alexis jones, beauty, bellism, gen y, Generation Y, i am that girl, iatg, social responsibility Hide

What do Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney and Brad Pitt have in common? They are all ecosexuals! A new term has been coined on the West Coast that puts metrosexuality to shame, it’s called ecosexuality and describes people who look for mates that share the same environmental concern.

If you think “environmentally friendly” or “socially conscious” men are limited to the dirty hippie stereotypes, think again. Ecosexuality combines GQ sexiness with a heart for something more than just a big bank account and fancy car.

Personally, I’ve done a lot of dating over the past few years and the men who will always occupy a little part of my heart were those who were, in some way, green. Whether it was the guy who told me he once donated to PETA, who loved An Inconvenient Truth, who refused to buy farmed salmon or who made energy efficiency a bigger priority than affordability when buying a car, they all had an unforgettable effect on me.

To me, nothing is sexier that a man who has a heart for saving the environment. This doesn’t mean he has to be David Suzuki, but that he cares for it enough to make green decisions in his life, like asking for the most sustainable hard wood floor at Home Depot. It just screams compassion – and that he’ll probably be a better lover and father because of it.

Now this is not to say that there is no hope for the man you’re currently dating or interested in if he’s not green. I’ve educated many men over the past who have now become full-fledged greenies.

So what if you decide you want to date an ecosexual but don’t know where to turn? No problem! With green lifestyles becoming so chic in mainstream media lately, it’s no wonder that men’s ecosexual traits would now become dating criteria.

Dating websites are popping up at an alarming rate where one can now choose mates based on their carbon-neutral, fair-trade consumption or vegetarian lifestyles.

And if you’re not sure whether or not you qualify as an ecosexual, you can now take the fun ecosexual quiz.

So whether you prefer to love global and date local or are looking for Zero-carbon love, ecosexuality is where it’s at.

Enjoy green dating!

Hear more from the Urban Green Girl at her blog about green living solutions for urban girls.

photo by roger mateo poquet

an invconvenient truth, brad pitt, dating, david suzuki, ecosexual, environment, environmentally conscious, george clooney, Gone Green, green, leonardo dicaprio, metrosexual, peta, relationship, social responsibility Hide

Flick on the tube, and you’re bombarded with salacious sex scenes, over-indulgent lifestyles, and the pubertal privileged of the Upper East Side. It could only mean one thing. Gossip Girl, Season Two has arrived. The hit TV series that follows the elite Manhattan social scene has acquired a loyal following and garnered quite a buzz through its controversial ads and racy content. The portrayal of New York high society serves as escapism for millions of viewers and has a profound impact on teen contemporary lifestyle.

Based on the best-selling books by Cecily von Ziegersak, the show is centered on Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), and their peers as they gallivant through New York City encountering temptations, jealousy, betrayal, and scandal. Meanwhile, every episode is narrated by an anonymous blogger tagged Gossip Girl who shakes things up a bit by creating rivalries between the tech savvy teenagers.

While the characters on Gossip Girl engage in recreational drug use and casual sex, they certainly aren’t the only teenage show on primetime presenting provocative issues. Its original concept, manipulation of Generation X tools, fresh talent, and edgy fashion are what separate it from other primetime hits like One Tree Hill and the new 90210.

The lifestyles portrayed in Gossip Girl are exaggerated, but offer a sense of aspiration and influence to the younger market. Because of this, the show needs to be mindful of the ideals it’s portraying, as the young women who look up to this lifestyle will also use the behavior of the characters as a point of reference.

Underage drinking in hotels, pot smoking in Central Park, and debauchery-ridden pool parties are all amplified versions of the teenage rebellion youngsters experience today, and the CW has pushed these ideas into primetime, despite all the controversy. The show does, however, confront certain issues responsibly showing that behind unruly conduct and bad actions, there are consequences.

With ratings through the roof, Gossip is on the tip of everyone’s lips, and it’s a matter of what lens we use to view the show that will determine its affect on young women today. Girls should keep in mind that the show is fiction based and purely entertainment. In the end, it’s the responsibility of the viewer to screen and judge the media messages found throughout the show.

90210, blake lively, casual sex, cecily von ziegersak, cw, drug use, gen x, gossip girl, leighton meester, lifestyle, one tree hill, pot, social responsibility, teens, television, tv, underage drinking Hide