Are men "going John Galt" at the health spa?
Is it my imagination or are more men going in for spa services these days? In the past few months, every time I go into the local spa I like, there are men having services or coming in to order services for themselves such as facials and massage. I used to watch men come in to order for wives or girlfriends but now the gift is for themselves.
Most of the men are middle-aged or older and I wondered if many of them have just decided to "go John Galt" and let others take on the burden of the world while they relax. Perhaps they have had enough of the work world and are taking more time for themselves, or maybe they want to look or feel better. Of course, this is just one observation of mine at one spa. Let's take an informal poll here. How many of you who are men use spa services?
Most of the men are middle-aged or older and I wondered if many of them have just decided to "go John Galt" and let others take on the burden of the world while they relax. Perhaps they have had enough of the work world and are taking more time for themselves, or maybe they want to look or feel better. Of course, this is just one observation of mine at one spa. Let's take an informal poll here. How many of you who are men use spa services?
posted by Helen at 6:27 AM
36 Comments:
I'm no man but I think it is great that men want to take care of themselves. Why should spa services be a woman's domain? If a man feels that he can benefit from a massage (the non-happy ending kind) and a facial, he should do so. I doubt it has anything to do with going John Galt, a massage takes an hour and most people can take an hour out of their lives at the spa for a little pampering if they choose.
I understand the appeal of mentally checking out.
...but going to a day-spa? And getting a facial ?
If I had a pile of spare cash to blow on entertainment, I'd buy a vacuum chucking system for my wood lathe and take a day off from the office and make some bowls. Or I'd pick up a CNC retro conversion for my Sherline mini-mill and make some small brass machine parts.
...but a facial?
Are you sure that these were men you were looking at, and not just ugly women?
My wife drags me there occasionally.
I'd rather go "John Gault" in a used book store.
Dear God, no. I'll happily step back and take it easy, but that usually involves a shooting range, a river or, as smitty1e says, a bookstore.
I think the "going John Galt" thing could easily get warped and abused here. IMO, it's not just taking it easy because you're tired of carrying society's burdens. It's ACTIVELY sheltering your assets from the tax man and practicing malicous compliance with new gooberment programs ("a new government giveaway that I actually might qualify for? Hell, sign me up! Add my name to the list of people breaking the bank!").
Although a nice massage sounds pretty good, I'd rather get it for free from a nice, attractive, female companion, then pay $100 for a half hour (or whatever it is) at a Spa. I'll always return the favor, of course.
And a facial? I'm with TJIC, are you sure these are men?
And Chief, maybe we can call these types the Passive Aggressive John Galts. (Not the Spa people, but the general taking it easy folks 'cause they're tired of carrying the tax burden. I'm not sure what to make of the facial dudes.)
A facial?
Snigger.
Please.
If I need to get away from it all, I'll hop on my bike and go for a 30-mile ride, or take my seven year old fishing, or go to the bookstore, or, or, or....just about anything other than a facial.
I think what you are seeing is the increasing population of metrosexuals.
TJIC,
Yes, these are men, and honestly they do not look like metrosexuals. They look like older guys who have just had it.
My best form of relaxation is flying my Piper Cherokee. Facials? Sorry, but no. For the prices I've seen for treatments like facials and massages, I can fly for hours. Flying is a great way to separate yourself from earthbound worries. Bookstores are great when the weather is too bad to fly.
I don't know that I have ever even seen a spa, let alone been inside of one.
I've never been to a spa in my life and never intend to be in one.
But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good massage. When I was living in Austin, I used to regularly call this woman who performed deep Zen shiatsu. It's a massage technique for deep muscle rubs using the elbow. She'd come to my apartment with her portable massage table and work me over. Hurt like hell, but afterwards euphoria. And all for only $60.
However, a facial? Please. I give myself a facial every morning. It's called shaving.
Never been in a spa. I speed up a little when I drive by one. I'm much like the other guys commenting. I relax working on my wood lathe, camping, hunting, fishing, canoing or watching football.
Bookstores are fine, too. But, Bass Pro Shops beats them all.
If I had the time and money to go to a spa, then I would have the time and money to go fishing. Or read a book. Or play video games. Maybe smoke a cigar if it was that time of the year where I had forgotten how much it irritates my throat to do so.
Going to a spa is a foreign idea to me. And I'm not sure what a facial is, but it sounds like something out of a pornographic video, so no.
So, going Galt now means doing something that isn't work? I went fishing the other day, walked the woods, just sat around at home; none of which was "Galting". I don't think I'd equate it to something so trivial.
My pedantic ½¢.
When I get a little nutty my wife send me out to the gun range to do a little shooting, a few rounds of skeet, a little time with a pistol or rifle making loud noises and I seem to become re calibrated.
As for the spa thing, I am kind of an older guy and I think 5 min. in the chair at Supercuts is about right.
Well - I like a good massage, and the wife doesn't like to give them. So I do occasionally show up for a massage. But facials?
Are you SURE they were men?
For those that don't know what a facial is, here is some info.
Benjamin said...
And I'm not sure what a facial is, but it sounds like something out of a pornographic video, so no.
Dude.
I was hoping no one would go in that direction. :/
Me time does not include a spa. My spa has another name. Maybe you've heard of the "Garage"? A place where men to go get away and work on hobbies or cars. My other spa is a place where I can take the boys and let them shoot.
I admit that I partake of the occasional massage, usually for exercise inflicted ailments but also for relaxation. I also prefer a female massage therapist - does this make me a normal heterosexual male? I guess my dad didn't hug me enough.
I've been training for a marathon and have gotten a few massages at a local spa over the past few months. The place is clean and upscale. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. The massage therapist I've had is very nice, very good, and has lots of experience with athletes. And finally I never have to worry about being asked if I want a happy ending or the police raiding the joint.
“I was hoping no one would go in that direction.”
Every time I hear that term I have to try to suppress a smirk.
No spa for me, although a professional massage sounds nice. When I was stationed in Okinawa, it was common practice for barbers to give a brief neck massage after a haircut. Sometimes I miss that.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought "going John Galt" was when one stopped participating in an economy which props up a government based on looting...
Men getting facials doesn't sound John Galt to me. Men removing themselves from a society that loots from them does.
For a moment there I thought I might have to read the book again. The John Galt I remember wouldn't be caught anywhere near a spa.
I've been "John Galt"ing for about 10 years now.....and it certainly has nothing to do with facials at a spa. You must be hanging out with a bunch of "girlie boys". I get my kicks on a Yami FZ1 on the Tennessee twisties, range time, wood working, bass fishing or hunting..jeez what a question!
Ok, well, I'm a guy. I play football. I've climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. McKinley. I've hiked most of the Appalachian trail I've skydived.
And...wait for it...I've gotten facials before.
Women respond well to them.
Actually... I would suggest that in many cases going to the spa is anti-Galting.
I work a very stressful, very highly leveraged job. I noticed that my productivity went up when I became better at managing my stress, particularly my *physical* stress.
Regular deep tissue massage is an important part of that stress management for me. I literally do it to improve my productivity at work. When I cut back on my massage therapy, my productivity declines (because the stress catches up with me).
If you are a hard charging guy in a high stress job, run, do not walk, to the best deep tissue massage therapist you can find. I would also highly recommend yoga and meditation.
No spa for me. A dry cleaner and a barber is plenty. My barber charges $9 for a haircut (I give him more than that) and still displays that poster of "official haircuts for men and boys" that I first saw in 1962.
I've yet to have a massage. But I have thought about it. I have been to chiropractors in the past, and doctors, of course. All have been female, including one of four surgeons. The male surgeons were coincidence, and chosen by my female GP (she has my full trust). I would chose a female massage therapist, I think. I don't wish to work with them in an office environment, but otherwise, they're pretty darned fun to be around at times.
Why is anything but work "going John Galt"?
Does Helen just kind of like that phrase and she doesn't think too much? Or she never got around to reading Atlas Shrugged?
Bejeezus
Naw these are guys that are in high $$$$ high stress jobs. They're working in those spas.
Gotta look good. Young, relaxed and confident. Any crack in the fascade would spell disaster.
NO FRIGGIN' WAY!
If you're thinking of a massage, they're good for you. I even got damaged ligaments in my right knee smoothed out by a guy who knew what he was doing and had fingers like steel bars. But, make damned sure the masseuse isn't just some crystal-rubber wanting to align your aura. That's no more than a skin rub .
Some men really haven't quite figured out that being a man means you don't get facials -- not because we like to pretend to be tough, it's because we're not made of marshmallows -- unless you have a specific and rare medical malady. There are none severe enough that I'm aware of that could induce me to think well of a man getting spa treatments such as this. It's really quite pathetic.
I like spas, in particular the salt and iodine baths. I was dragged along one day by my wife, who had been a keen customer for years before.
In Austria, where I'm living at the moment, it is common to see people bring in the sunday papers and a picnic, and schlep about in the spa all day. Very relaxing, very civilised. Makes me feel almost Roman. :)
I would like to see (physically) the commenters who insist that they are so rufty-tufty. I am a bit of a hairy monster myself, so I am no "metrosexual". I suspect we have a lot of armchair Hemingways on the board today.
Seems to me the problem isn't with spas or with John Galt. It's more with the idea that going to the spa is somehow a John Galt-like thing to do.
John Galt (a fictional character in Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand) as a productive member of society went on strike against said society in protest of confiscatory taxation and government regulated thought control.
Going to the spa? John Galt might have but it's not an activity which I would consider to be the essence of what makes John Galt John Galt.
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