I prefer Vanity Fair myself. But they do raise a good point, the whole ab thing is more of a guy liking guy thing, whereas most women actually prefer thin wiry men with thick ... um ... appendages.

It is true that gay men determine what straight men wear for a large extent. I can't name more than three famous straight men's fashion designers, but I can name a dozen gay ones off the top of my head.

It's so hard to be a white, heterosexual, male in this society. I constantly feel like I'm being discriminated against by all the women, gays and ethnic minorities. I just don't know what I'm going to do. I think I'll go home and cry and dream of a day when straight white men are treated with the dignity they deserve.

Ah, but Andrew - no one is FORCING the men to wear anything "designer". Levis are pretty much timeless, as it the T-Shirt, standard dress shirt, standard sports shirt, and standard business suit.

That's part of the trouble with men's clothing - it's so damn boring. Women have much more fun outfits. But I'm still against the cityskirt.

Well, the cityskirt would work well in Malaysia.

Of the four magazines you mention, Esquire, at least historically, is the only one worth its weight in paper. But I gotta tell ya, the last time I picked up Esquire I was appalled. What has happened to that crisp, thinking, literary tradition? The articles were things like Hip Hop Hummers and the real Justin Timberlake. Shit! Truman Capote's "Answered Prayers" first appeared in the pages of Esquire as well as excerpts from Mailer, Vidal, and Saroyan. I was thinking Esquire had become yet another gum-popping slave to pop culture.

Today's society makes it difficult for both gay and straight men to express themselves in such a way as to not be judged. We have the freedom of thought and the freedom of speech, but what good are they if we don't know how to use them?

It's true! Their influence is pernicious. Before gay men worked their subtle media mojo on me I had no interest whatsoever in musical theatre. Damn their homosexual agenda!

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to do some more ab-crunches.

I have to say, I do envy the sex lives of my single gay friends. Seems like they get to do all the nasty things that we het boys can only dream of.

Het: "What you do last weekend?"

Homo: "Not much, just another orgy with 3 hot guys I met at the bar."

Het: "Wow, what was that like?

Homo: "Oh, you know, one guy tongued my ass while the other two licked my dick, and yada yada yada, I shot all over their faces. How about you."

Het: "Uh, nevermind."

I've long been jealous of gay men. Straight men are attracted to members of an entire gender that doesn't even really like us.

It's true: From the 30s with Fitzgerald and Hemingway, through the 50s and 60s when Mailer was editor, Esquire was as literate as the New Yorker is today. Now it's just another shopping guide for mouth-breathers, like FHM and Stuff and Maxim. Seriously, go find some late-fifites, early 60s issues and goggle at the talent -- and the word count. Mailer invented "New Journalism" there. Sammy Davis modeled hard electric blue suits in there, too. In the old days, being a man didn't mean choosing between preening nitwit or lumbering blockhead; people were actually expected to read and think.

Nope, sorry, Esquire's lame. You're thinking of the mag that used to be. I can't even read the new version.

Luckily, my girlfriend likes hetero men like me.

Given Fnarf's exposition, why on earth are you sticking with Esquire, anyway, ECB?

To angry up the blood for energy for Slog posts? For nsights into what guys who read aspirational lifestyle magazines are "really" thinking? Joke gift subscription?

Real men read Harper's and complain about the "fluff" pieces that come in under 6,000 words.

Despite Details' sad examples, I see a world more and more willing to sell men, gay and straight, on their own sad less-than-idealized lifestyle choices. For every guy getting waxed for the first time, there's 100,000 other men reassured that in the year 2006, you can be a 36 inch waist, but wear size 32 inch pants confortably.

Plus, if it wasn't for straight porn, the internet would still be a black screen with green text.

Straight White European males are the cause of all oppression in this world. They only wear what gays tell them to wear. Straight men make more money than women, therefore straight white men are the oppressor.

I have a small cock and I don't care who knows about it. Where's my revolution?? ha!

Sexist Watch: it's important to look to the positive and see how tremendously things have changed for the better in the last 100 years. It's true the world still has some growth to do before complete equality, but I don't think your average white male should be held accountable - that's just sexist.

Blowjobs aren't a given in Heterosexual sex? I happily disagree with that. I have never had a problem getting BJs. BJs are just too awesome to not have.

straight men should not become insecure by the rarest gay man that you can find. Gay men are as diverse a population as straight men. Some gay men are ultra clean and fashionable and some are more unkept that many straight men. some gay men looked dolled up all of the time and others, like myself, play various sports and don't mind getting a bit dirty. The gay image in magazines and tv is similar to how women are portrayed in magazines and tv. Straight guys, how often do you walk down the street and see a woman prancing around in a Gucci dress carrying a cartier bag? not very often. that is how it is for us gay men. We rarely come across the type of guys that are in the mags and tv.

LMAO @ pox. how true.

And re: Sean's dialog...that kinda thing makes up for social stigma. They can keep us down, but they will never have threeways with people they barely know. Unless they pay for it.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. You've obviously never been to geeky conventions ...