Ubersexual: The New Masculine Ideal?: Examples of Ubersexuals
Ubersexual: The New Masculine Ideal?: Examples of Ubersexuals
Masculine Ideal?
The authors who popularized the term "metrosexual" say a new type of
masculinity is taking hold.
By Tom Valeo
The American Dialect Society named "metrosexual" the "word of the year" for 2003 after marketing
consultant Marian Salzman helped popularize it.
Now the "ubersexual" is replacing the metrosexual, Salzman writes in The Future of Men, a book
she co-authored with Ira Matathia and Ann O'Reilly.
What's the difference between these two types of men?
In a study they wrote in 2003, the three trend spotters wrote that "One of the telltale signs of
metrosexuals is their willingness to indulge themselves, whether by springing for a Prada suit or
spending a couple of hours at a spa to get a massage and facial."
In contrast, they claim the ubersexual is less concerned with fashion and more inclined to develop
his own sense of style.
"Compared with the metrosexual, the ubersexual is more into relationships than self," they say. "He
dresses for himself more than for others (choosing a consistent personal style over fashion fads)."
Examples of Ubersexuals
Holding up actor George Clooney as an example, they say the ubersexual's "best friends are male;
he doesn't consider the women in his life his 'buddies.'"
And the ubersexual is more concerned with principles and values. Bono, of the rock band U2,
represents this, they say, by the way he campaigns to reduce poverty in Africa.
In short, the ubersexual possesses what the authors call "M-ness," a type of masculinity "that
combines the best of traditional manliness (strength, honor, character) with positive traits
traditionally associated with females (nurturance, communicativeness, cooperation)."
Although The Future of Men is based on interviews with 2,000 men nationwide, it is not an in-depth
sociological analysis, as Salzman, a trained sociologist, readily admits.
"I'm in the business of marketing," she told WebMD. "The job of understanding men was
undertaken from the perspective of how we can do a better job marketing to them. I have no
apologies for that motivation."
Masculinity in Flux
But by arguing that the ubersexual is already succeeding the metrosexual, the authors of The Future
of Men underscore an indisputable fact of life in the U.S. -- the concept of masculinity is in flux,
leaving many confused about what it means to be a man.
"It was clear that men were questioning the feminization of men," said Salzman, explaining the
origins of The Future of Men.
"We wrote the book to focus on the question, 'what is the byproduct of 40 years of increased rights
for women?' The instability of the male role model has been a reaction to the rise of equal rights for
women."
This is not the first time in American history that notions of masculinity have shifted.
"It seems like every time the country is in a crisis there's concern about masculinity," said Sonya
Michel, a history professor at the University of Maryland and the author, with Robyn Muncy,
of Engendered America: A Documentary History, 1865 to the Present.
"For example, during industrialization, skilled artisans started losing their jobs and men started to
feel they were losing control. Again, during World War II, when it became clear that the U.S. was
going to enter the war, people were wondering if American men were up to the task."
E. Anthony Rotundo, an instructor at Phillips Academy Andover, made a similar point in American
Manhood: Transformations in Masculinity from the Revolution to the Modern Era. He stresses
economic uncertainty as the cause of current confusion about masculinity.
"The great majority of American men can't support a household on their income," he tells WebMD.
"Families with a couple of kids need two incomes, and that calls into question the idea that the man
is the breadwinner."
The authors of The Future of Men, in contrast, say the feminist movement has posed the greatest
challenge to traditional notions of masculinity.
"The women's movement has arguably had at least as big an impact on men as on women," they
write.