Tattoo artist Alisha Rice had no idea that her latest work of art would inspire such a strong response from people.
The tattoo, which Rice shared on her Instagram page last week, depicts Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers gripping a football while dressed in a crop top and jock strap.
The caption on the post reads: “You aren’t a #GreenBay fan, until you are an #AaronRodgers in a jockstrap pinup tattoo wearing fan.”
Within minutes of posting the picture, Rice received an onslaught of homophobic responses.
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“What I’m tarnation is this gay ass sh*t?” one person wrote. “This is what y’all do up in Wisconsin? Don’t even look like his face and that helmet is severely f*cked. This some homo ass sh*t.”
“Aaron should confiscate this gay guys arm,” another person said. “Not cool.”
“This is gay,” someone else wrote. “Screw this fan.”
But it doesn’t stop there.
“The gayest tattoo ever,” another person added. “I’m sure A rod don’t want this shit on anyone??”
“Not cool!” someone else remarked. “By trying to say Aaron rodgers gay! Not cool!”
“Youre f*cking retarded,” another commenter wrote. “No fragile masculinity here, i just think the tattoo is ugly. and pathetic. and many other words.”
Rice responded to one troll by writing, “Your hate is unwelcome here. Being heterosexual doesn’t give the right to name call people that are different from you. #meninshoulderpadsandtightNotsogay?”
She followed that up with another Instagram post, writing:
I’d like to to thank the Internet and the bloggers that brought homophobic football fans and armchair tattoo critiques to my door. I am happy with the results and so is the client. You may not understand why someone would want a hunky football player tattoo, but tattooing is personal. This tattoo is a celebration of identity, home, and team. That’s it! Hate and bigotry are not welcome here.
Related: Five Reasons We Wish Aaron Rodgers Were Actually Gay
Donston
This type of behavior and then the reaction to it will just keep A-Rod locked in the closet for life or at least till he’s no longer relevant. Oh well.
The tattoo really doesn’t look like Aaron in any way.
natekerchel
He is not relevant to many people now.
Donston
No one is relevant to everybody. He’s one of the highest profile and praised athletes in the states. So, there’s general relevance there.
jayceecook
It’s not supposed to look like him. The lady who did it said:
“The idea for the tattoo was a combination of the client wanting a traditional American style male pinup and a packers tattoo,” Rice, who has been tattooing since 1992, told The Huffington Post. She noted that the tattoo wasn’t necessarily supposed to be Rodgers and that his “particular jersey was selected because [he] is a football legend and the client admires him as a player and as a person.”
NateOcean
Tattooing since 1992?
Good lord, is that what 25 years experience look like?
11jks13
They all sounded like whiny pathetic 5 year olds.
Heywood Jablowme
“’This is gay,’ someone else wrote.”
Ya think? What a stunningly original observation.
Richard 55
Images are not gay. Your perspective might be gay but images are not.
Heywood Jablowme
Wrong. Every “Tom of Finland” drawing is GAY GAY GAY!
charlie_jackpot
I like the pube detail
Richard 55
All men can be aroused by an image of a male. There is no such thing as gay or straight, just male.
Donston
Nonsense like this is the exact problem I have with the LGBTQ “movement”. Not only is it just random, unfounded nonsense but the desperation to remove oneself from homosexuality.
Donston
Also, I’m thinking this is that “Brian” dude.
Heywood Jablowme
@Donston: Yup – it’s He Who Must Not Be Named.
DMRX
@Donston: You beat me to it. Yep. Looks like Brian has changed his moniker again.
KaiserVonScheiss
Is this the appropriate venue to complain about my hatred of crop tops? I mean, why even wear a shirt?
Donston
I rocked them for one summer a few years ago. Haven’t been back. Unless you’re on a beach it just seems tacky. (Yeah, I’m being vaguely judgmental).
kurt_t
Thank you, KaiserVonScheiss. You speak for so many of us.
tommears
personally I’d rather see the life that art is imitating here ?. However the phobes are right, it’s gay gay gay, but I think that is part of it’s charm, especially if he (the wearer) is cute.
You go guy, I suggest Hot Felon for the other arm. ?
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Wow, some of you guys! Ascribing desires and hidden “real” sexualities to people you don’t know, as if you know how their mind works better than they do ..based on what, unsubstantiated rumours?? Doesn’t that fall under the catagory of what in other circumstances you perpetually aggrieved types call “problematic”?
Donston
You could have directly addressed me since I’m the only person you could be speaking to.
And, yes, that method of thinking can be problematic. But sometimes u don’t give a fck. This is also the first time I’ve written anything about Rodgers ever beyond his football. I don’t put much time or effort discussing potential close cases. However, don’t act naive because you’re trying to one-up someone.
Richard 55
Get over your gay obsessions. An image of a male is not defined as gay. Your perspective of it might be gay but your perspective is not a definition.
Would you say that a picture of a woman in a bikini is lesbian? Doubt it.
Get over your silly gay obsessions and your unending desires to define everything according to your perspective.
Donston
You’re actually the one that’s been obsessed with defining people from your perspective, even going so far as to bring up something that has nothing to do with this article. I’ve always agreed with you that many people can have sex with whoever they want depending on a variety of different things. But your baseless claim that people have no sexual orientations is just nonsense. And you even know it based on how you alter your opinion on sexuality with every new post (and moniker). You’re a homo and there are many like u. Deal with it already or see a shrink. Also, this is a site where mostly gay men talk about gayness. What type of comments are u expecting to read?
Heywood Jablowme
“Get over your silly gay obsessions” – NEVER! You can’t make us do it, Brian, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!! lol.
But it’s not just us (out) gay guys who are “perceiving” this image as gay. Did you bother to read the article? The article is about a whole bunch of homophobes also perceiving it as gay. Hey, maybe it’s GAY.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s often a duck.
Donston
He’s just another gay who’s been listening to too many porn performers, self-hating homos and “fluid” and “I don’t believe in labels” people. He probably didn’t even read the article. So, instead of criticizing the homophobes in the article he comes after us. Predictable.
Texasholdem
If Olivia Munn or any woman had gotten this exact same tattoo would these people still be upset?
Donston
I don’t think you need the answer to that question. However, Olivia is so widely criticized and it’d be such an odd thing for her to put on her body that no doubt people would be coming for her. But haven’t you heard, Aaron is single and ready to mingle in these streets.
Heywood Jablowme
If Lena Dunham got this tattoo people would vomit. Well, they do that already I guess.
Blackceo
The only thing I have taken from this article is that Aaron Rodgers wishes he had an ass that was that perky. His is rather flat in real life.
Heywood Jablowme
Come to think of it, none of the comments here have mentioned “the elephant in the room”: the long-time rumors about Rodgers being gay, or his alleged boyfriend Kevin Lanflisi, or any of that.
Donston
Us gays being tactful for once? Nah. It’ a pretty old story. Although, new rumors are persisting. Also, so much of it is so obvious that it’s not even worth an “investigation” or conversation at this point.
BriBri
The next cool tat: Aaron Hernandez hanging from a sheet.
arcoarconcio_passivy
Beautifly TATU Art´s fan page it´s leauge sport Americam NFL Black and Writty is .
ethan_hines
“What I’m(sic) tarnation is this gay ass sh*t?” is EXACTLY what I would expect a homophobe to say! Good Job Homophobe! Your keeping the stereotype alive.
nitejonboy
Keep it gay, keep it gay, keep it gay!!
pscheck2
Well to all of you str8 guys (and women), it looks like Olivia has put on her track shoes and is racing back to his ‘closet’ to fetch him out and marry him! (Latest gossip). Of course (again directed to you str8 guys and gals) he will be certified as being str8 and those nasty rumors about him being gay were wishful thinking on part of those of us who are– gay. Well, just a little enlightenment: I would venture to say that a majority of gay men in their 30’s and older:have been with women (sexually!) sometime in their lives and for many reasons done so because of fear and familial pressures!. (also, many of us want to be fathers and live ‘normal’ lives while raising a family. In the end, our natural instincts prevail and we become who we are and not a facade