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THE ARTS DISPUTE THE M A C H I S TA L AT I N O LOV E R El hombre Latino is a topic close to home, considering a very ‘macho’ guy raised me. But don’t get me wrong— I’m not using the term to slight my father in any way. He’s actually a pretty big feminist, but the key lesson he impressed upon my brothers was that having a sense of control is what it means to “be a man.”

This ethos is far-reaching in the Latino culture – the macho idea of dominance remains prevalent in the mind of younger Latin men. Being the head of the household, leader of groups they’re a part of, and running the company they keep are all rooted in the desire to prove their manhood. Anything less might seem too weak—or worse, too feminine.

"Once in a while, I like not being the one taking care of every decision. It's nice to let go and have someone else be in control."

FI R ST-GE N E RAT IO N GE N X L ATI N O , 37

More than that, the authority among Latinos also stereotypically translates into being the man that can romance the most women without being emotional about his relationships.

"My mother told me I didn't have to be macho by trying to keep it together all the time.

She taught me it was OK to have and show your emotions."

THI R D - GE N E RAT IO N M I L L E N N I A L L ATI N O , 2 3

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The idea of the Latin lover is both a blessing and curse. Women want this guy as a trophy from the love wars where catching the elusive bachelor holds great value among females, while guys (Latin and beyond) resent the romancer archetypes that makes them feel they fall short in keeping their women (and men) happy and satisfied.

But “macho” doesn’t always necessitate a singular definition. Poets such as Y. Reyes embrace their masculinity without its oppressive connotation of the label; he strikes a balance between being assertive and emotionally connected to the world, in life and in writing, and prompts all Latin men to strive for that same balance. Mexican actor Gael García Bernal has appeared in cerebral indie films in the U.S., such as The Science of Sleep and Y Tu Mamá También, a refreshing change from other minority actors.

So while this group has largely been pigeon-holed as macho, Latin lovers for generations now, it’s important to note that they’re also going through an age of transition. Looking past the label and broadening their representations to include a more modern portrayal demonstrates both empathy and intelligence on the part of marketers who are smart enough to think past the default stereotypes.

REFLECTION TO MARKETERS: CHALLENGE THE A-B-C ON M-A-N After spending a great deal of time reflecting on each of these three groups, the marketing implications feel almost too simple to be insightful. But here’s my take: As marketers, we’re failing these guys.

Chalk it up to laziness, not efficacy, and a lack of empathy for—and true understanding of—the nuances of our audiences, but we need to acknowledge our collective shortcomings before we can move past them.

Too often, our portrayals of these men are outdated, inaccurate, and even offensive.

Instead of using the typical minimum common denominators (beer, male hazing, sports, etc.) or the racial stereotypes outlined ad nauseam here to connect with men, we should be adding layers of emotion, diversity, and depth (and breadth) of character. What’s the worst that could

happen? They might actually lean in and see themselves reflected authentically on the screen or page.

Men should be able to have tea parties with their children, sing to musicals, love fashion, dance, spray tan, or have strong opinions on house décor and paper towels, without being judged.14 It’s time for marketers to start showing men through a more diverse lens. To display a wider spectrum of physical and intellectual dimensions of masculinity that won’t typecast minorities or trap the majority in a game of “guess who can be the manliest man.”

The Multicultural Man = More than a Stereotype.

Just this Latina’s humble association.

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A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN A L A N

Draft day. It’s like Super Bowl Sunday, The Kentucky Derby, and a bachelor party all rolled into one bacchanalian, trash-talk-and-testosterone-fueled celebration for dudes. So what are we drinking? The recipe goes something like this: combine equal parts skill and luck, add a dash of statistics, shake it up with a heavy dose of psychological warfare, and strain into your most brag-worthy pimp chalice. Tastes like…brotherhood.

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H U Y N H

It probably comes as no surprise that an overwhelming majority of fantasy sports players – 80% to be exact – are men. And that fantasy leagues have become the modern day equivalent of the fraternal organization or tree fort club. But what may be an eye-opening revelation, particularly for marketers, is the sheer scale of it all. Make no mistake – this isn’t just another passive hobby or pastime. The reach, time expenditure,

and dollar flow of this mainstream cultural (cult being the operative word here) obsession speak for themselves.

The fantasy sports industry counts 41 million registered participants in the U.S. alone. To give you a little perspective, that’s more than the entire population of the state of California.1 And each year the number of new players increases by 12%, with revenue growing 212% since 2004. In the wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which effectively exempted fantasy sports sites from online gambling restrictions, 75% of participants are willing to gamble and 12% are open to wagering more than $250 in their league.2 Estimated to be a $3.6 billion dollar industry,3 fantasy sports is a hotbed of massive businessto-business deals – between pro leagues, big brands, and fantasy sites –involving sponsorships, contests, competitions, and apps, as well as acting as a proving ground for scrappy entrepreneurs and tech start-ups.4 It’s not just the quantity of players that’s so appealing to marketers and investors, but also the quality of the audience – the average fantasy player is the much-sought-after demographic of men, between 18 and 49, with aboveaverage income and education levels.5 What’s more, the men who participate in fantasy leagues tend to double the amount of time they watch sports on television,6 raising the indirect stakes of those captive eyeballs for advertisers and media companies.

So what’s fueling this insane growth from the audience’s perspective?

Technology, the usual suspect, has certainly played a role, with mobile apps and social connectivity giving players access to the virtual clubhouse anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Today 30% of all fantasy sports participants use mobile devices to play,7 and of that group, 69% use their mobile devices to check scores, and 44% use mobile devices to manage their teams.8 But it’s the combination of online and offline experiences that makes fantasy sports so sticky.9 Established preInternet in 1980, by a few friends who gathered over lunch to talk baseball,­10 fantasy sports are as much about reality as they are fantasy. They’re as much about building new bonds and strengthening existing friendships11 as they are about the innate psychological need to compete.

What’s most interesting about this last point is that fantasy sports allow people with negligible athletic abilities to be highly competitive – and successful – in the virtual arena. Meaning that someone whose last real athletic experience was getting cut from the JV squad in high school can dominate his league with little more than sports knowledge and some mathematical acumen. It’s a true meritocracy in that sense, providing a level, albeit simulated, playing field; an equal-opportunity competition for a non-traditional display of power and strength.

That may start to explain why men spend so much time tinkering with their lineups, petitioning the commissioner for a trade, crunching numbers, and binging on podcasts about the best

70

backup tight end. Generally speaking, the more knowledge one has about the given sport, the more skillfully he’ll play, and therefore the greater the opportunity for fantasy supremacy.

That’s right – being able to rattle off detailed stats, or pluck “value players”12 out of obscurity doesn’t just increase the odds of winning, which can be a serious financial windfall, but also provides an edge with off-the-field trash talk. With the volume of data available at the click of a mouse, or swipe of the thumb, it’s not shocking that the typical guy will spend four hours a week maintaining his fantasy team.

Furthermore, the barriers to entry are relatively low, making it accessible to people of all walks of life. Fantasy leagues have successfully bridged the divide between hardcore sports nuts and the casual, lapsed, or virginal sports fan by creating models for participation that require nominal time investment and sports knowledge. A newbie can test the waters with a day league and grow his level of participation with his level of comfort and interest. Using some very sophisticated targeting and CRM tools, the fantasy industry drives those casual fans back to their platforms for deeper engagements, while also increasing their frequency of activity.13 Lest we conclude that fantasy leagues are simply boys’ clubs built on satiating or glorifying the male ego, it’s worth noting that women currently comprise 20% of all fantasy sports users; for football alone that totals 5.4 million players.14 What’s interesting is that many women have turned to fantasy sports not only to deepen their connection to a favorite team, but also to improve their

71

relationships with the guys in their lives.15 For a glimpse at how this dynamic might play out, let’s take a look at the semi-scripted comedy series the The League, a character study on how fantasy football affects marriages, families, and friendships. Now in its sixth season, it features a predominantly male cast of comedians like Nick Kroll and Paul Scheer, alongside mumblecore pioneer Mark Duplass. The only female lead is played by Mark’s real-life wife, indie director and actress Katie Aselton; she plays the role of Jenny, who’s married to the league’s commissioner Kevin and manages to subvert the hegemonic gender norms associated with fantasy football.16 After joining the all-male league in the second season, she proves herself superior to her husband and most of his neophyte friends at drafting, trading, and roster structuring, not to mention the associated bribery and manipulation that accompany the game.

She’s as skilled in her league as she is profane in trash-talking its players, all while holding onto her traditionally feminine role as nurturing wife and mother.

Like its subject, The League performs well against the coveted male 18 to 49 demo, and despite its recent move to FXX, the cable equivalent of being transferred to Siberia, it’s become such a bellwether for cultural relevancy that droves of talent – from NFL players like Chad Johnson and JJ Watt to oncamera icons like Terry Bradshaw and Deion Sanders, from comedy superstars like Seth Rogan and Aziz Ansari to Hollywood icons like Jeff Goldblum and Ray Liotta – have approached the showrunners for cameos. What’s

the one thing these personalities all share in common? The presence of a Y chromosome, which triggers testis development, which is exactly what it sounds like. Because at the end of the day, men are still fantasy sports’ bread and butter.

So what does this mean for the future of fantasy sports? Is it poised to become our new national pastime? The jury is still out on how much growth potential is left, but if you follow the dollars, from brand sponsorships and ad revenue,

to investments from the big guys like Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports in building new mobile experiences, to capital funding from VCs and private equity firms chasing the next FanDuel or DraftKings, there are a lot of smart folks gambling on this industry’s future. For our money, there are a handful of valuable insights from the fantasy sports phenomenon that we can use to shape how we reach and engage with the male audience in a meaningful way.

T O P T H R E E TA K E AWAY S F O R M A R K E T E R S & FA N TA S Y S P O R T S

1

IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING IN THE KNOW Never underestimate the power of the brag factor, particularly in an always-on, interconnected world. Allow men to discover a secret that their peers have overlooked, particularly if it’s one that they’re buying low and selling high, and they will print social currency for you.

2

MEN BOND THROUGH COMPETITION Competition, whether it’s for the aforementioned bragging rights, or a massive payday, is inherently emotional. The elemental connection that’s sparked through social confrontation, and the raw human empathy that results from the outcome, is hardwired into our evolutionary response system. Existential stuff for sure, but also a potentially powerful rationale for the gamification of marketing programs.

3

SOMETIMES SENTIMENTALITY TRUMPS SENSIBILITY Most guys think with their heads and their hearts. No matter what the data analysis tells them, they’ll still have sentimental picks.

Peyton Manning is never the best value on the board, but people will always overpay for him. Someone will always pick the number 42 because that was their father’s number, and he chose it because it was Jackie Robinson’s number. Marketers who understand how to tap into men’s sense of nostalgia can inspire the same kind of blind loyalty.

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FOOTNOTES

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French, Alex. "Breaking Dad: The Stay-at-Home Life." GQ. Conde Nast, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.gq.com/life/menslives/201311/stay-at-home-dadfatherhood>.

French, Alex. "Breaking Dad: The Stay-at-Home Life." GQ. Conde Nast, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.gq.com/life/menslives/201311/stay-at-home-dadfatherhood>. http://www.wral.com/at-homedads-convention-dispelsstereotypes/14000915/ Dube, Rebecca. "Modern Dads Survey: 75 Percent of Dads Call Fatherhood Their 'Most Important Job.'" Today Parents. NBC News, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.today.com/parents/ moderndads-survey-75-percent-dadscall-fatherhood-their-most2D79768109>.

Lesser, David. “5 Reason Dads Shouldn’t Work Outside the Home.” Candid Reflections.

15.

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25th July 2014. <http:// candidreflectionsofadad. wordpress.com/tag/stay-at-homedads/> Denhart, Andy. "A&E’s Badly Acted, Scripted Modern Dads Illustrates Why Duck Dynasty is So Special." Reality Blurred. N.p., 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.realityblurred.com/ realitytv/2013/09/ae-moderndads-review/>.

Lemire, Christy. "Mom's Night Out." Roger Ebert. N.p., 19 May 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ moms-night-out-2014>.

Heine, Christopher. "Dove's New Ad Shows What Dads Really Do." AdWeek. N.p., 8 June 2014. Web. 1 Oct. 2014. <http://www.adweek. com/news/advertising-branding/ doves-new-ad-shows-what-dadsreally-do-158181>.

Dube, Rebecca. "Modern Dads Survey: 75 Percent of Dads Call Fatherhood Their 'Most Important Job.'" Today Parents. N.p., 9 June 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. <http://www.today.com/parents/ modern-dads-survey-75-percentdads-call-fatherhood-their-most2D79768109>.

Maskeroni, Alfred. "World's Greatest Dad Shows You How It's Done in Ad for Peanut Butter Cheerios Watch and Learn From A Cereal Lover." AdWeek. AdWeek, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.adweek.com/adfreak/dadsare-greatest-and-one-memorablytells-you-why-cheerios-159032>.

Silver, Curtis. "Cheerios Hacks Portrayal of Fathers With #HowToDad." Digiday. Digiday, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// digiday.com/brands/generalmills-howtodad-peanut-buttercheerios/>.

Barry, Doug. "Refreshing Tide Commercial Manages Not to Rely on Goon-Dad Caricature for a Change." Jezebel. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://jezebel. com/5990826/refreshing-tidecommercial-manages-not-to-relyon-goon-dad-caricature-for-achange>.

Heine, Christopher. "Dove's New Ad Shows What Dads Really Do Besides Resenting

Gender Stereotypes." AdWeek.

AdWeek, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.adweek.com/news/ advertising-branding/dovesnew-ad-shows-what-dads-reallydo-158181>.

23. Brown, Christopher A. "Lowe's and LG's Poor Portrayal of Dads Says We Still Have a Long, Long Way to Go." HuffPost Parents. The Huffington Post, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost. com/christopher-a-brown/lowesand-lgs-poor-portra_b_5445982. html>.

24. Seligson, Hannah. "Don’t Call Him Mom, or an Imbecile." New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nytimes. com/2013/02/24/business/fathersseek-advertising-that-does-notridicule.html?pagewanted=all&_ r=0>.

25. Seligson, Hannah. "Don’t Call Him Mom, or an Imbecile." New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nytimes. com/2013/02/24/business/fathersseek-advertising-that-does-notridicule.html?pagewanted=all&_ r=0>.

PERMISSION TO PRIMP 1.

2.

3.

4.

NPR Staff. "The Evolution of The 'Esquire' Man, In 10 Revealing Covers." NPR. N.p., 24 July 2014.

Web. 9 Oct. 2014. <http://www. npr.org/2014/07/24/332666456/ the-evolution-of-the-esquire-manin-10-revealing-covers>.

JWT Intelligence. "JWT Intelligence Explores 'State of Men.'" JWT Intelligence. N.p., June 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.jwt.com/blog/consumer_ insights/jwtintelligence-exploresthe-state-of-men/>.

Spence, Ewan. "Nokia Lumia 735 Review: The Selfie Smartphone Is The Cameraphone For The Social Media Generation." Forbes.

N.p., 10 Oct. 2014. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/ sites/ ewanspence/2014/10/04/ microsoft-windows-phonelumia-735/>.

Nicholls, David. "Cool Dad?

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Modern Dandy? Which Sartorial Stereotype Are You?" Telegraph. N.p., 27 Sept. 2014.

Web. 9 Oct. 2014. <http://www. telegraph.co.uk/men/fashionand-style/11113157/Cool-dadModern-dandy-Which-sartorialstereotype-are-you.html>.

Engel, Meredith. "What Is a ‘Spornosexual’? It's the New Wave of Metrosexuals, Journalist Writes."

NY Daily News. N.p., 12 June 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.nydailynews.com/ life-style/ health/spornosexual-article1.1826983#ixzz3Clpm9e6a>.

Hinsliff, Gaby. "Fat-Shaming: How the Slim and Sanctimonious Help to Cause our Obesity Crisis." The Guardian. N.p., 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2014/sep/11/ fat-shaming-slim-sanctimoniouscause-obesity-crisis>.

Hope, Jenny. "A Third of Young Men Have Suffered from Manorexia - Either By Purging or Abusing Drugs, Because They Hate Their Appearance." Daily Mail. N.p., 6 Nov. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.dailymail. co.uk/health/article-2488492/ A-young-men-sufferedmanorexia--purging-drugs. html#ixzz3FO7ygKJB>. "'Manorexia' and Hollywood's Hunger Games." The Guardian.

N.p., 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theguardian. com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2013/ nov/17/manorexia-hollywoodhunger-games>. "'Manorexia' and Hollywood's Hunger Games." The Guardian.

N.p., 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theguardian. com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2013/ nov/17/manorexia-hollywoodhunger-games>.

FISH WHERE THE MEN ARE 1.

Annuzi, Elena. "AgilOne Data Reveals Men Are Bigger Shoppers than Women." AgilOne. N.p.,

2.

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13 Dec. 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. <http://www.agilone.com/blog/ data-reveals-men-are-biggershoppers-than-women>.

Griner, David. "What's the Right Way to Market To Men?" AdWeek.

N.p., 9 Sept. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.adweek.com/ news/advertising-branding/ whats-right-way-market-menjoin-adweekchat-share-youropinions-160023>.

Ferdman, Robert A. "The Rise of Man-Shopping in Five Studly Charts." Quartz. N.p., 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http:// qz.com/186074/the-rise-of-manshopping-in-five-studly-charts>. "‘Men Buy, Women Shop’: The Sexes Have Different Priorities When Walking Down the Aisles."

Knowledge at Wharton. Wharton, 28 Nov. 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://knowledge.wharton.upenn. edu/article/men-buy-womenshop-the-sexes-have-differentpriorities-when-walking-downthe-aisles/>.

Honigman, Brian. "When Marketing to Men, Keep These 10 Stats in Mind (Infographic)."

Entrepreneur. N.p., 1 May 2013.

Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www. entrepreneur.com/article/226528>.

Melnyk, Valentina, Stijin M.J. Van Osselaer, and Tammo H.A. Bijmolt. "Are Women More Loyal Customers than Men? Gender Differences in Loyalty to Firms and Individual Service Providers." Consumer Insights Group. Journal of Marketing, 2008. Web. 9 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.customerinsightgroup. com/loyaltyblog/wp-content/ uploads/2009/08/ are_women_ more_loyal_customers_than_ men1.pdf>.

"Men Spend More than Women on Impulse Buying: Study." Indian Express. N.p., 17 May 2011. Web. 8 Oct. 2014. <http://archive. indianexpress.com/news/menspend-more-than-women-onimpulse-buying-study/792035/>.

Honigman, Brian. "When Marketing to Men, Keep These 10 Stats in Mind (Infographic)."

Entrepreneur. N.p., 1 May 2013.

Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www. entrepreneur.com/article/226528>.

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MANXIETY 1.

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3.

4.

5.

6.

Poniewozik, James. "High Manxiety."

Time. N.p., 25 May 2011. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://content.time.com/ time/arts/article/0,8599,2074021,00. html>.

Mishal, Amna. "Man-xiety: Why Men are Afraid of Marriage."

Tribune. N.p., 18 May 2014.

Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://blogs. tribune.com.pk/story/22283/ man-xiety-the-dilemma-ofwanting-to-get-married-or-stayingsingle-the-down-low-on-why-menare-afraid-of-marriage-single-menwaiting-to-get-married-what-didyou-just-say/>.

Seligson, Hannah. "High Manxiety: Thirtysomething Men Are the New Neurotic Singles." The Daily Beast.

N.p., 5 May 2014. Web. 9 Oct. 2014. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/ articles/2014/ 05/04/high-manxietythirtysomething-men-are-the-newneurotic-singles.html>.

Williams, Alex. "The End of Courtship?" NY Times. N.p., 11 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/ fashion/the-end-of-courtship. html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&>.

Hedges, Kristi. "The Surprising Poverty of Too Many Choices."

Forbes. N.p., 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/ sites/work-in-progress/2012/11/26/ the-surprising-poverty-of-toomany-choices/>.

Walsh, Matt. "Dear Single Dudes: It's Time to Man Up." The Matt Walsh Blog. N.p., 19 June 2014.

Web. 8 Oct. 2014. <http:// themattwalshblog.com/2014/06/19/ dear-single-men-time-man-figure/ #2y4VZCPrXb7L7is2.99>.

3.

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BROFILING 1.

2.

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Malady, Matthew J.X. "The End of Bro." Slate. N.p., 13 Aug. 2014.

Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www. slate.com/articles/life/the_good_ word/2014/08/bro_slang_origins_ history_and_overuse_suggests_ the_term_may_not_last.html>.

Malady, Matthew J.X. "The End of Bro." Slate. N.p., 13 Aug. 2014.

9.

Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www. slate.com/articles/life/the_good_ word/2014/08/bro_slang_origins_ history_and_overuse_suggests_ the_term_may_not_last.html>.

Malady, Matthew J.X. "The End of Bro." Slate. N.p., 13 Aug. 2014.

Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www. slate.com/articles/life/the_good_ word/2014/08/bro_slang_origins_ history_and_overuse_suggests_ the_term_may_not_last.html>.

Konnikova, Maria. "18 U.S. Presidents Were in College Fraternities: Do Frats Create Future Leaders, or Simply Attract Them?" The Atlantic. N.p., 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theatlantic.com/ education/archive/2014/02/18us-presidents-were-in-collegefraternities/283997/>.

O'Brien, Rebecca. "The Truth Behind 'The Social Network.'"

The Daily Beast. N.p., 8 Sept.

2010. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://www.thedailybeast. com/articles/2010/09/08/markzuckerberg-at-harvard-the-truthbehind-the-social-network.html>.

Haslem, Tyler. "Richest and Most Successful Fraternity Alumni."

Greek Rank. N.p., 10 Dec. 2013.

Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://www. greekrank.com/richest-mostsuccessful-fraternity-alumni/>.

Konnikova, Maria. "18 U.S. Presidents Were in College Fraternities: Do Frats Create Future Leaders, or Simply Attract Them?" The Atlantic. N.p., 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theatlantic.com/ education/archive/2014/02/18us-presidents-were-in-collegefraternities/283997/>.

MacMillan, Douglas. "The Rise of the 'Brogrammer.'"

Businessweek. Bloomberg, 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://www.businessweek.com/ articles/2012-03-01/the-rise-ofthe-brogrammer>.

Lowder, J. Bryan. "Meet the Gaybros." Slate. N.p., 20 Mar. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.slate.com/articles/double_x/ doublex/2013/03/gaybros_the_ reddit_group_of_macho_gay_ boys_and_their_trouble_with_ fellow.html>.

I LOVE YOU, MAN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

"Why 25% of Millennials Will Never Get Married." Time. Time, 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

"Why 25% of Millennials Will Never Get Married." Time. Time, 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

"The High Cost of Finding Love."

MSNMoney. N.p., 2 July 2012.

Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

Bodzin, Steve. "Home Alone: Households of Singles Go to First in U.S." LA Times. N.p., 18 Aug. 2005. Web. 1 Oct. 2014. <http:// articles.latimes.com/2005/aug/18/ nation/na-single18>.

Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

FIFTY SHADES OF MASCULINITY 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

"Domestic Theatrical Market Summary for 2014." The Numbers.

Nash Information Services, LLC, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.the-numbers.com/ market/2014/summary>.

Stubbs, Derek, Greg Hodge, and Elizabeth Gorman. "Missing Men." Iconoculture Consumer Insights. CEB, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <https://www.iconoculture. com/SMART/Content/View. aspx?contentid=393258>.

"What Gender Means to Generations Y & Z." The Cassandra Report. The Intelligence Group, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.cassandra.co/wpcontent/themes/trendcentral/ pdfs/Gender%20Report%20 -%20Media%20Memo%20-%20 SUFL2013.pdf>.

Lee, Hatty. "Posters Celebrate Asian American Masculinity, From George Takei to Jeremy Lin." Color Lines. Applied Research Center, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// colorlines.com/archives/2012/05/ posters_celebrating_asian_ manhood.html>.

"Richard Aoki." Wikipedia.

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.,

6.

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11.

12.

13.

14.

n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_ Aoki>.

Stopera, Matt. "For Everyone Who Is Physically Attracted To Glenn On 'The Walking Dead.'" Buzzfeed Celeb. Buzzfeed, Inc., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.buzzfeed. com/mjs538/for-everyone-whothinks-glenn-is-the-hottestcharacter-on-th#4by9am4>.

"What Does Black Masculinity Look Like?" cFc. The Crunk Feminist Collective, n.d.

Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.crunkfeministcollective. com/2014/05/27/what-does-blackmasculinity-look-like/>.

"Breakfast For Dinner."

Roundtable Discussion. 16 October 2014 "From Fame's Leroy to Jay-Z." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http://www.npr. org/2013/05/16/184498468/fromfames-leroy-to-jay-z>.

Stubbs, Derek, Greg Hodge, and Elizabeth Gorman. "Missing Men." Iconoculture Consumer Insights. CEB, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <https://www.iconoculture. com/SMART/Content/View. aspx?contentid=393258>.

Mintel. "Black men love fashion too!” – U.S.” July 2014. Web. 11 September 2014 Cooper, Wilbert L. "The Evolution of Black Masculinity Through Fashion." Vice. Vice Media Inc., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// www.vice.com/read/power0000227-v21n2>.

Kissi, Joshua, and Travis Gumbs.

"About." Street Etiquette. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. <http:// streetetiquette.com/about/>.

"Masculinity Traits and Behaviors."

Survey. 16 September 2014

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN 1.

2.

"State and Country QuickFacts: California." US Census. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2014. <http:// quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ states/06000.html>.

"The Average Fantasy Football

3.

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6.

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9.

Player Time Commitment [A Yahoo! Survey] - TBA." TBA The Average Fantasy Football Player Time Commitment A Yahoo Survey Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2014.

Valente, Adriano. "Fantasy Sports: A $3.6 Billion Industry and Growing." The Richest. N.p., 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 3 Oct. 2014. <http://www.therichest.com/ sports/fantasy-sports-a-3-6billion-industry-and-growing/>.

De La Merced, Michael J. "FanDuel, an Online Fantasy Sports Site, Raises $70 Milion."

NY Times Dealbook. N.p., 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 3 Oct. 2014. <http://dealbook.nytimes. com/2014/09/02/fanduel-anonline-fantasy-sports-site-raises70-million/?_r=0>.

Ankeny, Jason. "The Reality of Fantasy Sports." Entrepreneur.

N.p., 20 Aug. 2009. Web. 3 Oct. 2014. <http://www.entrepreneur. com/article/203140>.

Nesbit, Todd M., and Kerry A. King. "The Impact of Fantasy Sports on Television Viewership."

Journal of Media Economics 23.1 (2010): 24-41. Web. < http:// www.tandfonline.com/doi/ abs/10.1080/08997761003590721#.

VGLOVvTF9FI> Hu, Elise. "Smartphone Boom Fuels A $1 Billion Fantasy Sports Industry." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/ alltechconsidered/2013/09/16/223110132/ smartphone-boom-fuels-a-1-billionfantasy-sports-industry> "Fantasy Sports: A $3.6 Billion Industry and Growing."

TheRichest The Worlds Most Entertaining Site Fantasy Sports A 36 Billion Industry and Growing Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. <http://www.therichest. com/sports/fantasy-sports-a-3-6billion-industry-and-growing/> Frank M. Shipman. 2009.

Blending the real and virtual in games: the model of fantasy sports. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Foundations of Digital Games (FDG '09). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 169-174.

DOI=10.1145/1536513.1536547 http://doi.acm.

org/10.1145/1536513.1536547 10. "Q&A: Fantasy Baseball Creator Daniel Okrent." Vanity Fair. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.

11. Farquhar, Lee K., and Robert Meeds. "Types of Fantasy Sports Users and Their Motivations."

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12.4 (2007): 1208228. Web. <http://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.10836101.2007.00370.x/abstract> 12. Davis, N. W. "Sports Knowledge Is Power: Reinforcing Masculine Privilege Through Fantasy Sport League Participation." Journal of Sport and Social Issues 30.3 (2006): 244-64. Web. <http:// www19.homepage.villanova. edu/karyn.hollis/prof_academic/ Courses/2043_pop/Scanned%20 Articles/Sports%20knowledge%20 is%20power.pdf> 13. Smith, Amber A., David P. Synowka, and Alan D. Smith.

"Exploring Fantasy Sports and Its Fan Base from a CRM Perspective." International Journal of Business Innovation and Research 4.1/2 (2010): 103.

Web. < http://www.researchgate. net/publication/247835243_ Exploring_fantasy_sports_and_ its_fan_base_from_a_CRM_ perspective> 14. ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. http:// espn.go.com/espnw/news/ article/6877809/fantasy-footballtime-make-fantasy-football-yourreality 15. Ruihley, B. J., and A. C. Billings.

"Infiltrating the Boys' Club: Motivations for Women's Fantasy Sport Participation." International Review for the Sociology of Sport 48.4 (2013): 435-52. Web. <http:// irs.sagepub.com/content/48/4/435. full.pdf> 16. Fetters, Ashley. "'The League': Fantasy-Football Hilarity of Commentary on Masculinity?"

The Atlantic. N.p., 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 3 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theatlantic.com/ entertainment/archive/2012/10/ the-league-fantasy-footballhilarity-or-commentary-onmasculinity/263453/>.

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PHOTO CREDITS PRIMARY RESEARCH COVERS Lawrence, King. "Untitled." King Lawrence.

N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://www. kinglawrence.com/>.

DucDigital. "Bokeh T?ng Th??ng." Flickr.

N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <https://www. flickr.com/photos/ducdigital/2892313560/>.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Tausend und eins. "umbrella man." Flickr.

N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https:// www.flickr.com/photos/74568665@ N03/8969531951/>.

MEN ACROSS GENERATIONS Giles, Richard. "Piggy Back." Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <http://foter.com/f/ photo/3303538894/c67919e131/>.

RAD DADS McNamara, Sean. Sean & Quinn. N.d.

Photograph.

Ben. "Like Father, Like Son." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/b3nscott/3285801007/>.

Army.arch. "Mondrian Kitchen." Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr. com/photos/army_arch/3140549561/>.

THE BESPOKE BLOKE Kim, Nikolaus. "Untitled." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/nk2046/15275693105/>.

Chen, Wen. "Rune (3)." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/schnubble/12950987623/>.

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Lindman, Tobias. "Green Water."

Flickr. Yahoo, 8 Jan. 2012. Web. 31 July 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ cowb0y2000/8869465093>.

WHERE'S MY UBER? Instill Moments. "Here comes the sun, and I say It's all right." Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ vasfak/7821668596/>.

Dooley, Kevin. "Car wash 3." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/pagedooley/3005422086/>.

M端ller, Joel. "where are you summer?" Flickr.

N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www. flickr.com/photos/joelmueller/8913456611/>.

TRANSMISSIONS FROM MARS Instill Moments. "Here comes the sun, and I say It's all right." Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ vasfak/7821668596/>.

Dooley, Kevin. "Car wash 3." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/pagedooley/3005422086/>.

M端ller, Joel. "where are you summer?" Flickr.

N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www. flickr.com/photos/joelmueller/8913456611/>.

PERMISSION TO PRIMP Kalohi, Leslie. "Barber Shop Sign."

Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ nevercoolinschool/3040426247/>.

FISH WHERE THE MEN ARE Guigo, Helmuts. "Hunting." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/paldies/7801514090/>.

FIFTY SHADES OF MANLINESS Parrish, Jason. "Guy." Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/arcticproductions/12756782865/>.

MANXIETY RomitaGirl67. "Vintage Twist n' Turn Stacey and Talking Ken (with Busy hands!)." Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ romitagirl67/15212397812/in/set72157633379445488>.

RomitaGirl67. "The Mod Couple."

Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ romitagirl67/14706760609/in/set72157633379445488>.

NO ROM COMS, NO PROBLEM Paumier, Guillaume. "Gay Pride 090." Flickr.

N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www. flickr.com/photos/gpaumier/5848372518/>.

BROFILING Aguilera, Miguel. "Ivรกn." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/miguelaguileraforero/7839681070/>.

I LOVE YOU, MAN JAM Project. "Image5122." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/jam_project/10394200584/>.

Effinger, Derek. Untitled. N.d. Photograph.

FIFTY SHADES OF MANLINESS JAM Project. "Image5122." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/jam_project/10394200584/>.

Parrish, Jason. "Ciall." Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/arcticproductions/12756894013/>.

Parrish, Jason. "Arran." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2014. <https://www.flickr.com/ photos/arcticproductions/12756781975/>.

Parrish, Jason. "George." Flickr. N.p., n.d.

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