Back in the day, when men were men, the men carried brief cases. A quality briefcase was a symbol of success and authority, the man who carried it was respected, Gordon Gecko would never carry a European carryall. When the briefcase snaps open, its time to do business, when the man-purse is unbuckled, its probably time to talk about man-scaping, comparing moisturizer, or some such metrosexual drivel.
Well, now we find out that the metrosexuals that have been carrying these man-purses are hurting their backs while trying to be just like Jude Law (left) and David Beckham (right). while we are at it, caption one or the other if you like:
From our friends in England:
Man bags lead to back troubles
They are the ultimate symbol of a modern metrosexual, sported by David Beckham and Brad Pitt: the man bag.
But the grown-up satchel is responsible for causing serious back injuries, according a group of medical experts.
Man bags have come of age in the last decade, replacing the old-fashioned briefcase, and sported by an increasing number of commuters. Unlike a stiff attache case which has a carry handle, a man bag has a strap and is usually made of soft leather or canvas, allowing men to sling it across their backs.
When they first appeared in offices across the country, the owners were often mocked for adopting the distinctly Continental fashion of men having handbags. They were the final nail in the coffin for the era of furled umbrellas, sturdy brief cases and even stiffer upper lips.
But an increasing number of high profile men from David Beckham to Jude Law sporting them meant the trend took off. John Lewis said sales of man bags have increased 21 per cent over the last year, with shoppers buying ever smaller ones thanks to the iPad, the tablet computer made by Apple, being able to squeeze into smaller spaces.
However, the British Chiropractic Association estimated that the average weight of these bags now totals 6.2kg, or 13.7lb – the equivalent of nearly 14 bags of sugar – because of the quantity of electronic hardware that so many carry on a daily basis.
Maybe if they hit the weights once in a while, throw some kettlebells around, or built up some real usable muscle doing some honest work so they wouldn’t hurt their backs over carrying 14lbs…The fact that the Brits even wrote and article about this is further proof that Europe needs to man up…I digress…
Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association comments: “Man Bags are now a necessity for many men during their daily lives, but they could cause back and shoulder pain from prolonged stress, this can also impact posture. The bags serve a purpose so we need to become more savvy in how we use them, whilst learning to read our bodies and know when we’re placing too much pressure on certain points.”
So, beware, all metrosexual man-purse toting ‘guys’, lest a back injury may eat into your mani-pedi time, that latest hair ‘product’ demonstration, or you laser hair removal appointment…now get over the gym and throw around some iron, grow a pair and reclaim your real man bag, embrace your Y chromosome, and get a nice briefcase, punk.
😆
