Does Vanity Exist In Males?

Writer - Annemarie Failla

Each month GIRL.COM.AU presents you with the word from the street. This is your chance to get on your soap box and have your say!

<<The question we posed this month was "Does Vanity Exist In Males?">>

"I find that guys are really big on vanity. I have gone out with a few guys and I couldn't believe some of the things they said they did to maintain their looks. One guy in particular used to wear foundation every time he left his house and another used to regularly manicure his nails. Now you tell me if vanity exists in males!! Sure, I take care of my appearance but some guys are over the top. Many female beauty pageants have been abolished around the world but I say bring on more male equivalent beauty pageants and there will be queues and queues of guys wanting to enter. GUYS you are all pretty little princesses!"

Tiffany, 21 yrs, University Student

"Well sure, vanity does exist in some males, but I think that this is a fairly stereotypical view of males in general. Today children (both male and female) are raised with increasing pressure to look smart, keep fit, and always perform to the best of their abilities. The media is always highlighting how one should look and act (inferring young and sexy most of the time). While this simply rolls off most of the older generations it can, in many cases, embed a great fear of growing older (and the repercussions of this). Now doesn't this kind of environment incubate vanity in later life? So in answer to the question I think that Vanity does exist (at widely varying levels) in males, but it should be clearly stated not all males are vain (as the question implies)".

Steve, 27 yrs, IT Consultant

"Males can definitely be vain - take my brother for example, we have to fight each other off for the bathroom mirror as he's always in there flexing and admiring his biceps! (laughs)"

Katrina, 16 yrs, Student

"My boyfriend can't walk by a shop window without checking out his reflection in the window, it's pretty embarrassing sometimes."

Alisha, 17 yrs, Student

"Vanity, yeah without a doubt! Men are creatures of habit as are females, which leads me to believe that we all have that inherent mentality that we should love ourselves before anyone can love us. I guess where the problem lies is when we love ourselves a little too much (and there are a fair share of the male variety that fit that description)!"

Thomas, 26 yrs, Engineer

"Vanity exists in us all. It's the degree of and the reasons for, that vary."

Sean, 18 yrs, Retail

"You only have to take one look at the guys who train in the gym I go to, to answer that question!!"

Sonia, 18 yrs, Dancer

"Yes it most certainly does. Guys are just as vain as girls are. They wear aftershave, there are cosmetics available for guys now, a lot of them go to the gym and you see them strutt along in their speedos at the beach. Especially the ones who really work out hard! They make me laugh, seeing them check themselves out in a reflection or looking around to see who is looking at them! When they start to look down their noses at people...well that's when they get the big LOSER from me!"

Sally, 19 yrs, Traineeship

"Of course NOT! Guys are never vain, it is just the ugly ones who keep complaining that there are heaps of vain guys around. The ugly guys are just jealous and give us really good-looking guys a bad name! "

Rocky, 19 yrs, Sales Representative

"Yes it does. The guys I hang around with definitely think that they are all 'that'!"

Cassandra, 15 yrs, Student

"Guys check each other out, as well as themselves, just as much as girls do."

Lola, 14 yrs, Student

The responses published in SOAP BOX are that of the public and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GIRL.COM.AU

- Annemarie Failla

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