GROUP+9

- Your article is the last one in this packet: "Fake Fags"


 * Note to this Group: Your summary is pretty good. If you choose to revise for your portfolio, you'll want to work on some things: Get rid of quotes and see if you can put things in your own words, and eliminate the language that sounds too much like you--a summary should sound "authorless" to a point. Toward the second half of this summary you lose the "Burroughs says" language and so it ends up sounding like your own opinion. (Bridget, did you contribute?) ~Ms. W**

The purpose of the article "Are Metrosexuals Fake Fags" written by [Augusten Burroughs] in October 2003, was to convey the message that in the past decade what was once characterized as gay is now the norm for men. The past stereotypes we have given gay men are now nonexistent, because we have a new breed of males who cling to the title metrosexual. A metrosexual is a straight male who cares about his appearance and his life style tendencies are close to that of a gay man. Since the 90's, men started caring more about their appearance and what is going into their bodies, as a result they are being labeled gay. Men are wearing product in their hair, wearing toe thongs, and releasing their feelings in "public". Burroughs argues that this new epidemic of metrosexual is affecting his gaydar; "the innate alert system that activates everytime a gay guy steps within ten paces of another gay guy, you can no longer tell a homo at first glance (Augusten Burroughs, 104). Burroughs belives metrosexuals to be social travesties, "It was bad enough that gay guys were air-kissing on the streeets like Upper East Side socialites, but two lumbering, 'ordinary' buds stopping on the side walk to discuss their pedicures seems to me a sign that society is collapsing (Augusten Burroughs, 104). The Burroughs also makes good points about the closeness of men during traditionally labeled "manly men" sports. In today's society, it is not uncommon for a guy to take his girlfriend out to a chick flick so he can have a good cry." Since society has done a complete 180 is it wrong to think that maybe straight guys really are gay and they have been hiding the fact, or maybe they have just realized that everyone knows the big secret, "boys cry too." The secret is now out, so all you metrosexual fags can be too.