The Ethics of Male Makeup
From ASAP Rocky being featured on Fenty Beauty’s skincare line to Machine Gun Kelly’s all-inclusive nail polish brand, in recent years there has been a surge in the number of men endorsing products that have been historically doted as “female.”
However, while these products have been praised for their ability to promote the normalcy of a gender-fluid and/or genderless society, the mirror being held to society isn’t all good. In fact, many people are arguing that by labeling certain beauty products “male” further cements the gender binary by making tangible, previously unspoken social rules. Additionally, the irony of old products being repackaged and labeled as “cool” or “empowering” as soon as they belong to men.
This brings up an interesting debate. Is there a woman’s culture and can this said culture be appropriated? If so, how do we make a distinction between fluidity and appropriation?
According to socialist feminism, the patriarchy (as we know it today) specifically lies in the commercial exploitation of the female identity. So, to push these very same products onto men is still the work of the patriarchy and not progress. But I think that’s too simple. Perhaps the oppression of women has been made a commodity, but that ignores the very real possibility that an identity and culture has formed around certain items. While I don’t believe that women should gatekeep these items—especially during a time where sex and gender are more fluid than concrete—I do think that we have to reckon with what it means for men to makeup progressive. Or for that matter, skirts and dresses too (I’m looking at you Harry Styles). The rate of progress shouldn’t be determined by slowest group to tag along. Women have been quietly and loudly trailblazing. And makeup has been our warpaint in a world that wasn’t ready to face us. Yet.
