Monday, March 08, 2004
In writing about the technology industry for several years, I've come to despise buzzwords -- those catchy words generated in board meetings by marketers in an effort to make their products sound hip, new, improved or innovative. Of course, buzzwords don't start and stop with the technology industry. Hell, no. Take the word "metrosexual" as an example. This is a word that people around me have been using more and more, and since I don't keep up on buzzwords outside of the tech industry, I decided to check into this word.
As far as I can tell, "metrosexual" was essentially a word created by marketers to tell urban males that it was okay to get in touch with their feminine sides and start using facial creamers, expensive hair care products and other such niceties. ... In other words, to try to create a market for effeminate products for men. If I've got all this correct, they're trying to re-create that market of obtuse, self-absorbed men that existed in the Me Generation of the Eighties.
Consider this a bibliography for my research:
AskMen.com's discussion of metrosexuality (especially the second part)
Langmaker.com's metrosexual definition
UrbanDictionary.com's definition of metrosexual
Buzzwords suck.
As far as I can tell, "metrosexual" was essentially a word created by marketers to tell urban males that it was okay to get in touch with their feminine sides and start using facial creamers, expensive hair care products and other such niceties. ... In other words, to try to create a market for effeminate products for men. If I've got all this correct, they're trying to re-create that market of obtuse, self-absorbed men that existed in the Me Generation of the Eighties.
Consider this a bibliography for my research:
AskMen.com's discussion of metrosexuality (especially the second part)
Langmaker.com's metrosexual definition
UrbanDictionary.com's definition of metrosexual
Buzzwords suck.
// posted by Chris @ 2:07 PM 
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