The Shadowlit Realms
| Labyrinth of the Mind |
Reoccuring Trends, not Products of MondernismOne of the things which annoys me about Modern society is the tendency of people to be, egosocitistical, yes I made that up but it is the best way I could thing to term the word. And what I mean is the tendencies for society to presume that everything is a product of modern society, that any little problem, or eccentricity, is blamed upon the state of the modern world, and is blamed on this that or the other thing, and seen as some horrible consequence of the modern world and everyone wants to look back to this idealistic "golden age" in which these sorts of things did not exist and which everything was better. The problem is 9 times out of 10, these things are not in fact products of the age, but they are reoccurring events/situations. They may fluctuate, ebb and flow, there may be times when they are more prominent, but it does not change the fact they were not birthed by the modern age, but they are in fact historically rooted.
So what am I talking about in particular today? Metrosextuality, I am sure by now most of you have heard that term. Just recently I had heard someone talking about how one of the results of feminism now is the emasculation of men, and the tendency to discourage masculine behavior, and make men more effeminate and I have heard other such things many times before. And of course it is all taken in the view as being some new thing that is a product of this age. The problem is, that simply is not true. Now the term Metrosexual is a modern invention, but the concept behind it is not something new. It was not created by the modern age, and it is a pre-existing condition. Perhaps some of you are familiar with the term Dandy and for those who are not, you probably know where I am going with this. Dandyisim was particularly popular in the late 18th to early 19th century. And what is a dandy you may ask? Well a dandy was a man whom put a great deal of emphasis upon his physical appearance, who spend a lot of attention to his personal grooming, knew all the high, popular fashion, and always dressed in the best most up to date clothing. They were men who typically tended to be very effeminate in nature and they typically came from the middle class but had an eye for the autocracy and were often trying to get into such circles. Dandies favored activities of luxury, they enjoyed socializing and going to balls, and the opera. They had very refined tastes. Here are some Dandy quotes
A Dandy is a clothes-wearing Man, a Man whose trade, office and existence consists in the wearing of Clothes. Every faculty of his soul, spirit, purse, and heroically consecrated to this one object, the wearing of Clothes wisely and well: so that the others dress to live, he lives to dress ... And now, for all this perennial Martyrdom person is, and Poesy, and even Prophecy, what is it that the Dandy asks in return? Solely, we may say, that you would recognise his existence; would admit him to be a living object; or even failing this, a visual object, or thing that will reflect rays of light.... - Thomas Carlyle, "The Dandiacal Body", in Sartor Resartus One should either be a work of Art, or wear a work of Art - Oscar Wilde
6:11 PM - 10/20/2008 - post comment
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 For though All are not able to write books, all conceive themselves able to judge them. ~The Monk
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