A visit to «Man’s World»: not my kind of masculinity

A smorgasbord of clichés and toxic masculinity. That’s how I’d describe my cast-iron preconception of the «Man’s World» exhibition, which has been running since 2016. Since the image of masculinity I’d interpreted it as having differed so wildly from my own, I’d never have dreamed I’d ever go there. Now, I’ve been after all. It might actually be fun, I’d thought to myself. Putting my preconceptions to the test once in a while can’t hurt.

My first impression

Clichés confirmed! That’s the first thing that springs to mind as I enter Halle 550 in Zurich Oerlikon. Lots of black, lots of dark wood, bearded men in denim gear and cowboy boots. They’ve very purposefully – and, in my opinion, painstakingly – dug up some old masculine stereotypes and designed an exhibition with them. It’s harking back to an image of masculinity from a bygone era, only upheld by fans of the male roles and images of 50 to 60 years ago.

The products on display

As I stroll through the hall and examine the promo stands, I have to admit: the products appeal to me. Okay, the variety is negligible. But drinks, clothing, toiletries, coffee and watches all really interest me. Thing is, off the top of my head, I could easily list a good dozen women I know who’d be just as interested in that stuff. To be honest, you’ll find the same (or at least, similar) products at any other expo. Although, instead of in a small room, they’d be among whirlpools, kitchen utensils, dried fruit and vacuum cleaners.

The booth of a wine store in particular catches my eye. Or, more precisely, the four men running it do. So exaggeratedly «manly», they fit the men’s convention vibe down to a tee. Most of the other promoters could just as well be dishing out free samples at any department store or hawking steam irons at Olma, BEA or Higa.

The visitors

I get to the exhibition right after doors open. So, it may well be that the crowd at this time differs from the one later in the day or on different days of the week. Nevertheless, I’ll just make a little typology for you anyway. There are roughly three types of visitors (all male):

• The Swiss Normie: This is how I’d describe the fairly average-joe fashion sense sported by these men. It’s the category I’d put myself into, too. Shirt, t-shirt or sweater, jeans or chinos, sneakers.
• The Chad: Manly, manly men at a manly man convention. These dudes embody the style of the event in their everyday life. A shirt with just one too many undone buttons. A sweater with too deep a V-neck. Vests. Full beards and perfectly clean shaves. Quiffs and man buns. Denim jackets and leather jackets. Blue jeans. Leather boots and cowboy boots. Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with these outfits. I even wear some elements of them myself. But squeezed all together? That’s just too much testosterone for me.
• The Wannabe Dudebro: Last but not least, there are (too) many guys who, despite being prototypical Normies, try to give themselves a touch of Chad especially for «Man’s World». Hoodies, baggy jeans – and cowboy boots. Too-tight jeans, a bog-standard shirt (too many undone buttons) – and a too-tight vest. You can tell by looking at these guys that they feel slightly uneasy in this get-up and generally wouldn’t go out looking like that.

Conclusion: not my kind of masculinity

In some respects, my preconceptions were confirmed. On the other hand, if I set the expo’s oh-so-exaggeratedly outdated manliness aside, I find the products pretty interesting. Admittedly, I could really do without the giant excavator and the helicopter – zero added value for me there – but in the end I don't walk out of the hall empty-handed. Once I’m almost done with «Man’s World», I stick around at the booth of a liquor store for a while. A tasting box with six 10cl bottles of rum is now on its way into my home bar.

I’m a man aka the target group of the man convention. Only, even after my visit, I don’t find the concept of it particularly appealing. Although the product range works for me, I can find it all elsewhere, too. I don’t discover anything new. If coffee, alcohol and clothes are the only kinds of product meant to interest men, then I feel a bit sorry for the male species. It’s not like we’re just blockheaded simpletons, after all.