Latest news with #OllyMurs
Vox
7 hours ago
- Health
- Vox
Why are men shaving off their eyelashes?
A small but curious sign of the deepening gender divide in our politically fraught times: Male beauty standards are getting really weird. In the latest salvo, young boys on TikTok are shaving off their eyelashes, ostensibly because long eyelashes are girly. This new phenomenon joins a number of other perplexing masculine trends from the last few years, including doing tongue exercises known as 'mewing' in order to achieve the squarest jaw possible, and 'going to Turkey' for hair transplants. Somewhat relatedly, a Republican congressman bragged recently that he refuses to drink out of straws because that's 'what women do' (not quite a beauty standard as much as a sort of inscrutable new gender norm). Vox Culture Culture reflects society. Get our best explainers on everything from money to entertainment to what everyone is talking about online. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. To be clear, we don't know how many people are actually participating in these practices: enough for a few viral TikToks and mystified trend stories, not enough for an academic study. But it does seem that male beauty standards, infected by the ethos of the newly ascendant manosphere and incel-adjacent spaces, are evolving to focus far more on being masculine for its own sake than to attract and appeal to women. The point, it seems, is to impress other men, and a certain amount of ambient misogyny is part of the package deal. There's long been a divide between what men consider admirable on another man and what women consider attractive on men. That's why actors who show off rippling muscles on men's magazine covers emphasize a charming smile in women's media. A 2005 study found that men consistently overestimate the degree of muscularity that is attractive to women, while women, in turn, overestimate the degree of thinness that is attractive to men. Manosphere spaces, which blend self-help and fitness advice with uncompromising messaging about traditional masculinity, have made that divide starker than ever. Just look at the recent dustup on X (which has increasingly become a right-wing echo chamber since Elon Musk's takeover in 2022), when a researcher invited men and women to vote in an anonymous poll about which photo of British pop star Olly Murs they found more appealing. In a 'before' photo, Murs's muscles are prominent but undefined; in the 'after' photo, he is shredded, with visible abs. Not only did men and women diverge on which photo they preferred (men far more often chose the 'after' photo), but a certain subset of men insisted that women were mistaken, or outright untruthful, about their own preferences. 'Women in this poll are lying. I know from experience how women feel about 6 packs,' went one characteristic response. Another poster tried to dissect what was really going on: 'What I'm getting from these replies is that men confuse their own sexuality for that of women.' An emphasis on hypermasculinity is perhaps the natural end result of the sensibilities of the manosphere circulating and gaining traction for over a decade. Misogynist influencers like Andrew Tate believe so stridently in the dominance and supremacy of men that they will go to extreme lengths to eschew anything they consider feminine. An emphasis on hypermasculinity is perhaps the natural end result of the sensibilities of the manosphere circulating and gaining traction for over a decade. Which leads of course to trends like eyelash-shearing. Long, thick, heavily mascara'ed and false eyelashes are particularly trendy for women right now. Anecdotally, a lot of straight women like long eyelashes on a man. Perhaps perversely, that makes it more attractive now than ever for men to get rid of them. It's notable that one of the projects of feminism over the last 20 years has been to help girls create relationships with their bodies that don't depend on men: to dress for themselves or for other women, and to exercise their bodies to become strong and healthy, rather than to reach for men's approval. Some of the decoupling of male physical ideals from what straight women like borrows the same rhetoric and suggests the same sense of working toward healthy self-love. A recent Daily Beast article on body-building as a ramp to the alt-right quotes a 26-year-old body-builder as saying, 'People who lift a lot know that having a really just huge physique, or being super lean, is not that attractive to the average woman. But they're doing it more for their own body image's sake…or to impress other men. Most people would not understand a really defined back, but if you lift around other men, they would absolutely notice that.' But the attitude of 'do it for you' among certain communities of men online is never very far off from the denigration of women. Two clicks away from self-love body building on an algorithmic feed are the 'gymcels,' an off-shoot of incels who obsessively go to the gym. They, in turn, are a subset of Men Going Their Own Way, a group of male separatists one member described as holding the view, 'It's not you, it's women that are the problem. You do whatever YOU want to do to better yourself. Disregard those wenches.'' Ironically, the pursuit of nonsensical and often contradictory beauty standards have led young men to the same place that young women have long found themselves: with crippling body dysmorphia. A 2019 study found that 22 percent of males displayed traits of disordered eating behaviors geared toward an obsessive desire to build muscle. Another study showed that looking at social media content that glorifies muscle-building is heavily correlated with muscle dysmorphia among young men. It's a self-sabotaging act, targeted at a bodily attribute vital for eye health, because of its alleged girliness. The shaving off the eyelashes comes with a similar aggressive strain of contempt toward women as the gymcel self-conception. It's a self-sabotaging act, targeted at a bodily attribute vital for eye health, because of its alleged girliness. In opposition to the layers of mascara and false lashes that beauty influencers pile on, some young men simply shave their eyelashes down to stumps, rejecting everything about their appearance that could be described as girly — especially if girls like it.
Vox
12 hours ago
- Health
- Vox
Male beauty standards have gone haywire
A small but curious sign of the deepening gender divide in our politically fraught times: Male beauty standards are getting really weird. In the latest salvo, young boys on TikTok are shaving off their eyelashes, ostensibly because long eyelashes are girly. This new phenomenon joins a number of other perplexing masculine trends from the last few years, including doing tongue exercises known as 'mewing' in order to achieve the squarest jaw possible, and 'going to Turkey' for hair transplants. Somewhat relatedly, a Republican congressman bragged recently that he refuses to drink out of straws because that's 'what women do' (not quite a beauty standard as much as a sort of inscrutable new gender norm). Vox Culture Culture reflects society. Get our best explainers on everything from money to entertainment to what everyone is talking about online. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. To be clear, we don't know how many people are actually participating in these practices: enough for a few viral TikToks and mystified trend stories, not enough for an academic study. But it does seem that male beauty standards, infected by the ethos of the newly ascendant manosphere and incel-adjacent spaces, are evolving to focus far more on being masculine for its own sake than to attract and appeal to women. The point, it seems, is to impress other men, and a certain amount of ambient misogyny is part of the package deal. There's long been a divide between what men consider admirable on another man and what women consider attractive on men. That's why actors who show off rippling muscles on men's magazine covers emphasize a charming smile in women's media. A 2005 study found that men consistently overestimate the degree of muscularity that is attractive to women, while women, in turn, overestimate the degree of thinness that is attractive to men. Manosphere spaces, which blend self-help and fitness advice with uncompromising messaging about traditional masculinity, have made that divide starker than ever. Just look at the recent dust-up on X (which has increasingly become a right-wing echo chamber since Elon Musk's takeover in 2022), when a researcher invited men and women to vote in an anonymous poll about which photo of British pop star Olly Murs they found more appealing. In a 'before' photo, Murs's muscles are prominent but undefined; in the 'after' photo, he is shredded, with visible abs. Not only did men and women diverge on which photo they preferred (men far more often chose the 'after' photo), but a certain subset of men insisted that women were mistaken, or outright untruthful, about their own preferences. 'Women in this poll are lying. I know from experience how women feel about 6 packs,' went one characteristic response. Another poster tried to dissect what was really going on: 'What I'm getting from these replies is that men confuse their own sexuality for that of women.' An emphasis on hypermasculinity is perhaps the natural end result of the sensibilities of the manosphere circulating and gaining traction for over a decade. Misogynist influencers like Andrew Tate believe so stridently in the dominance and supremacy of men that they will go to extreme lengths to eschew anything they consider feminine. An emphasis on hypermasculinity is perhaps the natural end result of the sensibilities of the manosphere circulating and gaining traction for over a decade. Which leads of course to trends like eyelash-shearing. Long, thick, heavily mascara'ed and false eyelashes are particularly trendy for women right now. Anecdotally, a lot of straight women like long eyelashes on a man. Perhaps perversely, that makes it more attractive now than ever for men to get rid of them. It's notable that one of the projects of feminism over the last 20 years has been to help girls create relationships with their bodies that don't depend on men: to dress for themselves or for other women, and to exercise their bodies to become strong and healthy, rather than to reach for men's approval. Some of the decoupling of male physical ideals from what straight women like borrows the same rhetoric and suggests the same sense of working toward healthy self-love. A recent Daily Beast article on body-building as a ramp to the alt-right quotes a 26-year-old body-builder as saying, 'People who lift a lot know that having a really just huge physique, or being super lean, is not that attractive to the average woman. But they're doing it more for their own body image's sake… or to impress other men. Most people would not understand a really defined back, but if you lift around other men, they would absolutely notice that.' But the attitude of 'do it for you' among certain communities of men online is never very far off from the denigration of women. Two clicks away from self-love body building on an algorithmic feed are the 'gymcels,' an off-shoot of incels who obsessively go to the gym. They, in turn, are a subset of Men Going Their Own Way, a group of male separatists one member described as holding the view, 'It's not you, it's women that are the problem. You do whatever YOU want to do to better yourself. Disregard those wenches.'' Ironically, the pursuit of nonsensical and often contradictory beauty standards have led young men to the same place that young women have long found themselves: with crippling body dysmorphia. A 2019 study found that 22 percent of males displayed traits of disordered eating behaviors geared toward an obsessive desire to build muscle. Another study showed that looking at social media content that glorifies muscle-building is heavily correlated with muscle dysmorphia among young men. It's a self-sabotaging act, targeted at a bodily attribute vital for eye health, because of its alleged girliness. The shaving off of the eyelashes comes with a similar aggressive strain of contempt towars women as the gymcel self-conception. It's a self-sabotaging act, targeted at a bodily attribute vital for eye health, because of its alleged girliness. In opposition to the layers of mascara and false lashes that beauty influencers pile on, some young men simply shave their eyelashes down to stumps, rejecting everything about their appearance that could be described as girly — especially if girls like it.
RTÉ News
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Picture This to open Live at the Marquee Cork's 20th run
Picture This will kick off Live at the Marquee Cork 2025, which marks the 20th anniversary of the summer music festival. The rock band will open the festival when they take to the stage on Wednesday, 25 June. The Coronas, Christy Moore, The Waterboys, Olly Murs, Kingfishr, Amble, The Mary Wallopers and Cian Ducrot are among the musical acts also set to perform this year. Comedians Dara Ó Briain, Tommy Tiernan and Michael McIntyre and former footballer Roy Keane in conversation with Roddy Doyle are also on this year's billing. The first artist to ever play Live at the Marquee was the legendary Brian Wilson at the festival's inception in 2005, in which the Marquee hosted 12 shows. Since then, over 1,750,000 people have attended gigs at the annual festival. This year, Live at the Marquee Cork will host a record-breaking 28 shows.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Small town home to famous singer that people struggle to pronounce
Witham in Essex is a prominent town in the county with a number of famous faces hailing from the area including singer Olly Murs and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Essex - famed for its rich diversity - stands out as one of England's most eclectic counties, boasting an enchanting blend of bustling cityscapes, charming coastal towns, and idyllic rural retreats, all woven with a tapestry of historical significance. The county is strategically connected to London through robust infrastructure and the natural route provided by the River Thames, which has historically made it a magnet for invasions from Romans, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. Such a storied heritage often leaves those not from Essex tongue-tied when trying to pronounce local place names. This even trips up public figures; many find themselves caught out when attempting local appellations, including Witham. Witham, where pop star Olly Murs hails from, is renowned in Essex but often mispronounced due to confusion over its 'th'. Rather than a soft 'th' like in 'bath', Witham sports a hard 't', rightly pronounced 'Witt-ham'. Even former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak once fumbled over the name during Prime Minister's Questions on May 22 last year. He stumbled responding to Sir John Whittingdale, MP for Maldon, who raised concerns his constituents had been waiting for a new hospital at St Peter's "for over 20 years". The plans indicated the possibility of the current facility closing without a replacement lined up, reports Essex Live. Sir Whittingdale said to the Prime Minister: "It leaves my constituents and those of Ms Priti Patel [MP for Witham] having to travel up to 30 miles for some treatments,". Mr Sunak responded: "I know that he [Sir Whittingdale] and the Right Honourable Friend for Witham met both the Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care and the Minister for Social Care recently to discuss this. "I understand the ICB have extended their consultation to be extended for three weeks to ensure that more consideration can be given and voices can be heard, but I will ensure that the relevant ministers keep my Right Hon Friend updated on the progress of this."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Presale tickets for Kneecap's Glasgow gig sold out in '80 seconds'
The presale tickets for Irish hip-hop group Kneecap's Glasgow gig sold out 'in 80 seconds'. The trio announced they will perform at the city's O2 Academy in the Southside on July 8, 2025. Presale tickets for the concert went on sale at 10am on Thursday, May 29, with a general sale taking place on Saturday, May 31. READ MORE: Huge British singer announces exciting gig in Glasgow READ MORE: Glasgow's Hydro breaks silence after Olly Murs axes gig following 'five songs' In a post on X, the group said: "Well, well, a chairde Gael! "The pre-sale sold out in 80 seconds. "New record that - remaining general sale goes up Saturday 10am. "These will also go in seconds. "Fair f**** Glasgow." Well well a chairde Gael! The pre-sale sold out in 80 seconds 🔥 New record that - remaining general sale go up Saturday 10am. These will also go in seconds. Fair fucks Glasgow 👏🇵🇸 — KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) May 29, 2025 Kneecap announced their show at the Glasgow venue on Wednesday, May 28. It comes after the rap group confirmed that they would no longer be performing at TRNSMT after "concerns expressed by police". Event promoter DF Concerts informed ticket holders of the news. Their statement read: "Due to concerns expressed by the police about safety at the event, Kneecap will no longer perform at TRNSMT on Friday, July 11. "We thank fans for their understanding." Previously, Police Scotland stated that Kneecap's performance at the festival, which is set to take place at Glasgow Green on July 11, would require a 'significant' police operation. A spokesperson for the force said: "Any decision on the lineup at TRNSMT is for the organisers and there was no prior consultation with Police Scotland before acts were booked. "Officers have highlighted that the potential reaction of such a large audience to this band would require a significant policing operation in order to support the delivery of a safe event. "We have also passed on information from the public around safety concerns to allow organisers to make an informed decision on the running of the festival." In a post to Kneecap's Instagram page, the group wrote: "'Due to concerns expressed by the police about safety at the event, Kneecap can no longer perform at TRNSMT'. "To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights, and hotels to see us play, we are sorry, it is out of our hands. "Glasgow has always been a huge city for us. We've played there many, many times, with no issues ever. "Make of that what you will. To try to make up for it, we will be at your O2 Academy on Tuesday, July 8. "Pre-sale is tomorrow at 10am in our WhatsApp channel. General sale is 10am this coming Saturday."
