that's so gay...i think?

In Varda Burstyn’s article, ‘Hooligans, Studs, and Queers’: Three Studies in the Reproduction of Hypermasculinity, they talk about hypermasculinity. Hypermasculinity is, “the belief that ideal manhood lies in the exercise of force to dominate others,”(192). Varda looks at this through soccer hooligans, African American pro athletes, and athletic homosexuals. He talks about the homoeroticism of sports. How sports have been considered one of the manliest things to do, but at the same time they have many homoerotic qualities that are acceptable. However, they are only acceptable in the context of sports. Homoerotic images in particular have been asserted into advertising partly because of the acceptance of this athletic look. Having one of these athletic bodies has become apart of gay culture. It has also become apart of hypermasculine aesthetic values.

This above is an ad for Under Armour. It is a perfect example of how this has come into advertising. What is interesting to me is thinking about whether or not this would have been acceptable twenty or thirty years ago. I think it wouldn’t. So it’s interesting to think what exactly has changed. This is what is discussed in the article, but I think what is interesting is where this leads us.

May be this does nothing, and the lines of what is gay and what is just athletic masculinity stay clear. But, what if something else happens. What if the two continue to converge and start to blur? Will homosexuality become more acceptable to even the most homophobic beefcake? Will this image become rejected as masculine? Will there be a new idea of what is masculine and athletic? Times have changed since thirty years ago. I can only think they will continue to change. I really believe that in time either homophobia will become less of a problem, or masculinity within sports will be redefined.

My point is that as these lines continue to blur eventually a guy will be watching football, baseball, or wrestling and say, "that's so gay." What will happen then? As gay culture becomes more apart of the mainstream and traditional masculinity what will change about the male identity? I think that the current male identity is too weak for nothing to happen. So it could get interesting.

pic:www.bossip.com/.../under-armour-alreynolds1/