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Old 05-19-2004, 12:07 PM   #14
Dendrobium
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 24234
Join Date: Sep 2002
Chapter/Region: VIC
Location: Canada
Vehicle:
2003 WRX Wagon 5sp
WRB

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You could also look at it from the "battle of the sexes" aka "Tim the toolman Taylor" perspective.

(flame suit on)

1. Most guys have an innate need to fix/improve upon things using their hands.

2. Another reason, if you think about it -- is that in modern society, men have very few outlets with which to satisfy their ingenuity/creativity and perhaps their individuality. Look at women's fashion, women's accessories, cosmetics, hair styles, and (cough) now even nail salons. There seems to be literally "no end" to the means with which women can express themselves and improve upon their own "style".

Now, look at men's fashion, men's hairstyles, etc. Not nearly as much freedom/choice etc. Consider the guy's section" in any store that caters to both men/women. You'll likely find disproportionately more floorspace dedicated towards women's fashion -- it's almost laughably disproportionate in some stores, (Esprit comes to mind). Furthermore, even if men WERE given more choice at the mall -- flamboyant displays of fashion by men are usually
associated with those of the gay/lesbian community -- or, can only be accepted if you are one who thrives in the limelight and are "beyond-cool" (think Lenny Kravitz, Dennis Rodman, etc.) Finally, how much of men's fashion is dictated by women? Even from an early age, much of a young man's wardrobe is likely decided/bought by "mom". Later in life, much of a man's
wardrobe is likely dictated/bought by "wifey/significant other/girlfriend".

What's worse, I think that under such oppression, men eventually give up and resign themselves to having "poor fashion sense."

3. As corny as it may sound, I think guys need something to congregate/bond over. Guys don't have nearly as many topics to talk/gossip over as women do, nor do guys necessarily want to risk topics that can lead them to reveal their inner feelings. We need neutral, non-touchy/feely topics like movies,
sports, fishing etc. etc. to talk about.

Thus, with these three reasons in mind, enter the car. It is a hobby that naturally satisfies the general male population's need for 1, 2, and 3. A couple arguments/observations/parallels can be made/drawn right away (in no discernible order):

A. Car modification is a more fitting outlet than "house modification". Though "house modification" can potentially satisfy 1. and 3. above, it fails in satisfying 2. -- as there is little chance for a man to exercise his true creative talents in house modification. Moreover, creativity when performing
"house modification" is usually "quashed" (is that a word?) by women since men are generally labelled by the female population as not only having "poor fashion sense" (see point 2. previously) but also "poor interior design sense". When was the last time you were able to make the final say on what wallpaper/paint colour to use?

B. Some may argue that point 2. is both a boon and a curse for women. The dark side of such freedom of choice and expression is that it is driven by a fashion/cosmetic industry that exploits insecurity and uses idealized visions of the female form to push product. Women thus feel pressure to "conform" to fashion trends and are ever in search of the perfect blend of "fashion/beauty". The same however, could likely be said about men and cars.
Those who drive an automatic likely feel pressure to subscribe/conform to the idealized vision of "cool guys know how to drive standard". Men feel pressure to modify their cars in keeping with the latest modication trends, and to avoid being tainted/labeled as "ricey". External mods should be balanced by an equal, if not greater amount of engine/handling mods, or risk your car being referred to as "all show, no go". I'm sure you can think of other parallels as well.

C. Females either can't tell the difference (or don't care) about different
shades of car paint color codes (ie. WRB, vs. metallic blue, vs. pacifica
blue.. it's all blue!) Likewise, males ither can't tell the difference (or don't care) about different shades of lipstick color codes (ie. Sheer Plum, vs. Polished Up vs. Sashimi Mimi.. it's all red!)

D. Women's shampoo/hair products/cosmetics collection = Men's car wash/wax/detailing collection. "You need another shampoo (women) / wax (men)?!? You haven't even finished the other one!"

E. Women can spend 3-5 hours at the salon getting a facial or getting their hair/nails/makeup done. Guys can spend 3-5 hours in the garage washing/waxing their car. Each is a relaxing/rewarding experience respectively and should be seen as equal activities. I think women too easily dismiss men as "car crazy" if they spend hours waxing their car. Think about how much time they spend at the salon!

F. Women's purse/shoes collection = Men's tools/shift knobs/wheels&tires
collection. You can never have enough

G. Women's Vogue/Cosmo/etc. fashion magazines = Men's car magazines / internet forums.

H. Women need to spend time shopping to relax / unwind (ever hear that coquitlam centre commercial on the radio?). It should be realized that men sometimes need to spend time fixing/modifying their cars to relax / unwind.

Lastly, with all this being said (admittedly from a male-biased perspective), it begs two questions
- what drives some girls to modify their cars? -- And do internet forums discussing fashion/makeup/accessories exist for the female masses?

Anyways, that's enough blabbing!

cheers, and good luck on that essay

-- Dendrobium
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Last edited by Dendrobium; 05-19-2004 at 12:15 PM.
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