The cover of ESPN’s latest body issue featuring Dallas Cowboy’s running back Ezekial “Zeke” Elliott has a number of homophobes clutching their pearls. It seems the guys can’t seem to handle his naked body.
On Monday, ESPN tweeted:
You can now add "cover boy" to Zeke's resume. pic.twitter.com/DSS8r0Jzef
— ESPN (@espn) June 26, 2017
Within minutes, insecure straight dudes started having panic attacks over it:
You can now add "Homosexual" to his resume…
— Odabo Jack (@RobRothschild69) June 26, 2017
SPORTS. THE S STANDS FOR SPORTS. NOT STRIPPERS
— low key squidward (@ewwitzclutchy) June 26, 2017
Didn't need to see this before breakfast
— Rodney (@Easy132) June 26, 2017
— sledge (@MrGottaGetReady) June 26, 2017
Oh, but it doesn’t stop there…
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Zeke the goat but I gotta unfollow espn. Videos of ITs ass and now this?
— ?aymond (@Nizmond) June 26, 2017
ESPN is straight garbage now.
— KingRupert (@KingRupert845) June 26, 2017
Get this off my tl
— rlz (@ThotVeteran) June 26, 2017
Why 21,000,000 and counting have Dropped @espn. ? ?
— barstoolsailor (@steel1man) June 26, 2017
Thankfully, plenty of other people were quick to point out the absurdity of it all…
Just because it turned you on doesn't make him gay.
— Kelly Scaletta (@KellyScaletta) June 28, 2017
The straight man replies to this image are hilariouuuuuuuus! https://t.co/0y9h2Lj8WE
— mamacita (@sdlauram) June 27, 2017
Some folks are scared & have discomfort on looking at the naked body (especially of the same sex) even as an art form. Oh well, not me!
— DRKLight (@drklight808) June 28, 2017
Love how many dudes are responding to this saying "gay". Just because YOU'RE attracted to him doesn't make him gay sis.
— ???? (@mmadeliinee) June 26, 2017
All we have to say about the matter is…
Related: Hunky baseball player Javier Baez bares all for ESPN’s “Body Issue”
Kieran
The world is full of closeted gay or bisexual men living in denial. Many of them don’t appreciate having emotions they’re trying to repress triggered by images like this.
Richard 55
The male body is striking when it’s fit and toned. Usually it’s insecure men themselves who make comments about the poser’s sexuality.
Xzamilloh
Agreed. Those dudes sounded hella uncomfortable with what Zeke Elliot’s tight, buff, sexy ass body was making them think.
Kangol
Zeke Elliott’s big, juicy, hairy butt turned me gay!
Psych!
I was gay already, and thank ESPN for this (and all the nude issue photos over the years)!
Donston
The cliche that most homophobes have gay fantasies needs to seriously die. It highlights gay males’ insecurities and their hetero worship more than it is reflective of actual reality. Homophobia comes from every type of person.
Lvng1Tor
oh blah blah blah and pass the vaseline!
Donston
I’m just sick of people talking out of their asses.
Also, Vaseline? U need an upgrade.
Billy Budd
Freud proved you wrong DECADES ago. Please read about Defense Mechanisms. Grow up.
Donston
People love to bring up Freud and Kinsey when many of their findings have proven to be nonsense many, many psychologists and scientists since their time.
I’m actually telling other people to grow up. Yes, it can be a defense mechanism, but it’s not typically defending themselves from wanting man ass. Assuming that’s the primarily reason for a man being homophobic undermines the many facets of homophobia and the many reasons for wy it’s still so prevalent. It’s also just plain dumb.
Billy Budd
Actually, it was Freuds daughter who did most of the work on defense mechanisms. And their conclusions and findings remain UNQUESTIONED until this day, unlike other freudian theories.
Donston
I’m still trying to figure out your point and why exactly you felt the need to tell me to grow up?
As I said, defense mechanisms can be triggered by many things. In this instance, not wanting to be associated with something perceived as “gay” for fear people you see you as such (which doesn’t automatically equate to you actually being gay), feeling like you have to join the hate aka peer pressure/beehive mentality. Or, it could primarily be hatred of ESPN and trying to find an excuse to pile it on. Or, it can be hatred for the Cowboys and Eilliot, and a lot of people hate the Cowboys and Eilliot and find any reason to show hate for them. The idea that nearly every guy with homophobic beliefs and attitudes lusts after men has never ever been proven by anyone. Of course, it’s true in some cases, but to lean on that as if it’s true in most cases is oversimplification of homophobia from a sociological and psychological standpoint. So, grow up.
Xzamilloh
I would say that unprompted homophobic responses would indicate that one has some kind of internal discomfort that runs deeper than “Ew, man butt.” Of course it could just be them throwing out the “Gay” word just to get at Zeke Elliot with juvenile taunts.
Kangol
Actually, not just the Freuds but contemporary experimental psychologists has shown, as the attached links from Scientific American and The New York Times report, that homophobes are more likely to have subconscious or unexpressed same-sexual feelings. So it’s not a cliché, but experimental testing bears the supposition out.
Jack Meoff
It’s always the guys least secure with their sexuality that make these sort of comments. Any other straight guy just skips past it and gets on with his day.
am_psi
Fake news. Besides the first response I don’t see anything that could be construed as homophobic. ESPN is a sports publication, it’s readers/followers can’t be faulted for complaining about content that only tangentially falls under that category. If ESPN’s customers were interested in physique photos they could be reading any number of relevant blogs or fitness magazines. If a food magazine starts publishing a bunch cow photos and it’s readers complain, it’s not because they hate beef and dairy or secretly desire to own a cattle ranch, it’s because that not what they’re there for.
BigWill
ESPN mag has been doing the Body Issue for years now. Here’s Matt Harvey from four years ago.
http://www.espn.com/espn/photos/gallery/_/id/9428872/image/49/john-isner-2013-body-issue-bodies-want-espn-magazine
If ESPN readers don’t know about the Body Issue by now, then they are Donald Trump–level stupid.
Mo Bro
Taking into account all the bitching women do in response to Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition, I’d hardly call these comments “homophobic.”
BigWill
So you read all those tweets by guys upset that there’s a naked black man on the cover of ESPN mag and your takeaway is that they’re upset about men being objectified? You’re a real brain trust, aren’t you, Slick?
Mr-DJ
To: Low Key Squidward – The word “Sports” in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition does not stand for “women’s fashion” either, does it? Bet he didn’t cancel his subscription to that one did he? Nooo, so it seems he prefers women’s fashions than to appreciate the male athletes being honored and celebrated for their strength, power, abilities, and hard work required of them in their respective sport. These straight snowflakes would not have lasted in ancient Greece with the origin of the Olympics.
Lvng1Tor
OMG Becky…