The New Male Archetypes

Walking within the city there’s no escaping the sound of sirens coming from emergency vehicles. A majority of the time these vehicles are ambulances and their loud, annoying shrilling causes nothing but headaches.

Then one day I hear a siren coming from behind me and when I turn to look expecting an ambulance, I see a fire truck. I instantly get excited expecting to see a truck full of big, manly, gorgeous firemen drive by en route to save the day. Although this fantasy never comes true, every time I see that red truck coming I instinctively have this fantasy and I’m not the only one.

According to Jungian Theory, archetypes are, “collective universal (although I’m examining Western culture) patterns of motifs, which come from the collective unconscious and are the basic content of religions, mythologies, legends, and fairytales.”

Male archetypes aren’t to be confused with sexual types like twink or bears because they go beyond a persons’ specific sexual preference. Sexual archetypes such as sailors, soldiers, and firemen have over the years become cultural icons of male sexuality; sort of like the definition of attractiveness.

 In the 1970’s, The Village People exploded onto the music scene creating five classic male archetypes with mass sex appeal, which include: The Policeman, Construction Worker, Biker/Leather man, the Native, and the Cowboy. Most of these still resonate today but it’s been a long time since the Village People’s heyday.

When I asked my friend, 18-year-old Ryan what comes to mind when I say: “Cop, Leather man, Construction Worker.”  He responds: “Old and hairy.”

These icons are outdated and have lost their sex appeal. The 20-something culture of today has grown up to different media exposure and unique lifestyles. I think it’s time we left the old archetypes in the realm of vintage porn and pick new ones to represent what we desire today. It’s time to give the Village People a makeover.

I’ll post a series of  “Then and Nows” with new male archetypes along with hot photos to illustrate my point.

Then: Policeman

Now: Life Guard

Both share the “hero factor” and possess many of the same qualities, but the image of a cop is changing from the tight brown uniform and sheriff-star encrusted hat to the pot-bellied, donut-eating stereotype.  In a post Baywatch world it’s impossible to think of a lifeguard as anything but a muscular Adonis lounging by a pool in little shorts.