She Said: How do you feel about the 'manning' epidemic?
Liz Warren
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: He Said/She Said
It's true, everyone looks better with a tan. It clears up your skin, helps you appear more awake, and makes you look great in brightly colored clothing.
Like many girls, I am automatically attracted to a guy with bronze, glowing skin. But once I take a second to think of how he got a tan in the middle of December, I become slightly disgusted.
Let's face it: tanning is not a very masculine activity. It's somewhat comical to picture a 240 pound man purchasing a bottle of "Ocean Potion Xtreme" for his session at "Totally Tan Salon." I don't even want to imagine what he looks like when he's helplessly lying in the bed wearing nothing but hot pink goggles over his eyes. Gross.
Despite the disturbing picture I just painted, society is becoming more and more accepting of men who do this. I blame the semi-new "metro sexual" fad, which made it popular for men to participate in everything from eyebrow waxing, to wearing skinny jeans.
I understand that it's important to fill in the gender gap, but is it really necessary for both a man and a woman to have perfectly sculpted eyebrows? I think not.
In today's twisted society, both men and women are too focused on appearances. We are expected to be in perfect shape, have perfect hair (but only in certain places), and we must always be tan. People develop eating disorders and risk getting skin cancer all in the name of beauty. We should take a step back from the tanning beds and ask ourselves, 'Is it all really worth it?'
Throughout high school, I was completely against tanning-not just for guys, but also for girls. When I saw a group of 'orange' students traveling down the hallways, I thought it looked unattractive and made them seem fake. I told myself I'd never step foot in a tanning salon.
But then came prom season, and I was finally acquainted with the tropical paradise that is fake tanning. After that, I decided that I would go no more than one month out of every year. I realized that fake tanning is not the enemy-the abuse of fake tanning is what's evil.
So, if I accept the occasional trip to a tanning bed for girls, I must also accept it for men. While it does put me off a little bit, it's really not the most repulsive thing a guy can do.
But guys, when you do decide to make your way to a tanning salon, be discreet about it. I'll simply turn a blind eye to how it's possible that you have a ridiculously golden glow in the middle of a cold, sunless winter.
Like many girls, I am automatically attracted to a guy with bronze, glowing skin. But once I take a second to think of how he got a tan in the middle of December, I become slightly disgusted.
Let's face it: tanning is not a very masculine activity. It's somewhat comical to picture a 240 pound man purchasing a bottle of "Ocean Potion Xtreme" for his session at "Totally Tan Salon." I don't even want to imagine what he looks like when he's helplessly lying in the bed wearing nothing but hot pink goggles over his eyes. Gross.
Despite the disturbing picture I just painted, society is becoming more and more accepting of men who do this. I blame the semi-new "metro sexual" fad, which made it popular for men to participate in everything from eyebrow waxing, to wearing skinny jeans.
I understand that it's important to fill in the gender gap, but is it really necessary for both a man and a woman to have perfectly sculpted eyebrows? I think not.
In today's twisted society, both men and women are too focused on appearances. We are expected to be in perfect shape, have perfect hair (but only in certain places), and we must always be tan. People develop eating disorders and risk getting skin cancer all in the name of beauty. We should take a step back from the tanning beds and ask ourselves, 'Is it all really worth it?'
Throughout high school, I was completely against tanning-not just for guys, but also for girls. When I saw a group of 'orange' students traveling down the hallways, I thought it looked unattractive and made them seem fake. I told myself I'd never step foot in a tanning salon.
But then came prom season, and I was finally acquainted with the tropical paradise that is fake tanning. After that, I decided that I would go no more than one month out of every year. I realized that fake tanning is not the enemy-the abuse of fake tanning is what's evil.
So, if I accept the occasional trip to a tanning bed for girls, I must also accept it for men. While it does put me off a little bit, it's really not the most repulsive thing a guy can do.
But guys, when you do decide to make your way to a tanning salon, be discreet about it. I'll simply turn a blind eye to how it's possible that you have a ridiculously golden glow in the middle of a cold, sunless winter.
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