The 80’s gave us the ‘yuppie’, the 90’s brought us the ‘lad’ and in the 00’s he turned into the ‘metrosexual’. So what next? According to new research from SNICKERS®, men are ditching the moisturiser and toughening up their act. They’re tougher and braver than before and have the nuts to admit it. This is The Age of Manpower.
According to the research, 70% of today’s men can be defined as Manpower Men. What defines them is their multiplicity coupled with an underlying desire to be a real man. It is not uncommon for them to watch the football with their mates in the daytime and then cook their partner a Ramsey inspired dish in the evening. By taking the best attributes of his predecessors, the Manpower Man is more grown up than the ‘lad’, has more depth than the ‘metrosexual’ and more personality than the ‘alpha male’.
Whilst Manpower Man has identified a complete set of traits among today’s men, one priority remains – the notion of ‘toughness’. Looking at John McClane from Die Hard as inspiration, Manpower Man also has nuts and guts. Nearly all the men surveyed believe that the most manly ‘activities’ are using power tools, going hiking or climbing and going to a football match. Broken down into cities, one in two Londoners see hiking as the manliest activity, the majority (68%) in Norwich agree that football proves you are a real man whereas a whopping 73% Manpower Men in Edinburgh believe a tool kit shows your manliness.
And it isn’t just men who are succumbing to The Age of Manpower. The research also reveals that women want their men to be tougher than they did ten years ago. A quarter rated ‘being tough’ as an essential characteristic in men compared to a mere 8% who thought that this was vital a decade ago. Women now place more emphasis on attributes such as ‘being tough’ and a good cook compared to being ‘emotionally sensitive’ as past generations have. Today’s women are no longer satisfied with trendy ‘metro’s’ and their angst ridden ‘new man’ brothers, preferring instead traditional action hero’s with a twist. The following statistics identify some Manpower Man characteristics: • The majority of young men believe an ideal man must be brave, manly and smart but also cool, sensitive, sophisticated, and popular with women • Men are tired of being seen as simply image conscious and weak – over half of the men surveyed said that they would hate to be seen as a wimp • Whilst most men (57%) care about their appearance, this percentage has dropped dramatically since the 1980’s when a staggering 86% sited looking good as their top concern • 37% of young men have been to a football match in the last six months, but 40% have smelt a flower • The majority of young men now feel that having a successful career and having good friends is essential (94%), but also that being a good parent and being a good husband are absolutely essential to their future happiness (98%) • 58% of younger men (16-44), compared to just 40% of older men, say “I try to adapt the way I portray myself with different people and in different circumstances” • 12% of young men have had a fight in the past six months, but 16% have worn an apron • 16% of young men admit to not washing for three days or more in the past six months, but 25% have waxed or shaved their body hair • The majority of young men say they are not ashamed to express their feminine side, and only one in five now say they would be ashamed to express it. • 89% of the respondents admitted that they would like to restore the mystery and romance into their lives, whilst 78% of men are not afraid to talk about their relationship problems
Comedians Dan and Julia Thomas, a married couple acting as spokespeople for the Snickers Manpower campaign commented:
Dan Thomas - "The Snickers research has told us what women have been moaning about for ages...men - stay away from your missus' moisturiser and get some nuts about you. Its like evolution in a way...men have taken all the best bits from their predecessors and have become real men. I think it's only to be expected that, after all of this time being caring and sharing, there would be a Manpower style backlash. Men like being men. And its obvious that women like it that way too"
Julia Morris- "I'm all for men taking pride over their appearance and helping out around the house but I am so pleased that they are starting to man up now. There was a phase when it was the woman having to pass over the tissues when Titanic was on the TV. I like my man to know his way around a tool kit"