Beauty and makeup are a billion-dollar industry today. Although traditionally, this industry has been associated solely with women, makeup has cut across gender divides in recent years. The strict, separate boundaries on beauty and makeup set for men and women are being eased. More men today are interested in makeup. At the forefront of this change are the Asian countries, especially South Korea. South Korea is often considered to be the pioneer of the male beauty cultural revolution.
Ironically the country has long been a patriarchal society, firmly insisting on the idea of hyper-masculinity, in which the ideal man should be muscular, tough, entrepreneurial and the ultimate provider. The emergence of flower boys can be seen as part of a global phenomenon of metrosexual males: men who take care of their appearance in a way that was once considered feminine. The spread of Japanese manga or comics in South Korea and other Asian countries is another major factor contributing to the rise of flower boys in the country.
The rise of Korean pop culture K-pop that has swept a global Hallyu Korean wave helped the rapid spread of ideas of soft masculinity across the globe. Korean pop music has been another major driving force behind the changing notions of male beauty and appearance. K pop boy bands consist of men who are flawless, have smooth skin, soft features, beautiful eyes and a great fashion sense.
They are referred to as K pop idols because they are just perfect: they can sing, dance, act all at the same time. The beauty business propels this desire aesthetic perfection of Korean men and women in contemporary capitalism. Advertising and media are powerful tools for the continuous expansion of capitalism. Beauty products are sold by influential Korean celebrities, which sends a signal to Korean consumers that they can also achieve the same level of excellence by simply following and buying the product.
The image of Kkonminam in the Korean entertainment industry has been popularized through TV commercials, TV series and billboards featuring handsome boys with smooth skin and silky hair. Men today desire to look soft, delicate and beautiful that includes wearing roses and floral patterns in their clothing.
