Metrosexy Hegemony

I have critiqued the feminist concept of hegemonic masculinity before. The idea that there is a ‘masculine ideal’ that some men achieve and exploit, and others are oppressed by does not work for me. Also if there is a ‘hegemonic masculinity’ why is there not a ‘hegemonic femininity’. The concept relies on the idea that patriarchy exists, [...]

MMA: Gay For Pay

Back in 2008 Mark Simpson asked a simple question: how gay is MMA? And the simple answer was: VERY! His steamy description of a live fight he attended sounded (deliberately of course) like a review of the latest homo porno: ‘Mac Danzig is still on his back; his sweaty, pumped, almost translu­cently white torso is flushed with [...]

London Metrosexual Police Force

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ I think this is a good photograph for a number of reasons. It captures the violence, uncertainty and alienation of our city streets right now. But being who I am, I could not help noticing how the young police officer is in a very typically metrosexual pose, his body facing one way, his face [...]

Women Do Sporno

http://www.caughtoffside.com/2011/06/10/germany-womens-world-cup-team-pose-for-playboy-video/ I rather like this photo of some German women professional footballers. It was taken as part of a Playboy spread. It reminds me of Sirens, and that scene in O Brother, Where Art Thou? It is olde-worldy, and modern at the same time. I find it sexy. Maybe that’s just the wet t-shirts. But [...]

The Tyranny of Beauty

Can you have beautiful buff boy fatigue? Beautiful, buff, hairless chest, pretty young white boy fatigue? Beautiful, buff, hairless chest, a hint of sensitivity in the expression, pretty young white boy fatigue? Beautiful buff, hairless chest, a hint of sensitivity in the expression, homogenous homoerotics pretty young white boy fatigue? Beautiful buff, hairless chest, a [...]

Not Waving But Drowning

Rafael Nadal has got into some shallow water over at Armani. I think he has been kidnapped by the Italian fashion house and is being slowly, sensually tortured for our viewing pleasure. First there was the poster campaign: http://www.marksimpson.com/blog/2011/03/06/tarty-armanis-latest-sporno-spunk/ and now a video advertisement that leaves the Spanish tennis ace swallowing fluid and spluttering for [...]

Why Can’t A Woman Be More Like A Man?

We all know Sporno is more interesting and seductive than regular porno right? Well the leaders of the rat pack at the moment in the genre seem to be those Italian Stallions, Armani. And who better to be the face and body of the brand but that wonderfully bronzed and buff tennis player, Rafael Nadal? [...]