Why are Men Being Dragged to Sephora?

In my a href=”http://pjmedia.com/blog/ask-dr-helen-living-like-one-of-the-guys/”PJM column /a from yesterday, I mentioned that men were being dragged into the make-up retailer, Sephora, by women, looking puzzled and dazed. Ann Althouse a href=”http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/04/for-those-of-you-who-carry-just-wallet.html”is a bit dissatisfied /awith the pathetic lingering of some of these men:br /br /blockquoteBut I must say, I was in Sephora the other day (to spend $22 for lip balm — “sweet and tart blackcurrant oil cushions the lips with plumping fatty acids”), and the women were in some crazy dream world. One woman raves to another that this cosmetics line is all natural, and the other oohs with excitement and surprise. But some women had in fact dragged men along with them, and way these men looked made me want to slap them back to consciousness and shout at them to get the hell out of there. I’m not saying that men must be very masculine or that there’s something wrong with a man who actually wants to go into Sephora and buy something. (They have plenty of men’s products, and beautiful salesladies will eagerly help you select great gifts for women.) But these particular men looked as though they had atrophied into mere appendages of women. They were willingly and weakly standing there discussing the women’s products. They were placidly accepting their diminished existence. That’s how I saw it anyway./blockquotebr /br /So why are the men standing there looking glassy-eyed? Could it be that society has been catering to women for years now and telling men that their needs don’t matter, and many men are resigned to this existence, and therefore, feel disgusted, unappreciated and too whipped to put up a fight? Or am I wrong and it is more like a href=”http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/04/for-those-of-you-who-carry-just-wallet.html#5794420628551312569″commenter Jim says:/abr /br /blockquoteSometimes men accept a placid and diminished existence now to have a shot at something less placid and undiminished later. Happens all the time./blockquotebr /br /I hope the reason is the latter.