KEY POINTS:
Australian men are going soft. That's the conclusion being drawn from a survey of 1000 Aussie men, which rated their "blokey-ness".
Asked questions about how often they played footy, got dirty under the bonnet of their car or used moisturiser, the number who responded that they take good care of their skin far outweighed the number who know what a socket wrench is for.
The iconic "hard Aussie bloke" is a dying breed, according to the survey, commissioned by Kirks Brewed Ginger Beer.
Only five per cent of all Australian men regularly play a game of football with their friends, almost 50 per cent admit it has been months since they tinkered with their car and shed ownership has dropped 27 per cent over the course of a generation.
On the flipside, concern for skin care is growing and Australian men are not afraid to wear pink.
Cleansing with face wash was practised by 44 per cent and one per cent more used moisturiser.
Almost a third said they owned an item of pink clothing.
Rugby league legend Mal Meninga, is outraged by the findings.
"Australian men should be ashamed of themselves ... we've become a nation of pansies.
"It's time to toughen up and get real - otherwise our nation runs the risk of turning into a joke."
And the survey results suggest Australian men know it.
Over three-quarters polled agreed that this generation of Aussie men are "softer" than the previous one and two-thirds say sports stars of today are more precious than their 70s and 80s counterparts and less likely to push on if they are injured.
"In my day you played to the bitter end, instead of getting sent off if you broke a finger nail," says Meninga, who is also a spokesperson for Kirks Brewed Ginger Beer.
"There is no way you would have seen any of my peers slapping on moisturiser in the locker room before putting on their pink shirt.
"What happened to all the real men in Australia?"
The trend is even reflected in Australia's politicians, with former prime minister Bob Hawke considered the hardest bloke in politics, followed by Gough Whitlam.
Current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took just seven per cent of the vote.
The only good news to come from the survey is that a whopping 87 per cent were not offended by "hard language".
If called a 'silly bastard' by a mate, 88 per cent would not be offended.
The trend of men becoming more vain and less able to carry out traditional practical skills is not limited to Australia however.
Last year Popular Mechanics magazine lambasted American males for losing touch with their DIY abilities.
The article's author, Glenn Harlan Reynolds, wrote that although there was no archive for tracking men's handiness "there is... a lot of anecdotal evidence that what used to be taken for granted as ordinary mechanical skills now amounts to something unusual".
"Even the simplest of automotive tasks, changing a tire, seems to be beyond the ken of many people. According to AAA, nearly 4 million motorists requested roadside assistance last year for flat tires," Reynolds wrote.
In response to the apparent decline in home handyman ability, Popular Mechanics issued a challenge to its readers, listing "25 skills every man should know".
Featuring tasks such as manoeuvring a car out of a skid, building a campfire and retouching digital photos, the list illustrated just how out-of-touch some American men had become with the skills traditionally assigned to their gender.
Popular Mechanics' list of 25 skills every man should know:
1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who has capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Manoeuvre a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network
- AAP, NZ HERALD STAFF
