Men in Canada

The National Post, one of Canada's largest newspapers, ran a weekend issue back in February called "The Man Issue". All the articles had something to do with men and what being a man in Canada meant these days. I - of course - have been carrying this issue around with me in my backpack for the last month and a half waiting for an opportunity to blog about various articles. Well, I've waited longer than the 30-day archive on their website and so I won't be able to direct you to any one article in particular. Instead, in an effort to clean out my backpack and make room for more reading material (or simply to get to some of the other stuff that's still in there!) I've decided to simply offer some quick commentary on some of the things I've come across. So here we go:

• Menoporshe - the attempt to fight middle age through the acquisition of precisely those material goods which reliably indicate a dependence on Viagra.
• Man Crush - the strange (even uninvited) adoration a man feels for another man's masculinity, particularly, say, if that man is Jack Bauer... Cognate of 'bromance,' the budding but completely platonic friendship of two male friends.
• Manogram - what men give themselves when they examine their pectoral muscles in the mirror. Particularly common to the sub-species known as gym rat.
• 30.2 - average age of Canadian men marrying for the first time.
• 4.3 - average number of hours that fully employed Canadian fathers spend with their kids each day.

Quote of the issue, when answering the question, "What make a man manly and how has it changed in your lifetime?":

"The ultimate Canadian man can whip up a risotto, buy tampons without hiding them behind the lettuce, gives a competent foot massage (minimum 15 minutes per foot) without getting distracted and, above all, makes his lady laugh. Chest hair doesn't hurt either. Men traditionally used to have the role of being the bread earners and changing the oil in the car. Now, instead of pacing the waiting room at the birth of their children, they are cutting umbilical cords. They can operate a vacuum cleaner and a chainsaw. The biggest change that I have noticed is that they band together and shop for designer clothes. I don't get the hair waxing or plucking. A little 'grizzle' is manly."  - Sarah Renner, Olympic silver medallist in cross-country skiing

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Comments

[Kathryn]

That description of the Canadian man sounds a bit metrosexual! The Canadian man also disappears for long stretches during hockey season, depending how his team does during the play offs. He's very much at home in building supply stores, loves his Tim's coffee, enjoys The Hour and digs Rick Mercer's comedy, Holmes on Homes is cool too. After 26 years of marriage my Canadian man still hates buying 'lady things'at the grocery store and will seldom do so. . nor can he make risotto!

[Glenn Lavender]

First of all, we can't afford a Porsche until we're middle aged and that's if we're lucky. Second, of course I have a man crush on Jack Bauer. How could you not?? Third, I occasionally check out my pecs. So what. Give me a break, I work hard and like to see the results plus I wanna look good for the wife!

So I guess what I'm saying is, being a Canadian man, that article pretty much nailed me.