Why Make Fun of Men At The Spa?
Monday August 4, 2008
Who knew just getting a manicure could make a man into a fruitcake? I checked out a Delaware Online news article called "Grooms Get a Pampering" and was surprised at the hostile comments it provoked. Here's a few guys getting haircuts and maincures before "the big day" and people are calling them "Frankengrooms" and "fruity." One commentator said, "It's a shame that men are becoming so prissy and unmanly." Well, a lot of men don't feel that way. The International Spa Association says that men get 31% of all spa treatments. There are a few "men-only" spas, but most spas go to great lengths to make men at spas feel comfortable. Spas are designed with colors and materials that make both men and women feel at ease. Men even get special amenities at many big resort spas -- waiting areas (and sometimes treatment rooms) with plasma TVs and business magazines, and private pedicure rooms where they can get away from girltalk. A few spa have even created old-fashioned barber rooms where men can get an old-fashioned shave with steam towels and razors. And if you want to call them "fruity" -- just step outside.
Comments
As someone who has lived all over the world, it seems that the America’s (both North and South) have a problem when it comes to our bodies. If you visit Bath (in Britain) Baden Baden in Germany, the local bath in any of thousands of Japanese neighborhoods, the spa experience is a normal part of life. I don’t notice the men who visit them to be “less than manly” whatever that is. A coed sauna in Amsterdam, or Copenhagen or Helsinki with a bunch of naked people enjoying the experience seem to have a better grip on what is important when it comes to relaxing.
A few spas in the USA have the right attitude, but most Americans just don’t know how to get comfortable with their own skin. It is a shame.
I am disappointed with the uncalled for homophobic language. I would have expected better from an about.com writer.
BTW, I agree with the previous poster — North Americans need to chill out.
I apologize — I realize that the writer is sharing the comments that she, too, found hostile, but I still find the headline rude.
I definitely think its just as wrong to say North Americans need to do whatever. Places like NY have big spa cultures. Just check this out: http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1711767054.
American White men have the highest suicide rates of any group and tend to die about 10 years before our wives. We need to start treating ourselves better. Get a facial and you’ll be shocked at how much tension you’re carrying in your face. Get regular massages and you’ll see your workouts and sports improve. Fruity?!?! NOT!
I did not limit my comments to North Americans. South Americans are equally or more uptight about their bodies. try finding a nude beach along the coastline of Chile, for example. But spas are appreciated by a tiny fraction of people in this hemisphere compared with their European counterparts. Of course their lifestyle will not be affordable much longer as the population dies off, but at least they can enjoy it while it lasts. Americans (North, South, and Central) should take some time off and just chill.