Between the gay dance anthems playing in the store and vintage-porn-looking hunks modeling barely-there clothes in ads, Abercrombie’s marketing strategy has always been super-gay.
But though their ads ooze homoerotic pyrotechnics, they’ve never actually gone and shown us the full monty, the real act of
affection between two hot dudes. Until now!
Homorazzi alerts us to a series of Bruce Weber-directed which feature standard buff-twink Abercrombie boys training for wrestling. The most explicit one, titled, um,
Other Sports Require One Ball, features two toned studs sparring in the shower and then, voila, kissing one another.
Here are the others, which are just as homoerotic without any actual boy-on-boy action:
Do you think Abercrombie will actually run these ads in the store, or did Weber take it too far for them to?
Click through for more screenshots of the pederasty-inspiring screenshots of Weber’s Abercrombie campaign.
Torrie
HOT.
Just being real
NOT hot. I don’t find twinks sexy at all and the Ken Doll clone look is so 80s.
Jamie
@Just being real: If that’s a twink, then the majority of the gay world is fuuuuucked when it comes to body image.
DouggSeven
Those are jocks, not twinks. I don’t see anyone texting with an appletini anywhere in those pics.
1equalityUSA
A million and one moms are going fly into a rage and rip the plaid off of their sons.
timncguy
Twinks don’t have pecs and biceps.
nugoyxi
Now if we had some hot female models do this…. 😀
Scott Gatz
@DouggSeven: Best comment. Ever. 🙂
Meowzer
If these are for ads, they will never see the light of day. People will get their knickers in a knot. If they want to hang them in their stores, they’ll be a hit!
CBRad
Bruce Weber has always found the hottest models. (My opinion only). He’s frequently sought out athletes right on college campuses.
CBRad
“pederasty-inspiring screenshots” ? None of those guys look like fifteen-year-old boys.
Aric
Where are the twinks?
Tone
It’s going to be fun watching the christers fuss and fulminate over this! I’m sure AF is counting on it.
Pygar
How have Weber’s ads ever been any different over the past 20 years? No men of color as usual, I see.
(Leni Riefenstahl would have been proud.)
CBRad
@Pygar: A & F is a company that appeals to white (or wannabe-white) people. And Riefenstahl photographed plenty of Africans in later life.
No-Obot
It is still really, really on the down-low. A kiss on the forehead? Come on, that is not “gay erotica”. Pahleez! It’s sad that they can’t be honest in trying to target one of their biggest customer bases.
Imagine a straight guy kissing a girl, he was rolling around with, on the forehead — you’d think he was gay or that was his sister. But, in this ad, we are offered an ambiguous homo-suggestive image that straight dudes can safely block out of their penis loving/hating confused and societally programmed little brains.
It’s not art if its not honest, it’s just keeping “the gay” in the shadows in order to make insecure straight males feel safer in the sunlight and not having to acknowledge the legitimacy of the “love that dare not speak its name” nor that kind of unfettered kiss on the mouth in an intimate moment as other lovers do.
How Victorian…not “daring” at all.
Jason
I’m good with everything here EXCEPT calling it “pederasty.” I see no underage boys. I see no offers of military training or presents in exchange for sexual favors. Let’s face it: that was poor word choice at best, and potentially fodder for homophobes who already think that homosexuals are all pedophiles.
CBRad
@Jason: I know these “writers” at Queerty might always be rushed, but some of the inaccuracies they’ve been coming up with lately is really getting…….bad…
DouggSeven
@No-Obot: This is progress. Baby steps, my friend. It’s a family oriented clothing store in the mall – what do you expect, full on penetration? I wouldn’t say their core demographic is gay men. Have you been to a college or university lately?
Dave
What will this do to there straight boy sales???
SB
Evan Mulvihill why would include that “pederasty-inspiring” comment? It is such negative stereotype of our commmunity. Think buddy! Think!
D P
@timncguy: – And, I find a lot of them kinda fem, unless they’re skaters or snowboarders, etc.
CBRad
@D P: I agree. The skateboarder/snowboarder set are definitely the “butch” twinks.
Andrew
What’s with everyone? Haters always gonna hate, I suppose. I think it was a beautiful ad with gorgeous, sexy boys. Take it for what it is. Geez!
CBRad
@Andrew: I think only two or three posters seem to hate the ads. (Which are awesome ads, I agree).
D P
@CBRad: — I’ll add my voice to that chorus, that those are awesome ads.
But, there is *one* thing I wanted to ask everybody: Did you find yourself holding your breath during the underwater scenes for that video shot in the pool? I did. I was actually worried that one of the models would have an accident and not make it to the surface on time.
JTKlaus
Yes, the guys are very attractive, but I find this very disturbing, yet not surprising coming from A&F…
sebastian
it’s like black and white version of Sean Cody’s shower screenshot.
CBRad
@JTKlaus: Why “disturbing” ?
Ken
‘Buff Twink’ is an oxymoron. The guy at Queerty who wrote the title to this piece is only half that, and he ain’t ‘oxy’.
str8updave
Contrived and stupid. Sell your clothes ABRCR. Who does marketing think this appeals to?
J Stratford
Twinks are hot.
But that is NOT a hot kiss.
J Stratford
A&F has a “white” image. Dont buy them if you dont like it. I dont buy from them, but I watch their commercials. I window shop in their stores and then buy similar clothes from Benetton or La Coste.
13Zeroither
@nugoyxi yeah, we need a balance of both genders, and all races to be displayed in the public eye.
James
I think these are great shots. You may not all see the homo-erotic aspect. but i do. i think it shows the more tender side of homo-erotica. not all man are into “rough-trade” the genteelness of youth is a beautiful thing and i think A&F is right on target in hitting the mark for a generation that is redefining its sexual personality and identity. And please stop trying to make it about race. different company’s cater to different clienteles. plain and simple. if you like the product buy it if you don’t then don’t. period.
jimmy
I just wish guys over 35 would stop wearing Abercrombie face it YOU WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER, BE 20 AGAIN….OK now let’s move on
I get it too
I find this Riefenstahl-like imagery of overprimped boys about as sexually exciting as watching Judge Judy, but to each his own.
sfo
That video seems to be missing…
Ferallove
Wow! the third image dropped my jaw temporarily lol
Derek Williams
Holey Moley! These shots are beyond hot.
Derek Williams
Holey Moley! These shots are incredible, beyond hot.
o.codone
These guys are really, really beautiful, undoubtedly, but for me, not sexy. I’d never turn any of them down. not that i’d ever have the chance. Okay, now with that useless discussion out of the way let’s get to the grammar.
If two people are doing something to each other, kissing, touching, texting, it is proper to say “each other”. You would use “one another” if more than two people were involved in something. “The students were supporting one another in their efforts to win first place”, and not “the couple was spending time with one another decorating their apartment”.
The bi-line above is incorrect.