The idea that a subtle rouge on a man be some shocking or subversive thing need not apply anymore as DC superhero actor and crossdresser extraordinaire Ezra Miller would like to prove. The Flash star recently graced St. Laurent’s Paris Fashion Week Runway with his usual genderbending style and The Daily Beast loved it so much, they think other guys should try it out.
Oh sweet, I guess we’re finally safe to just go for it
Ezra Miller is a bit of a weirdo. Seeing him do in-your-face Playboy photoshoots wearing the classic bunny leotard and some sky high heels is a shocking sight, even in a post-gay pop culture world. Either way, the star has been given a platform to blur the line between male and female fashion and for the Daily Beast, if you don’t appreciate it, it’s really because you’re insecure about your own manhood.
For Beast writers, Ezra is great, especially because he’s helping to destroy gender stereotypes. Alaina Demopoulos wrote an article praising Miller’s fascination with lipstick, claiming that he “wows when wearing it on the red carpet.” According to the outlet, this is all becoming a new, viable normal, with brands such as Chanel getting in on the action. “Last summer, Chanel released a ‘Boy’ line of makeup that included a foundation-like tinted 'fluid,' brow pencils, and a matte lip balm,” the Beast wrote.
Perhaps we’ll be seeing more crossdressing men with lipstick walking the streets. That’s what beauty writer Rachel Weingarten seems to think. “I do think you’re going to see more color lines for men,” she claimed, adding, “I don’t think we’re going to see Ezra Millers everywhere, but we will see more,” she added.
The Daily Beast reinforced her claim, arguing that influencers such as Miller are tapping into a growing market for male-oriented beauty cosmetics. Although everyday makeup wearing men make up less than one percent of beauty industry consumers, they still account for "a very cool $465 billion” in profits.
Though if the concept of seeing more and more outlandishly dolled-up Ezra Millers running around in public sounds terrifying to you, you might need to remember to check your toxic masculinity at the door. The Beast reminded readers that skeptical reactions to boys’ make-up come from the fragility of mainstream masculinity. “Despite Chanel or Tom Ford’s best efforts, mainstream masculinity is still fragile enough that during a recent trip to Sephora, a man in line scoffed at the suggestion that he was there to buy makeup.” Crazy.
The cultural revolution marches forward, and now we’re at the point where “the perfect lip on a man could be considered shocking in an acceptable way.” Progress.
