"Mansome" Reveals Men's Beauty Obsessions

After the disturbingly provocative "SuperSize Me," where Oscar-nominee Morgan Spurlock revealed how he gained 29 pounds by eating at McDonald's, another interesting documentary film is soon to be released, and it is "Mansome." This time, he focuses on men's grooming practices. According to Spurlock, men are like women who also do regular grooming but are more secretive about it. However, people have much different opinions about this. He proves this by interviewing real people including Hollywood celebrities such as Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Paul Rudd and Zach Galifianakis, who are either doing their regular tanning, waxing, threading eyebrows, nail polish, facial treatments or not any of them. He reveals that men and women are alike. They are naturally compulsive with their own looks.

Mansome gives significance to the beauty of beard and mustache styles. Spurlock got himself involved and made an extremely difficult decision of having his own mustache shaved (which by the way has become part of his identity). And there goes the journey to the international beard and mustache competitions that are still happening today. Grooming has been defined by historians and culturists "to attract the mate." Men do this grooming focusing on styling the beard or mustache. The kind of style you wear reveals your persona. What you choose is how you like to express yourself socially.

Spurlock expands the topic by interviewing all sorts of men: gay and straight (and a few women), as well as the barber shop owners on their likes and dislikes. Interestingly, there are styles that can end up either romantically or to sex. The film also revealed that women prefer less hair. When it comes to grooming and styles, Hollywood celebrities who participated in the interview have different points of views. According to John Waters, he may look like a pervert but his pencil style mustache brings him money while Zach Galifianakis prefers not to look at the mirror.

Spurlock's purpose on the film is to create awareness that men and women are alike. Both are obsessive with their looks and appearance. Men perform crazy beauty routines too. And surveys have shown that more women are attracted to manly, handsome men — the mansome. But have you checked yourself on what kind of mansome you are? If not, it might be time to be the person you want to be.


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