Boys v girls

[godisinthesilences]

Some of us may be nearly 40 but we're still 17 in our heads!

HHmmm I think i'm more like 12 or 13 in my head.... no wonder i still look so young for my age

[krausy]

I rarely act my age, which I guess some people see as a bad thing, but you know, I believe it is what keeps me young and vibrant and sane most of the time. It could be very easy to drown in the demands and stress of adult life, but sometimes it is the perspective you have that really gets you through the rough spots, like the youthful reaction of "no big deal"!!!

I understand there is a sector of the 35-50 crowd that they actually call "Rejuveniles" that are actually reviving the interests, styles, etc of their days of youth, and/or integrating the styles, etc of today's youth. Retailers and even car companies market products targeted at this group. I suppose you could say we at times could qualify for inclusion in this phenomena, but I really think this has gone on for generations, it's just now they want to draw attention to it in the media.

[godisinthesilences]

sadly the only reason more attention is given to this due to the money making potential of it. Everything is money driven

[Art of Parties]

I must apologise for coming into this discussion fairly late - i am male and will admit i found their look interesting, remember Japan evolved out of a period of punk and all that entailed in terms substance over style. Ironically i always felt that Japan offered both style and substance in equal measures - i regret nothing about liking them, how could i? i still listen to them 25 years on!

Clearly more substance than style as it turned out.

[godisinthesilences]

hey i used to have an old friend from Solihull! Been trying to hunt her down in the last little while... no luck so far.

[krausy]

I must apologise for coming into this discussion fairly late - i am male and will admit i found their look interesting, remember Japan evolved out of a period of punk and all that entailed in terms substance over style. Ironically i always felt that Japan offered both style and substance in equal measures - i regret nothing about liking them, how could i? i still listen to them 25 years on!

Clearly more substance than style as it turned out.

Agreed!!!!!! I find I still listen to many bands from the past and think the work is still just as fresh sounding as when it first came out.

and Gods---I agree that the attention is very money-driven, which I feel is the main reason this subject was covered on a morning news program. They seemed to touch more on the economical effect of this phenomena.

[kinki]

I rarely act my age, which I guess some people see as a bad thing, but you know, I believe it is what keeps me young and vibrant and sane most of the time. It could be very easy to drown in the demands and stress of adult life, but sometimes it is the perspective you have that really gets you through the rough spots, like the youthful reaction of "no big deal"!!!

that is all so true! I must have a younger mental age because I've just started dating a 32 year old who says I look nowhere near 40...what is it they say? You're only as young as the man you feel? *woof woof*

I understand there is a sector of the 35-50 crowd that they actually call "Rejuveniles" that are actually reviving the interests, styles, etc of their days of youth, and/or integrating the styles, etc of today's youth. Retailers and even car companies market products targeted at this group. I suppose you could say we at times could qualify for inclusion in this phenomena, but I really think this has gone on for generations, it's just now they want to draw attention to it in the media.

Interesting. And yes it's a money making exercise (what isnt these days?), but one that's actually a good idea for once!! Bring on the high street New Romantic revival!!

Ironically i always felt that Japan offered both style and substance in equal measures -

Couldnt agree more. That's why I loved them so much.

[S4pB]

It seems a bit funny that Duran Duran were mostly compared to Japan, while any objective observer not being obsessed with either Japan or Duran2 wouldn't find that much in common between them... Why exactly Duran Duran??? not any other band? Not of any quite different style??? Why?

[Cheery Cherry]

I love angrogyny. I think sexual ambiguity is very sexy... at least, it is for me

Oh goody it's not just me that thinks that then. I totally agree - and you could put the ugliest man in make-up and as far as Im concerned that would make him more attractive to me.

Sometimes you look at (particularly) David, Steve or Mick and think... actually you could be a woman, and I STILL fancy you rotten, in fact I fancy you EVEN more when you've got eyeliner and lippy on....what does it all mean? I mean, Im as straight as they come.... hey, I'm sure Sigmund Freud would have something to say on the matter....

That's interesting...(this whole thread is interesting...thank you guys) but I just wanted to point out how I find men in make-up sexy as heck, which most people - that I know - would classify me as being "weird" but I can't help the attraction...I wonder why that is...??

[krausy]

Hard to come up with any real reasons for that, other than the standard "they are more in touch with their feminine side" excuse.

Being a lover of Nick Rhodes and David Sylvian, I know how you feel about men in makeup. To me it makes no big deal, as makeup is used in theatre and TV and used to enhance natural features or cover small flaws, whatever they may be(not that I see them--lol). Then I look beyond the beauty or handsomeness and consider the person inside or behind the makeup. Nick is said to be one of the nicest and personable members of Duran Duran, and plenty of good things have been said about Sylvian as well.

I can be very open minded and objective, and not everyone can be. to some people, makeup is where they draw the line, but not for me.

[S4pB]

Hard to come up with any real reasons for that, other than the standard "they are more in touch with their feminine side" excuse.

Being a lover of Nick Rhodes and David Sylvian, I know how you feel about men in makeup. To me it makes no big deal, as makeup is used in theatre and TV and used to enhance natural features or cover small flaws, whatever they may be(not that I see them--lol). Then I look beyond the beauty or handsomeness and consider the person inside or behind the makeup. Nick is said to be one of the nicest and personable members of Duran Duran, and plenty of good things have been said about Sylvian as well.

I can be very open minded and objective, and not everyone can be. to some people, makeup is where they draw the line, but not for me.

Maybe I sound too childish or naive, but I always ask people, hwy to make any difference between men and women? why the lasts are to wear skirts, heels and tons of makeup like a peacocks??? Why men can't? straight persons, who are just 100% about accepting blindly the stereotypes and believing the prejudices of their grandfathers, find the way to each other anyway, so why there should exist such a great majority?
..the question is more about the destroyin' of stupid social stereotypes and moral power and mind of those who try...
Let everybody be pretty...

[Burnsjed]

As a straight male my introduction was purely through music.
I was just about the right age (though on the young side) to get in to the New Romantic and Synth movements, which as posted before, living through the skinhead era, wasn't always the easiest!
My obsession for the music led to forming a band, which originally was a male 5 piece, and we all wore make-up and dressed in rather feminie clothing!
We actually had our own fan club, which was predominately made up of Duranies, fun times! Unfortunately, when HIV came around, men became men again, and it almost seemed that we regressed in our thinking regarding showing any feminie side (not talking about me personally!).

[Cheery Cherry]

Good question. I was one of the Japan fans who got into the group when they became popular in the UK in 1981. I actually liked Duran Duran first but Japan basically took over until they split and then I became a collector. Back in the day you had two types of Japan fans - older and younger. The older fans knew of the group before Quiet Life and were roughly 50 50 male and female. They were more serious about the music and if they did fancy Japan they didn't tell us. In fact they dodn't talk to us much really because we were 11 years old... The younger fans (like me) were mainly girls. Most of them liked the group for their good looks and preferred material like Quiet Life. I was a lad (still am lol!) and really got into the Japanese collaborations to a pretty geeky level until here I am today...

Now the funny thing is I'm gay but I never fancied Japan at all. I liked the look and was rather envious, but none of them were my type at all. George Michael (cringes), Andy Taylor from DD (why??) and most of FGTH were more like it.

TTFN

Paul

LOL, hi Paul. Yeah...the tall guy in FGTH was very yummy...or I used to think so when they came out with Relax.

[tallulahtaurus]

Lol if you listen to Napier Bell the original 'brickie in lippy' was actually Rich not Rob....!!! lol I love his "Black vinyl, white powder" book where he describes Rich as slouching around like a trucker to compensate for the make up...lol...

What an interesting conversation this is guys, r interesting reading for me, apologies if this is a bit TMI but

I find Sylvian attractive in the makeup and I like pretty boys a lot and for me it's a response to finding men a threat somehow. I believe for me that being so v drawn to men who are effeminate in some physical sense is a symptom of me being quite homosocial in nature and used to/most comfortable being around girls.

I love this steve jansen interview here

http://www.remembertheeighties.com/index2.html

Because he voiced what I feel to be my reason and those of no doubt some other females?? In Japan's physical appeal, - I mean obv I adore their music too...obv but physically...

"It still goes on today to some extent... I see pop stars come out of the closet and it doesn't damped their fans enthusiasm... it's makes them very safe, almost harmless, and that just makes them easier to relate to. Maybe that's what happened to us in Japan because we did look effeminate, and girls weren't put off by that - you'd think they would be but they weren't!"

Anyway, yeah, he was talking about me there!!