‘Man Cave’ Makes List of ‘Banished’ Words for 2012

I vote for ‘game-changer’ as No. 1. Also: mission-critical, price point, best-in-class

win-win

all-in-one

The important thing to consider with the phrase “man cave” is that it solidified the existence, even the importance, of the room (and it’s activities) in our culture. One linguistic theory posits that a thing doesn’t exist, as least in out consciousness, until we name it. Once “man cave” was established it became a thing to desire, to market and to exploit. That’s why brand names are so important—they make something real to the consumer. So while some snarky author decided that “man cave” needed to go away, I’d argue that the CE Pro industry should jump all over the word—explain it, market it, own it.

I couldn’t disagree more about marketing the “man-cave” concept. Surveys have shown that women make anywhere from 45 to 55 percent of electronics buying decisions. Marketing a home theater as an option for enhancing the entire family experience makes far more sense than appealing to one segment, especially in this economic environment. The man-cave idea seems to me to be one more vestige of the archaic notion of electronics as toys for boys. If Steve Jobs taught anything, it’s that advanced technology can achieve wide acceptance if made appealing to everyone. It’s about time ideas like man-cave were consigned to the dust-bin where they belong.

Ok, fair enough

it is true that man-cave may be an unfortunate term because it seems to suggest the absence of a woman-cave, or that is exclusive in some way to “men buying things men buy”. But the idea of a protected place full of someone’s favorite stuff (including TVs and toys) is a fulfilling and important part of human condition, male and female alike. The feeling of security and comfort is important to all of us, and some don’t have enough of that. If there is a better word to describe this place than I would join the revolution to ban ‘man-cave’ but the truth is that is shorthand for this feeling of security right now. BTW I have designed some great woman-caves and family-caves also…:)

After I used the term “man cave” a few times at home to describe our theater, my wife quickly renamed it a “manhole” and that term has stuck.

Let’s come up with a new name then and market that. A term to describe a room to watch TV, movies, play video games and hang with friends and family for entertainment purposes, a rec room term for 2012’s technology

How about Social Salon….

Since I am acquainted with Tony Saragusa, the man creditted with the term and TV show that went with it, a man cave is for a real man who has sacrificed his wishes and desires about how and where he lives to the needs of his family. The man cave is a room strictly for him, with absolutely no accomodations for anyone else. It is a room for noone else. As soon as any compromises are made for the wife or kids, it is no longer a “man cave”, but instead has become the Oprah room. Man Cave is a term that has been drastically overused, and worse, most rooms havegotten the Oprah treatment, so just drop the term all you woosies

Disrupt / Disruptive, and The Cloud.

Even after serving as the A/V Consultant and Installer on multiple episodes of DIY’s “MAN CAVES”, I’m glad to see a paradigm shift away from the egocentric title to hopefully something more universal. Goose loves his man cave Todd, by the way it’s “Siragusa” and his domain is his domain, but the way of the world and the way of technology has changed, and Media Room, Game Room or Tech Zone is where we are surely heading. Guess I’ll have to change my business card…lol!