The Modern Man: Who is he?

Our ‘Modern Man’ section has been feeling neglected for quite a while, so we decided that in advance of The Yorker site relaunch, we would strip it back to basics (the section, not the man, unfortunately ladies) and look at what exactly a ‘Modern Man’ is. Your Lifestyle Editor, Laura, and Deputy, Richard, give their views as to what they think constitutes a modern man.

Laura

“I don’t consider myself to be a feminist particularly, but I do have certain strong beliefs as to what a Modern Man is, what he does, and most importantly, what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t, for example, believe that the words ‘woman’ and ‘kitchen’ are synonymous with each other, and he’s not afraid to get in the kitchen himself, regardless of what any of his male friends may think of this. He acknowledges that women have an important role to play in the world, and sees them neither as inferior or superior, but as equals. He is well groomed, but not to the point of extravagance and certainly not to Shane Warne levels-that’s not groomed, that’s whipped. Having a guy spend longer getting ready than you do is a major turn off, but then again so is dating a Keith Miler lookalike. He is not afraid to stand out from the crowd. It is largely recognised that girls tend to be largely influenced by their friends, but you only have to watch The Inbetweeners to know that guys are too. The Modern Man is not afraid to assert his true thoughts and feelings, regardless of what anyone else thinks. He is not afraid to share his emotions, and yes, this does include crying. After all, shedding a tear or two proves that you are only human, and what is more attractive than that? (This statement only applies to crying in certain situations. Your team losing that all important match is not one of them.)

Above all, the Modern Man is forward thinking, unique and free spirited.“

Richard

“Today the concept of a Modern Man is as ambiguous as ever, what with the ever-growing number of musicians, hedonists, fathers, hippies and businessmen making it impossible to fly our entire gender under a single banner. However, the type of man to read such articles as these would, most likely, be the kind of man who is willing to put a large amount of effort into the parts of his life about which he cares most. For example, he might have made the decision to take pride in his appearance, and maintain a healthy body. He might endeavour to dress well, and to put a smile on his woman’s face. He is likely to be the kind of man who attempts to stay ahead of the game at work, explore his hobbies whenever he has the opportunity and pursues an active social life with both friends and colleagues. Our modern man will be interested to know about how to advance his personal image, learn about handy domestic tricks and even appreciate any dating advice on offer. Essentially, the kind of guy who’s willing to put work into himself so that he may become the best he can be, and fulfil all of his potential as a man.”

So there you have it. It is not in any way claimed that the above are definitive definitions of a Modern Man, but merely opinions. Do you agree? What do you think a Modern Man is? Let us know in the comments section below:

Want to write for Modern Man? Email lifestyle@theyorker.co.uk

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