Primp It Like Beckham

He's the biggest athletic star in the world, married to a Spice Girl (the hot one who never sang), the obsession of women the world over and the recipient of multi-million dollar endorsement deals. He's Britain's David Beckham, and he's about to come out of the closet.

That's right, the Euro soccer sensation is a confessed Metrosexual. And he's not alone.

The New York Times, The Economist, and Salon.com are just a few of the publications covering this post-modern phenomenon: He's the straight man who's just gay enough. The metrosexual is shamelessly narcissistic and armed with a healthy collection of facial cleansers, moisturizers, designer clothes, and smart urban style. He's got Brad Pitt abs and a Christian Bale chest and likes to show himself off in big cities and fashionable spots everywhere.

Some would argue that the rise of metrosexuality is inevitable in a post-feminist, Sex and the City world. Men can no longer afford to ignore their own superficiality. Men's magazines like GQ, Esquire, FHM and Maxim are covered with images of well-dressed, attractive young men worthy of emulation. Even the ubiquitous Abercrombie & Fitch label--popular with beer-drinking straight men everywhere--is notorious for sporting smooth, chiseled pretty boys as its models.

Has the image of the unkempt, stoic, macho man lost its credibility? Maybe so--as The Economist is putting it, "Real men get waxed."