(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) IT SOUNDS like a tongue twister, but that wasn't my intention. It just turned out that way.
The point I am going to make here is that stereotypes notwithstanding, there is a bit of man in every woman and a bit of woman in every man. Now, how much that 'bit' is, is the question.
A predominant male stereotype is a rough, strong, large and even slightly ugly chap with a tousled head of hair, (if young, balding if not) who loves sport and uses uncouth language in a gruff, loud voice. This has been handed down to us from the caveman days and to some extent, it still perseveres.
For centuries, even millenniums, changes from the norm were merely cosmetic. Earlier, the 'sport' involved killing animals for food. Alternatively, it consisted of climbing trees; either to pluck food (apple, mango, pear ..") or to escape from food (wild boar, bison ".). The nature of sport evolved â€"perhaps in this order â€" as wrestling, boxing, rugby, soccer, cricket and the relatively dainty and gentlemanly golf.
But in the last few decades, the pace of transition has quickened. There have been several shifts right across the board. So much so that the 'typical' male of yesteryear would, today, be considered a boorish, old fashioned lout.
We are not going into about whether this human vicissitude is good or bad; merely pointing out some of these mutations. Some of today's men are, well, let's call them metrosexuals. They take pride in .. er, 'grooming'.
They gel their hair, have facials done and even condescend to (I'm reliably informed) manicures and pedicures. The metrosexual man stretches fashion to areas beyond the norm. He does not shudder to shave his body.
He fearlessly wears beige, light green and even â€" hold your breath- mauve coloured suits. His shoes are always ahead of fashion and if he appears effeminate, he has no issue with it. He is open to chatting, gossiping and mixing freely with people of either sex.
Likewise, today's women glower at suggestions about what women can wear or do. They consider it an affront to their capability and take offense. The accent is on comfort, appearance and fashion; not so much on feminity or custom. So anything goes -pants, skirts, ties, suits ". anything that catches their eye.
Either 'power' or 'oomph'...that, broadly, is the criteria. If they don't have time to manage hair, they think nothing of cutting it short. Indeed, most pony tails nowadays are on the heads of middle aged men who have inherited good hair genes.
'Attitude' is another thing. Gone are those days of coy, demure women. Many 'modern' women are tough, aggressive and don't think twice about using habits, gestures and even words that used to be the domain of men.
Several factors have been historically used to distinguish between the genders â€" emanating from the Mars and Venus theory. Lines were drawn based on the manner of driving, dexterity, sensitivity, emotional needs, ability to read maps, sense of direction and what not. I don't know how much of it holds water these days.
Women are going in for 'sensitive' rather than 'tough' men. Gone are those 'manly' days where men held back their emotions and chewed gum. Just before the world cup finals in 2010, Spanish captain Iker Cassilas kissed his reporter girlfriend in full view of the public.
After the match, he broke down and cried like a baby, doubling his female fan base overnight. More recently, dour Scotsman Andy Murray and the usually unflappable Roger Federer both burst into tears on court for entirely different reasons. One cried when he lost, the other when he won.
Both performances went down well with the public. The species is undergoing a metamorphosis. Women talk tough and loud. Men wear ear-rings. Women drive taxis. And men have suddenly lost that deep, gravelly voice of yore.
More women, I am told, are making the first move when it comes to relationships. Gone, too, are those days when men were expected to propose marriage. The distinction between the sexes is getting blurred.
In my own home, I am not exactly the 'man' prototype. I am terrible at reading maps and worse when it comes to electronics or carpentry. I am not even - dare I say it - above shedding a tear or two while watching an emotional scene on telly. But what the heck, I'm 'man' enough to admit it.
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