Is this life imitating art? Or art imitating life? Or just another fabricated buzzword for the sake of an article? Hard to say… I saw it on MSN earlier today, and while I think the majority of the article stems from the hype of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, a good amount of it hit a little close to home…

From the article: So what makes a metrosexual man? He’s been defined as a straight, sensitive, well-educated, urban dweller who is in touch with his feminine side. He may have a standing appointment for a weekly manicure, and he probably has his hair cared for by a stylist rather than a barber. He loves to shop, he may wear jewelry, and his bathroom counter is most likely filled with male-targeted grooming products, including moisturizers (and perhaps even a little makeup). He may work on his physique at a fitness club (not a gym)

The makeup? Not me. Not even cover-up for the time defying, stress-caused-this-bump-even-though-I’m-30 pimple – I’d rather not bother with it – but the fact that I even know about such products probably qualifies me anyway. Also, the fact that Nivea and Neutrogena have suddenly unloaded a shit load of men’s products on the market helps to confirm this trend. Given that most of them involve shaving – and trying to prevent cuts – a number of them have crossed my bathroom counter… jeez do I hate shaving! I can tell you that I keep putting my toilet seat lid back down out of habit, but I haven’t put a roll of toilet paper back on the holder for the last six months; from a woman’s perspective that must look like one step forward and one step back.

Jewelry? Watches mostly, but I’ve been known to buy a bracelet or pinky ring from time to time – I thought that came from my Italian background. I’ve been going to the same hair cutter for years, and while that’s been as much for how she looks – *wr0w* – as for her skills, she still works in a hair salon. I was raised on shopping, so there’s nothing escaping that – in fact, I remember logos from stores that have been gone for over a decade because of a semi-photographic memory, which helps me to be a font of useless knowledge. Urban isn’t me, but I’m looking to move soon and there’s nothing but large cities on my list, so maybe that’s a “coming soon” thing. Well-educated and sensitive I doubt, but that’s relative, so I’d skip those. Even thought I’ve got a couple of degrees I’ve stayed at the same shitty job for years, so these things tend to contradict each other.

Straight? Very much so. If fact if you’re a female reader, send me an email with a picture and I’ll prove it. (That statement alone should negate any doubt.) Manicure? Where else can I get a room full of women to do my bidding, if only for 1/2 an hour? Do I get them polished? Never makes it past the car – the only way you get a massage is at the drying table – as that’s what polish remover is for.

Well whatever – never thought there would be a label that would come close to fitting the science-experiment-run-amuck that I seem to be, but this one has a couple of things that fit. All this time I thought it was just Italian/Godfather/Sopranos influences but there might be something more there.

Either way, I’m this was better reading than that work email that you were supposed to be reading right now, so laugh and go back to work!