Machosexual is a neologism of the 2000s that describes a male figure exuding masculinity. Moving away from the metrosexual and his preoccupation with appearance and personal gain, the machosexual is driven by his desire to provide for his family or community.
Can also refer to an intense attraction to the Late Randy "Macho Man" Savage.
Commercial resurgence of the machosexual
In March 2009, British department store John Lewis revealed male supermodel Matthew Avedon as the machosexual face of its spring summer fashion campaign. John Lewis had commissioned Jeremy Baker, a consumer trend expert at London Metropolitan University, to define the machosexual. Paul Porral, Head of Creative at John Lewis, then briefed a model agency to cast a model based on the research.
Jeremy Baker, Consumer Trend Expert at London Metropolitan University described the rise of the machosexual as a result of changes in the global economy:
The economic crisis has provoked a rapid change in the man of our ideals, the machosexual has been forced to emerge as we experience the most demanding world that we have known for decades. The machosexual is forced to make his stamp on the world – not to disappear in the economic landslide.
The Machosexual has a desire to be the pioneer of change, to lead everyone out of the current economic mess. The credit crunch has left the metrosexual lost and afraid. To the machosexual, our brutal conditions are a chance for his leadership to assert itself.
Adrian Edwards, Head of Menswear Buying at John Lewis, identified the machosexual as an emerging trend that would speak to the department store’s customers.
Our male customer will identify more with the machosexual archetype than the metrosexual. Whilst he is style aware, he is unlikely to fight for mirror space with his girlfriend or borrow her fake tan or hair-spray. We felt Mathew fitted our brief perfectly, he presents a quintessential masculine look.
The term entered the wider public domain following Nick Curtis’ Evening Standard article "Rise of the macho sexual," which identified Bear Grylls, Guy Ritchie and Chris Hoy as machosexual poster boys.