“Steady on chaps! Britain’s victorious synchronized divers hug for joy after winning gold – while China’s bronze medalists settle for a manly pat on the back.”
Related: Everyone’s Pissed At This Straight Journalist Who Used Grindr To Out Gay Athletes In Rio
So reads a recent caption in the UK’s Daily Mail, clearly inferring that the hug shared between synchronized divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears — who scored gold for Team GB with a 3-meter synchronized dive — was effete, wimpy; not the stuff that makes a man.
Needless to say, this was more than enough to (rightly) send social media over the edge:
How about we take this to the next level?
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This is such a dangerous & detrimental view of men/ masculinity.
Hugs/ emotion are not “unmanly”.#TeamGB #diving pic.twitter.com/ZhfpTMHnoU— RedSoc (@gifofred) August 11, 2016
#SortItOutDailyMail – lovely homophobic article criticising a hug between two athletics and describing it as unmanly… @DailyMailUK GROW UP
— ?? dan. (@TheeDanielJames) August 11, 2016
I know we’re all outraged at the daily fail calling hugging unmanly…. But that aside….
???????????? pic.twitter.com/WBwW4yI2Hp
— David James (@DJN85) August 11, 2016
Congratulations, boys. And there’s not a thing “unmanly” about either of you; don’t listen to the stupid press. https://t.co/4CdEpQtAxl
— J.A. Fludd (@jafworlds) August 11, 2016
Stop having feelings, boys, it’s unmanly. Go chop something or find a war to fight in. https://t.co/AhCygKuDNv
— Rebecca Reid (@RebeccaCNReid) August 11, 2016
@WayneDavid81 I guess I should take back all the unmanly hugs I had at my mates wedding last Saturday.
— stewart foster (@stewfoster1) August 11, 2016
Apparently hugging is not very ‘manly’. This backward view of gender behaviour and casual homophobia has to stop. pic.twitter.com/nuJl1RCMxd
— WayneDavid (@WayneDavid81) August 11, 2016
Our #TeamGB divers won GOLD but #DailyFail thinks athletes should celebrate with ‘manly pats on the back’.
PISS OFF! pic.twitter.com/OwBlbP6c97— Gerry Stergiopoulos (@GerryGreek) August 11, 2016
The Daily Mail thinks one of these celebrations is not “manly”…#Rio2016 #everydayhomophobia #everydaysexism pic.twitter.com/MXluxBUbyW
— Jon Bradfield (@JonBradfield) August 11, 2016
This is considered not “manly” according 2 @DailyMailUK it’s emotion of hard work to me! @JackLaugher @ChrisMears93 pic.twitter.com/Pz05jOMdGq
— Jake Jackson (@jakejackson90) August 11, 2016
All genders, all sexualities, all ages, Olympic medalists – everyone should be able to hug without shame! pic.twitter.com/Ew6j4kUm8N
— Robbie Lawlor (@Robbie_Lawlor) August 11, 2016
Between that awful Grindr piece & ‘British divers hug too much’ I’m beginning to wonder whether Gay Shaming is the newest Olympic sport?
— Chris McCrudden (@cmccrudden) August 11, 2016
When two young lads win Britain’s first ever gold medal in Olympic diving and you’re rattled by a celebratory hug ?? https://t.co/KEgPGy0Yhy
— Liam (@liamnowen) August 11, 2016
“Just won an Olympic medal haven’t we but I SHALL NOT HUG A MAN LONGER THAN IS PROPER” https://t.co/3hN4eOzceG
— Emma (@scousepie) August 11, 2016
Related: Watch: Ad Championing Transgender Athlete Chris Mosier Drops During Olympics
h/t: Towleroad
DDstar1me
UKDaily—-you tried it! Aaaaagain. Honey leave the shade throwing to the queens. We’re better at it. LOL!
Hussain-TheCanadian
Hugging is considered feminine now? If it is, then I say so what!
If manliness means being emotionally closed off and robotic, then I don’t want it, the daily mail can keep it.
BriBri
Good grief! People need hobies…..maybe the swimmers should start wearing Buhrkinis with arms tied to avoid indiscriminate physical contact.
BriBri
@DDstar1me: LMFAO!!
ptb2014
Wonder if Daily Fail journalist was jealous? I was.
But good grief how can anybody but the winners of a gold medal know how it feels? And what is wrong hugging your winning partner and best friend? Idiotic rag needs banning!
John
An emotional hug is one thing this is much more, jump up, legs wrapped around waist? hmmm. I have had some “happy” “excited” times but NEVER had legs wrapped around my waist except by “partners” the bottom usually being the one wrapping their legs. Good for them, they may have found love…
broadshoulder
Its the Daily Mail. The closest we have to a fascist rag. Sometimes even Fleet Street goes too far
Brian
The Daily Mail is trash. Its articles are usually written by women – including lesbians – who are jealous at the sight of male bonding.
Doughosier
I want to hug Chris Mears!
tham
I have to admit tho…the hug photo kind of makes me horny…I mean, in a manly way.
OutInTheOC
As I rice queen….I prefer more shots of the hot Asian couple…….yummy!!!
eeebee333
Mr. de Koff, please look up the definition of the word infer.
Ukin Blome
As always, there are those who can and do, and there are those who can’t and complain about those who can.
Derek de Koff
@eeebee333: To imply is to hint at something, but to infer is to make an educated guess.
Billy Budd
Brotherly love & Male bonding. In speedos. This is absolutely adorable…this is what the world needs.
silveroracle
There is nothing wrong with hugging.
If more people did it, the world would be a better place.
Stilinski26
Lol in other parts of the world straight men openly hold hands together greets each other with a kiss in the cheeks!
Dave Downunder
This article just goes to show that the authors of the original UK article are out of touch with today’s youth. These guys are only 21 & 23 years old. Definitions of what is considered masculine behaviour or what might be considered a bit ‘gay’ are different for the millennials. Past generations would have been to reserved to show such open displays for fear of reprisal but many of the millennials don’t seem to have these some hand ups. Good for them for enjoying the moment.
robho3
Really someone made a news story about this?
DMRX
I think a lot of people may be misinterpreting the wording in the original article. Am I the only one who thinks that the writer may have meant the he or she was happy to see the closeness/comradeship of the two hugging, as opposed to the (possible) opposite of other pair? Also… This may just be a cultural thing.
martinbakman
Nick Fagge (will Queerty let me type his name, LOL) totally overlooked how darn hard these athletes worked to get to Rio and to win a medal. Of course they want to hug and celebrate.
Nick Fagge, Get the stick out of your British Arse, and go have a bag of chips ya fat b@st@rd.
eightinchnail
It was a beautiful moment. These days live and train together and they are very close but straight. For me I’d let Jack wrap his thighs round me.