Logan Hill on the perfect date DVD (#1), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (a movie I haven't seen yet) : “I'm reminded of how some films are best-suited for watching on the couch, preferably with a date, a drink, and some suspended disbelief. In this new column called The Date DVD, I'll pick a new disc or two each week and argue for why a film like Eternal Sunshine [of the Spotless Mind], or the punk documentary Ramones Raw (also out this week), would make a perfect excuse for getting someone into your apartment . After all, movie theaters may no longer be the best place to cuddle up in the dark. At the very least, the DVD date is a more direct route into your partner's pants.”
Jane Ross says goodbye to the metrosexual: “while they may be aping — and by that I mean genuinely mocking — the very qualities that women always said they wanted — an interest in life outside of work, lessened focus on material wealth, and a commitment to spending time at home — there is something curiously regressive about the behavior of these himbos. After all, the desire for all of the above qualities in a man has traditionally been linked — in our shared female imagination — with notions of commitment, and in turn with notions of maturity. We've been asking for men so sure of themselves that they do not connect their sense of worth to their stock portfolios, do not need to replace flagging penises with cars, are capable of fulfilling household responsibilities, respecting their partners' work and time, exhibiting confidence and honesty in bed, all while keeping their own identities, passions, and friendships intact. In short, what we've been asking for are grown-ups.”
Andy Horwitz: “A gay friend of mine believes that women are more sexually flexible and can go either way more easily. He says that men's sexuality is fixed; gay is gay and straight is straight and ne'er the twain shall meet. I disagree. Sexual fluidity varies by individual, not by gender. Society just accepts fluidity in women more than in men.”
Neo Lad versus Metrosexual: "Granted, it [ironic sexism] doesn't apply to the majority of men, who will continue listening to classic rock, choosing Conan over Kimmel and avoiding shopping trips with their girlfriends. But then, these men don't make for good copy."
I'm going to violate copyright and reproduce the table at the end, which doesn't come across well in the online version of The National Post.
| Neo Lad | Metrosexual |
|---|---|
| Enjoys leering at women | Enjoys leering at self |
| Would once have been called a lout | Would once have been called a sissy |
| No shame in reading soft-porn magazines | No shame in reading (or being interviewed by) gay publications |
| Frequents strip bars | Uses Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips |
| Maxim subscriber | Details subscriber |
| Barbeques for primal thrill provided by open flame | Barbeques for unique flavour provided by open flame |
| Wears Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch and Polo | Wears Prada, DKNY and Club Monaco |
| Listens to Oasis and Nickelback | Listens to Depeche Mode and Interpol |
| Beck's and Guinness | Drinks whiskey sours and Manhattans |
| Will wear five o'clock shadow to show nonchalance | Will wear five o' clock shadow to show stylishness |
| Enjoys reality shows like Temptation Island, in which clash of the sexes yields adulterous results | Enjoys reality shows like Trading Spaces, in which clash of aesthetics yields tacky results |