Herbivores or carnivores?

Probably you too have stumbled across the image below, posted all over Facebook these days (click to enlarge). I admit it did make me giggle.



The reversal of stereotypical gender roles is a hot topic in Japan: "girlish" metrosexual young men called 草食系男子 (soushoku-kei-danshi, "herbivores") vs. empowered and ever more assertive young ladies, 肉食系女子 (nikushoku-kei-jyoshi, "carnivorous females).

Even CNN reported on the issue:
Japan's 'herbivore men' -- less interested in sex, money

They are young, earn little and spend little, and take a keen interest in fashion and personal appearance -- meet the "herbivore men" of Japan. Author and pop culture columnist Maki Fukasawa coined the term in 2006 in a series of articles on marketing to a younger generation of Japanese men. She used it to describe some men who she said were changing the country's ideas about just what is -- and isn't -- masculine. "In Japan, sex is translated as 'relationship in flesh,'" she said, "so I named those boys 'herbivorous boys' since they are not interested in flesh." Typically, "herbivore men" are in their 20s and 30s, and believe that friendship without sex can exist between men and women, Fukasawa said.

Click to expand...

While I have given up shaking my head over youngsters who pull out a mirror on the train in order to check their groomed eyebrows or dyed strands, I wonder if this is a purely Japanese phenomenon or also 'virulent' in other cultures.

Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but while I wholeheartedly welcome male participation in households and education as well as female empowerment (there's a lot of Japanese women now in typical "male jobs', like police officers, taxi and truck drivers, etc.) I am irritated by male cosmetics and fashion craze.

What are your views on this?

More on the topic:

From carnivores to herbivores: how men are defined in Japan

Blurring the boundaries

In Japan, 'Herbivore' Boys Subvert Ideas Of Manhood

At my university in rural Tennessee we had quite a few Japanese exchange students. I spent quite a bit of my time trying to convince my fellow rural Tennesseans that the Japanese guys weren't all gay, without much success.

These days, I quite often see people that I seriously couldn't swear one way or the other if they are male or female. I often see couples where they guy is "prettier" than the girl. I also quite often see couples where I'm fairly certain the guy borrows his girl's clothes.

Since you mention truck driving, I'll tell you that we're all required to have a rear-view mirror inside the truck (just as in a car) and that it is impossible to actually see anything in it. You'd be amazed at the number of drivers who keep their mirror turned vertical and aimed at themselves so they admire themselves while they drive. Some even add extra mirrors....aimed toward themselves. There is some serious narcissism going on.

My wife told me they are called beauty-danshi. I guess one has to keep an open mind as far as fashion is concerned. I hope Kjeld doesn't mind my linking his website:

=> FASHION JAPAN: Guys

The website you gave from kjeld is amazing, but it's a bit extreme when you talk about the average Japanese male haha

I blame anime/manga.

I'm from the neanderthal generation.

The only time we thought or did anything to improve our looks or smell was when we wanted sex from a female, LOL. The rest of the time it was dress like a homeless tramp , fart and burp , and ignore the toothbrush and comb.

Uncle Frank