To celebrate the NHL’s 100th birthday, The Anaheim Ducks produced a video featuring athlete Ryan Kesler strutting around the office naked.
Related: This gay athlete hopes to raise $10,000 in honor of his best friend lost to suicide
Clearly, they weren’t thinking about how the clip might be received in light of the sexual harassment allegations currently plaguing every industry in America:
The @AnaheimDucks released this cringe-worthy and tone-deaf video of Kesler walking the office naked. The tweet has since been deleted. pic.twitter.com/b0DNTyT0aE
— GrandStand Central (@GrandStCentral) November 26, 2017
The Ducks quickly removed the video and released the following prepared statement:
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Our tweet posted earlier today was meant to be a lighthearted video celebrating the NHL’s 100th birthday. We realize in retrospect the content of the video may have been insensitive and we have removed the video and apologize.”
Our tweet posted earlier today was meant to be a lighthearted video celebrating the NHL’s 100th birthday. We realize in retrospect the content of the video may have been insensitive and we have removed the video and apologize.
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 26, 2017
Knight
Um…how was this POSSIBLY “insensitive”? Damn PC apologist culture. Can’t have anything remotely “fun” anymore.
Crystix
I know, right? Its horrible that we can’t joke about rape and sexually harassing our coworkers anymore in a public forum. Can’t those sexual assualt victims just suck it up and get over it so that we can laugh about it and pretend it doesn’t exist?
Knight
Are you for real? No one was raped in this video. Seriously…it’s people like you who are just one big face-palm in life.
okbye
I’m not seeing where the view of an attractive man, even naked, is sexual assault.
robert_moore
Crystix, I’m not sure I follow you. Can you point out where sexual harassment or rape was part of this video? It was quite clearly scripted and no one was present in the video involuntarily. I’m quite certain, everyone was made aware of the script.
IanHunter
I agree. People are so sensitive that they are going to run out of butthurt cream. People need to lighten up. Nothing about this was offensive in any way.
Knight
Robert of course there wasn’t anything remotely like rape in this video. Cristix is most likely yet another sock-puppet of DCGuy and just here to troll and say stupid things.
Kieran
OMG, a video of a handsome naked man! I’m cringing!! How insensitive. Don’t they realize this could easily activate homophobic panic attacks in millions of American men across the country?
fur_hunter
Love your sarcasm……very good. Keep it up.
batesmotel
What’s the big deal? Everyone is getting naked on social media now.
gchal00
I thought it was cute. Not suitable for TV, but Twitter? The other three actors I pretty sure consented to filming and the office was dead.
No disrespect to the folks who have suffered real trauma, but I don’t think this remotely approaches those crimes. I’m sad I couldn’t see the stick.
Brian
Plus, the guy obviously wasn’t actually naked. There was no reason for him to be.
ethan_hines
@Brian oh he was nackd alright you could see him flopping 20seconds in……they had to EXTEND the black box!
DadScott
How can anyone complain- other than to ask for the black box to be removed. I might even start watch hockey!
Sammy Schlipshit
Hey, PC police. Put down your tasers. Go on Amazon to purchase a sense of humor and proportion on regular life.
The bigger problem being, where can I see the un-black boxed version? Does it exist or is this the way they posted?
Jaxton
I blame feminists and Left Wing women in general for the shaming of the male body and the honesty of men in general.
Brian
^ Troll. Racist, sexist, homophobic, bigot, who needs to read a book or two, troll. Like always.
okbye
You can blame whoever you want but this left leaning woman enjoyed the view.
SportGuy
He is more than welcome to come walk around my house like that!
OzJosh
I object more to the lame joke.
Brian
Yeah. If comedy is going to be risky, it needs to be matched in creativity and originality. This was just clumsy and awkward.
tham
Hockey players are so hot…
And of course the safety mitten, helmet crowd would find it offensive. Millennials, it’s so weird that you find everyone else “offensive” but your Instagram feed is one underwear photo of yourself after another.
I mean omg, what hypocrites.
Knight
Agreed. The severe irony here is that in reality there is nothing being shown here that would’t be seen on any given day at a pool or beach. And yes…I get that this was an office…but THAT’S the JOKE (albeit a stupid one).
brandon
This is about celebrating your birthday in your birthday suit. It’s a play on words…not a sexual suggestion. I like it. I’m sure a lot of people think it’s clever. It’s a bummer that someone feels triggered, but their feelings are the problem, not the joke. We should work to address these feelings, not demonize other innocent members of the community.
Knight
How DARE you invalidate anyone’s ability to have a tizzy over nothing!! ALL feelings matter, ESPECIALLY the invalid ones! No…I mean…um…wait…
Xzamilloh
Eventually these companies are going to realize that Twitter is a world of its own and that the perpetually offended:
A. Are not your target audience and likely were never engaging with your product/service/sport until they took a video out of context to serve their need to virtue signal for [insert group here]
B. Won’t accept your apology because it’s not about contrition, but having the power to make others conform
C. Won’t even be thinking about you 3 minutes from when they were tweeting about how “tone deaf” the video was.
I feel like the media has boxed themselves into an impossible corner by tying everything to social justice
dre23222
I love to celebrate with him. He is one hot guy!
MacAdvisor
Sad that someone just being naked in a completely non-sexual way is somehow sexual harassment.
Tobi
Why is Queerty hiding the Steve Grand fiasco? https://www.queerty.com/country-singer-steve-grand-flaunts-wares-two-scorching-2018-calendars-20171126
Brian
You’re linking to a Queerty article to prove that Queerty is hiding whatever that article is about?
drmiller
I generally agree that there isn’t anything overtly offensive about the video but I do have to say this is just childish, dumb, pointless “humor”. Big time over reaction, I am right there with you guys. But generally speaking—it’s not about who you voted for, or what you believe in; it’s about common decency, it’s about decorum, it’s about correctness, and it’s about respect. You’re an athlete in the spotlight in a digital age where posts like this are seen by millions of eyes. Why are you behaving like you’re in some childish frat house? Grow up. Put your clothes on, behave like an adult, and try to at least give the appearance of maturity.
Again—I’m not offended. My feelings aren’t hurt. I’m not upset (yup, he’s a sexy man) but come on. Really? Was this totally necessary? It’s just stupid, unnecessary, immature behavior. This kind of humor stopped being funny after the age of like 21. Get over it.
Knight
Right…because athletes have always been held as the models of maturity and adult behavior.
Do you ever think before you type? Geeze.
Brian
Dummy, it’s not behavior, it’s a scripted scene for a commercial. How on earth could you think it’s real?
drmiller
@Knight I’ve told you on other posts to zip the lip. I realize you probably have to spit your gum out before you start typing, but please try to remember next time. Thanks bud!
drmiller
@Brian It’s not a commercial. It’s a tweet. And I didn’t think it was real, I just feel the humor is dumb and tactless. That’s pretty much it. Disagree all you’d like big guy, but at least understand my point before you start disagreeing with it 😉
Knight
Drmiller, you don’t seem to get it; we understood your “point”…it’s just stupid and invalid is all.
miserylovedme24
The only reason to be upset about this video is that it’s censored. At least let us see the back!
Kangol
There’d have probably less of an uproar if he’d just left all his other clothes off but put on socks and skates, grabbed a hockey stick, skated around the Ducks’ arena, and shot a puck into the goal. Thus, no potential sexual harassment or uncomfortable situations, there’d be the double entendre of the shot on goal, and since it happened in an NHL arena, it would be more directly tied to the 100th anniversary. Sounds like a plan for another team. Flames? Blues? Bruins?
drmiller
Love.
AJBray
Dear Everybody,
I don’t know what’s so difficult for everyone to comprehend here: Don’t “make light” of entitled dudes walking around their offices naked. It’s not “lighthearted” to show your junk to people who don’t want to see it. I would think that lesson has been learnt by now. Full stop.
I realise there are comments saying, “But he’s soooooo hawt!” or “But…but…the little box covers everything!” These are NOT the point. If he wants to strut around his home starkers, I *fully* support that, and yes, would enjoy a video of it as much as the next person. (A hockey player’s body is a thing of great joy…I know this. Firsthand.) However, that’s NOT what this was. It was ill-timed, in poor taste, and tone-deaf to the workplace horrors we have been been dealing with in secret, and have just started to feel comfortable speaking out against. Men *and* women.
As for the little-box-apologists, you’re also not getting the point — he’s SUPPOSED TO BE LEGIT NAKED IN THE WORKPLACE. If someone is blind and just *listening* to the description of the video, the Video Description software/app going to point out that he’s NUDE. It’s embedded. Otherwise the halfhearted attempt at a “joke” doesn’t work.
Why not just have him doing funny things around his house naked? Film him watering some sad little pothos plants, flipping some flapjacks, and cleaning the sink. Hey, Leafs — can you do that with Kadri? I think we all could meet in the middle and enjoy us some *that*.
XOXO,
AJ, resident queer woman and Sex on Wheels
Brian
Dear AJ.
IT’S NOT REAL! It’s no different than a movie where someone gets murdered in the workplace. Not appropriate to kill your co-workers at all, but in make believe it doesn’t matter. Make believe naked dude walking around the office? Also doesn’t matter.
drmiller
@Brian Missed the point. Are you illiterate or just incampable of basic emotion—other than low-calorie, senseless, knuckle-dragging bro humor?
Brian
Oh I get the point. You both are acting like this is something more than a fluff entertainment piece. It’s not. It’s no different than Jodie Foster being raped in The Accused or Gina Gershon getting pushed down a flight of stairs in Showgirls. A completely fictional portrayal of something that could happen in real life, but didn’t. It’s ridiculous.
Apollonos
Dear drmiller: Are you incampable (sic) of understanding that there are other literate people in the world whose tastes and opinions differ from your own? Are you suffering from the delusion that someone died and made you queen of the world, and that your tastes set the standard for the entire global population? If so, please get over yourself. If you don’t like what you see on twitter, then don’t watch it. It sounds like you would be well advised to stick to Disney movies to avoid offending your delicate, Victorian sensibilities.
SiamSam
AJ, do you also leave reviews at French restaurants telling them you don’t like French food and how the should change their entire menu just to suit your palate? The amount of ego on display here could sink the Titanic.
tham
You get he wasn’t naked in real life, he was wearing shorts and they put a bar to look like he was naked…
And I Yes, I get that most people don’t realize, during the season, players practically live at the club house…umm…that’s how it got it’s name.
But alas, a not naked guy walking around the club house saying he wants to wear his birthday suit is offensive…I get it.
I can’t wait for the backlash to begin in full force. Things are getting annoying over reactive
drmiller
Dear Apollonos: no.
Knight
AJ do you often find it difficult to distinguish between fantasy and reality? Or do you believe everything you watch in a crime drama really happened? If the answer to either of these is “no”, then you should admit that your comment was beyond ridiculous.
Knight
Apollonos HAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! You ROCK!!! yeah, that Drmiller is an arrogant twit with an inverse relationship between his ego and intellect. He’s a “dr” like we’re astronauts. I don’t think he has the ability to see how ridiculous he sounds, because he’s invented his own poorly spelled fantasy world ; )
dwes09
Sorry, but you and the others here making a big show of being offended are WAY out of line, and providing fodder for regressive comments on their stereotypical notion of what progressives are like.
It was obvious there was no sexual harassment going on, It was obviously good natured and not sexual. It was not even particularly macho. In this circumstance you CHOOSE to find offense, and in so choosing de-legitimatize actual offense where appropriate. The world and others around you are under no specific obligation to walk on eggs so as not to set off your triggers. You had a choice whether or not to view the video. That alone removes it from the realm of harassment or offense.
Yes, sexual assault, sexual harassment, rape and the forcing of others to conform to the desires of the male gaze are offensive and worth struggling against, and the use of both men and women as sex objects in service to consumerism is worth parsing and rejecting. But there is none of that in play here at all, just the inability of the clueless and self absorbed to see beyond their belly buttons or the tips of their noses. This is exactly the same attitude as is in play when regressives force museums and galleries to post warnings outside of rooms with images that were well within the bounds of propriety when they were created (even Mary breastfeeding Jesus, a favorite subject for centuries of art is deemed porn by these folks), or that challenge their regressive desire to be offended.
Knight
Dwes VERY well said and articulated. Thanks for that.
robert_moore
I’ve seen more nude men on a rugby pitch than this video. We often didn’t have changing sheds next to the grounds where we intended to play so we just changed into our kit either in our cars for those short enough, behind our cars if too tall (me), or on the side of the pitch. Just like this video, there was no sexual intent unless all nudity is sexual, which I think is rather a perverse puritanical viewpoint not unlike the practises of some Muslim cultures that forbid even a woman’s bare hand be visible.
At the gathering of the two rugby clubs after the match, there was almost always a Zulu ceremony for those who scored their first try, which meant stripping down to just boots and running a circuit round the pub or bar while the rest of us splattered our beers on the initiates. It was not sexual, just silly fun.
drmiller
Are you honestly comparing office/workplace nudity to extremist Islamic idealogy? Requesting that people keep their clothes on at work is not a “perverse puritanical viewpoint.” It’s basic common decency. I understand your overarching point, and there is some merit to not being a complete prude and accepting our bodies and embracing nudity to a certain point , but… keep your darn clothes on in the office
Others have said it earlier but they could have made this joke in SO many better ways than having him walk through the office naked during a time when 5 people a day are going down because of workplace sexual harassment. Just poor taste.
Knight
Robert you are absolutely correct on all accounts. And you are completely justified in comparing the “extremely offended” ultra-PC/SJWs to muslim extremists; they both are the ONLY groups that can get away with their current tactics of silencing ANYTHING they want to by calling it offensive.
scrufffan
Sure, I find the guy hot and wouldn’t mind him bumping into him at my office.
At first I thought people might be over-reacting to this video, but when I saw a woman working at her desk when he walks by, I kinda agree. No one should be exposed to something like a naked guy while they’re at work – even if he’s not being aggressive or hostile. It’s not unreasonable that someone could feel uncomfortable by something like that.
If he were walking around naked in an empty office, sure. No harm done.
The real crime here…I don’t know why the Ducks even released this. It’s not even clever.
amigay
If you want to see harm done, come to my office and see all the Kim Davis clones walking around.
GayEGO
Hot looking guy but, harumph! Did not see his sausage or derriere.
johnnymcmxxx
Why is a naked man “insensitive” while naked women are expected? Double standards applied and only women are allowed to be sexually objectified whether they want it or not. This brave man obviously wanted it and wasn’t allowed to share his naked beauty with us. A penis is not sacred. I scream “foul”!
amigay
We have the same pattern carpeting in my office.
draven
?????????????