Male Make-up. Appearance is Everything
Before you read: some questions to help you think about the topic and the words you might need.
If you are a man, do you wear make-up? Why or why not?
Do you know about the fashion changes for men to wear make-up? What is your opinion?
Having a clean, neat face makes you look modern and stylish and creates an image that you can handle yourself well
Perhaps this is why South Korean men spent $495.5 million on skincare last year, accounting for nearly 21 percent of global sales, according to global market research firm Euromonitor International. That makes it the largest market for men's skincare in the world, even though there are only about 19 million men in South Korea. Amorepacific, South Korea's biggest cosmetics company, estimates the total sales of men's cosmetics in South Korea this year will be more than $885 million. However, it wasn't always like this. The ideal South Korean man used to be rough and tough.
The change of South Korean men from macho to wearing makeup over the last decade or so can be partly explained by fierce competition for jobs, job promotion and romance in a society where, as a popular phrase says, "appearance is power." Women also have more and more expectation that men will take the time and effort to take care of their skin.
Another catalyst for change was In 2002 when large numbers were attracted to a hero of South Korea's World Cup soccer team, Ahn Jung-hwan, who became a leading member of the so-called "flower men" — a group of exceptionally good-looking, smooth-skinned, fashionable sports stars and celebrities who found a lot of success selling male cosmetics. Men everywhere began striving to look like them, with the encouragement of the women around them, and a trend was born.
And so, South Korean men are barraged daily with messages in popular media suggesting that flawless skin is a crucial part of any plan to get ahead at work and romance. Advertisements featuring handsome, heavily made-up male celebrities are an unavoidable part of living in the city.
"In this society, people's first impressions are very important. A man's skin is a big part of that impression, so I take care of my skin," said Kim Deuk-ryong, a 20-year-old student.
Once something strange, men using makeup is now common.
Guessing meaning from context (the words around that word or phrase).
Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. The answers are below the table.
|
handle yourself |
A |
1 |
Tough male image, masculine, strong |
|
macho |
B |
2 |
Something that causes another thing to change |
|
fierce |
C |
3 |
A lot of something happening at one time |
|
catalyst |
D |
4 |
More than excellent, very unusual |
|
exceptionally |
E |
5 |
Very strong, angry |
|
trend |
F |
6 |
Very important part of something to make something else work/operate |
|
barraged |
G |
7 |
Fashions, changes happening over a period to time |
|
flawless |
H |
8 |
Take care of, independent |
|
crucial |
I |
9 |
No errors, perfect |
A=8, B=1, C=5, D=2, E=4, F=7, G=3, H=9, I=6
Some example sentences using the new words to help you to better understand their meaning.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->To get a job it is important to learn how to handle yourself in the interview.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->American football players are known for being macho and tough.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Lions are famous as ferocious animals.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->The earthquake under the ocean was a catalyst for a large tsunami.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->The most exceptional students can get into Harvard.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->The trend in Korea is for more women to work in the management positions.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->I don’t watch much television these days because I am barraged with advertisements.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8. <!--[endif]-->I got 100% my answers were flawless.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9. <!--[endif]-->To get a good job it is crucial to go to a good university.
Some discussion questions using the new words to help you better understand the word meaning and how to use them correctly. Try to use the words in your answer.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->What things do you do to handle yourself well to increase your success? Do you agree with the reading?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->What is meant by ‘macho’ Korean men in the past?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->What other things do you need to do to be successful amongst fierce competition?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->Do you agree that Ahn Jung-hwan was a catalyst for change in Korea? What other things were a catalyst?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->Describe what an exceptionally good looking person would look like?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->Do you agree with this trend? What other trends can you see happening?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->How do you feel about all the advertisements barraging you to change?
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8. <!--[endif]-->Do you agree that having flawless skin is crucial to getting a good job? Is it just crucial for university graduates and young men, or should older men do it also?
ECK Education
