THE ESSEX MAN

Simon Heffer and the years beyond

In 1990 journalist Simon Heffer defined the "Essex man" as "young, industrious, mildly brutish and culturally barren" and “breathtakingly right-wing” in The Sunday Telegraph on 7th October, 1990.  Heffer himself was an Essex man and the term has continued to hold it's value after the Thatcher era came to an end. His observations came from his time on the trains commuting from Essex to London, and it seemed that there was a correlation between these people and the success of Thatchers politics. 

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The definition of "Essex Man" since made it's way into the Collins Dictionary as "a characterization of a man who flaunts his new-found success and status, thought typical in SE England in the 1980s".

The Essex man's girlfriend was considered an "Essex girl" which was an impacted the reputation they have today and are the subject of public jokes such as "What's the first thing an Essex girl does in the morning? Goes home”

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Many Essex men have been in the public eye over the years with celebrities such as Russell Brand, Jamie Oliver and Ross Kemp frequently seen on the television screens, often using the fact that they are from Essex as part of their charm. In 2007 popular BBC series, Gavin and Stacey, was launched. Set in Billericay the "Essex man" in characters were portreyed in  Smithy (James Corden) and Gavin (Mathew Horne). While these characters have "typical Essex" traits it does open the doors for a slightly muted version of the stereotype.

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Following this, in 2010 ITV launched a new reality TV show, The Only Way is Essex which centered itself around the life of "typical" Essex characters. In the early series of the show male cast members drove flash cars, owned night clubs and had a reputation with the ladies. As the show progressed the male characters began to evolve from this stereotype. 

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The modern day "Essex man" may still hold some of these traits, but most men in Essex are just ordinary.

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