Macho macho man

Brad Pitt and David Beckham have been labeled one. So have Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Ewan McGregor. But if the latest reports prove to be at all true, these metrosexuals and others like them must change their ways and do so quickly.\nWith the onset of the 90s, women rejected unshaven, unmoisturized, ungroomed heterosexual males faster than they discarded acid-washed jeans after their heyday in the 80s. Beards were shaven, eyebrows were waxed and teeth were whitened. The metrosexual was born.\nA metrosexual refers to a male who has a strong aesthetic sense and spends a significant amount of time and money on his appearance, according to www.wikipedia.com. Gay, bisexual, transsexual or straight, metrosexuals began popping up everywhere, completely taking over the dating scene. Soon the beer guzzling, girl chasing, womanizing frat boy considered it a sin to miss an episode of "The O.C." or to skip a shower after a rigorous workout on the elliptical. For a while, metrosexuals even dominated American media with magazines like Details and television shows like "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."\nBut as true of most trends, metrosexuality left the scene in much the same manner Hanson did after being labeled a one-hit wonder for the infamous "MmmBop." Today, women want a manly man, a man who, like Tom Cruise in "War of the Worlds," will fight armies of Tripods like it's another day at the office. Women want a man who, like Ray Ferrier (Cruise's character), is not afraid to get rough, to get down and dirty and to protect his loved ones. In other words, we want Matt Damon à la "The Bourne Identity."\nSorry Ryan Seacrest. Looks like your 15 minutes are up.\nWhen asked what makes a man sexy, a surprising number of Playgirl readers fessed up to their attraction to the scruffy, unshaven look. To be exact, 42 percent approved of love handles and 47 percent said chest hair was acceptable. \nWomen these days want a retrosexual -- the anti-metro, or the man who (gasp) rejects fashion rather than worships it. Women fancy a "real" man, someone who drives a mud-splattered Dodge Ram (not a shiny Mercedes CLK500 Cabriolet), a man who wears torn Levi's jeans (not a $150 pair of Seven for all Mankind jeans). Women now prefer a man who is a little rough around the edges. The pretty boy look is out; masculinity and confidence are in. \nI am proud to say that my father, a man who sells pick-up trucks, semis, and even mail cars for a living, wouldn't know Juicy Couture sweatpants from the Champion ones sold in the IU Bookstore. He is a man who considers a pair of khakis worn over "clean" Nikes to be dressing up. While he might not win the "best dressed" award, he sure can plunge a toilet, change a flat tire or saw down a dead tree limb when called upon. He is dependable, not fashionable. \nSo guys, if you want to attract a woman, toss your designer duds and cancel your subscription to Men's Health magazine. On your next date, just show her you can rewire an electrical outlet or change a car battery.