The New Masculine Ideal?

Ubersexual: the popularized term "metrosexual" say a new type of masculinity is taking hold.

The American Dialect Society named "metrosexual" the "word of the year" for 2003 after marketing consultant Marian Salzman helped popularize it.

Now the "ubersexual" is replacing the metrosexual, Salzman writes in The Future of Men, a book she co-authored with Ira Matathia and Ann O'Reilly

What's the difference between these two types of men?
In a study they wrote in 2003, the three trend spotters wrote that "One of the telltale signs of metrosexuals is their willingness to indulge themselves, whether by springing for a Prada suit or spending a couple of hours at a spa to get a massage and facial."

In contrast, they claim the ubersexual is less concerned with fashion and more inclined to develop his own sense of style. "Compared with the metrosexual, the ubersexual is more into relationships than self," they say. "He dresses for himself more than for others (choosing a consistent personal style over fashion fads)."

Examples of Ubersexuals Holding up actor George Clooney as an example, they say the ubersexual's "best friends are male; he doesn't consider the women in his life his 'buddies.'" And the ubersexual is more concerned with principles and values. Bono, of the rock band U2, represents this, they say, by the way he campaigns to reduce poverty in Africa.

In short, the ubersexual possesses what the authors call "M-ness," a type of masculinity "that combines the best of traditional manliness (strength, honor, character) with positive traits traditionally associated with females (nurturance, communicativeness, cooperation)."Although The Future of Men is based on interviews with 2,000 men nationwide, it is not an in-depth sociological analysis, as Salzman, a trained sociologist, readily admits.