Vanity strikes

La vanité!* Vanity has always been a 'female word', in that it has always been associated with the female gender. The classic complaint has been that girls spend hours preparing themselves before a date. They spend what seems like eternity just to get dressed. Then, of course the window shoppings... they can walk for hours in a mall, and end up buying nothing at all. And the make up... Shakespeare has this to say,

"I have heard of your paintings too well enough.

God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another."

Recently, vanity has stricken again! And this time, the guys get their fair share of it. If you think that you cannot stand the female version of vanity, wait till you experience first hand the male version of it.

Who wakes up early in the morning just to get showered and have their hair gelled? Who applies deodorant even when they are at home? Who diligently cleanses his face more than once a day so that not even one spot of pimple can be seen? Who dons accessories like almost everytime he steps out of the house? Who takes hundreds of self-portraits?!! Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against photography, but staring into the camera and snapping pictures of yourself? And hundreds of them too?!!

Okay! Enough!!! See what I mean?

Oh Vanity, thou art a disease that gradually sweeps through the land. Thy grip is strong and thy hand seizes hold of any being within thine reach.

Le vanité!* See? Vanity is no longer a girl-word. In fact, I think it is more of a guy-word than it is a girl-word. Well, at least I don't spend lots of time getting dressed in the morning....

*vanité French for vanity; La French article for female noun; Le French article for male noun