The Reinvention of the American Man

American Manstand

The Good Husband

The Brotherhood Underground

American Man

American Man Profile: The Maverick

American Man Profile: Homeroom Hero

American Man Profile: Rookie Force

The Modern Man’s Survival Guide

“I think we’re finally thinking, within the last decade or so, not so much where do guys fit within society, but where do we fit within ourselves.”

—Matt, 29, Lincoln, NE

For this edition of The Curve, we had a singular mission: to capture the pulse of America.  To accomplish this, we embarked on a research road trip, conducted a nationally representative survey, and had countless conversations with entrepreneurs, experts, Generation Xers, and Ys. The result is The Curve Americana Trilogy—a report divided into three parts, the first of which is devoted to understanding the American Man, followed by issues that focus on the American Woman and Young Americans.

With so much hype about the rise of mompreneurs, single ladies, and women leaning in, we couldn’t help but feel curious about men these days. Just what, exactly, have guys been up to while women have been taking over the world, er, headlines? We knew that men were no longer retreating to man caves or having gratuitous guys’ nights out, but were they still dealing with the aftermath of the “mancession,” doubling down on daddy-hood, and developing apps with friends?

With the world in such a state of flux and a massive gender shake-up under way, we knew there must be a lot on their minds. We thought we’d encounter men taking a stand, saying enough is enough, and commiserating with one another about women, work, and what they’d really do if they weren’t saddled with diaper duty and desk jobs. What we found, however, was the opposite: Amid all of the change, guys are surprisingly calm, cool, and collected. Sure, they’ve had to reinvent male bonding (see Brotherhood Underground), clock some serious hours on the home front (see The Good Husband), and are breadwinnered-out (see American Manstand), but generally the men we spoke with are taking change in stride. 

Men today aren’t as simple as alpha, beta, or something in between. A majority of men say they are more complex than they are given credit for. As one Gen Y male reflects, “We’re finally wondering, within this last decade or so, not so much where guys fit within society but where we fit within ourselves.” Underneath their calm exteriors, most men today are, like the times, in a massive state of change and reinvention.

We were thrilled to partner with Esquire Network on this issue of The Curve and we hope it paints an honest and refreshing portrait of men today. As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback and points of view and partnering with you now and in the future.

This issue of THE CURVE collects data, insights, and trends from the following sources: an online survey distributed among 2,000 18- to 49-year-olds in the summer and fall of 2014; qualitative investigation, including a research road trip covering 20 markets with pit stops for 10 in-depth focus groups, and on-going online and in-person conversations with members of our FreeThink panel, a group of hand-selected, leading-edge, and diverse consumers; expert interviews with individuals in a variety of fields; and a continual scan of influential blogs, trend sites, and key industry events, from SXSW to Fortune’s Brainstorm TECH.

THE CURVE is a semiannual book about what’s ahead in consumer culture. It’s a curated synthesis of social shifts, industry trends, and quantitative and qualitative research that tells a story of what’s influencing consumers today, what’s shaping culture next, and the actionable insights and opportunities for marketers and brands.

CURVE FILMS is the production studio that brings to life insights from The Curve. With semiannual productions in a variety of formats—from documentary-style films to animated shorts—Curve Films strives to creatively showcase key content from The Curve in a way that is as entertaining as it is informative.

The Curve and Curve Films are produced by the NBCUNIVERSAL CONTENT INNOVATION AGENCY, a division that works across the NBCU portfolio to create innovative, insight-driven marketing campaigns that enable brands to reach and engage their audiences.