Men are getting soft! While this sentence is generally read with disgust, alpha-males snarling “how dare I” even make the declaration, I say it with delight. Perhaps I am applauding the bare minimum — the unapologetic expression of traditional femininity — but sometimes you have to give the dog a treat to reinforce good behavior (in a Pavlovian sense, not in a “men are dogs” way ((although they arguably are))).
I have been getting more interested in sports recently (I actually watch full games? Where did the theater kid go?) and my TikTok algorithm has speedily picked up on my new hobby. Interestingly, my algorithm learned I love wholesomeness and has found a way to combine it with sports. So now I have discovered a subset of athletes that are genuinely wholesome but have sparked major backlash with their male fans.
Most of the videos I come across are clips of players showing affection for their teammates, their kids. There are mic’d up moments that show pure joy and love for the game. Sports may be one of the only safe spaces where men can complement, embrace, learn, and grow together without judgment or ridicule. They are lifted up for their successes and coached through their mistakes. They are allowed to show their unfiltered love — but only if you’re in shoulder pads.
The combination of this safe space and increasing acceptance for gender and emotional expression in society is allowing these men to fully embrace their individuality and personal expression. They broadcast out to millions showing that men can care about fashion, about brotherhood, about painting their nails. They are throwing their designed middle fingers up to toxic masculinity. Who would have thought that men can exist outside of the constructed idea of what a man should be (hello patriarchy harming everyone)?
Caleb is only one example of an athlete having no shame in painting his nails. Runner Daniel Vaca, soccer player Fabian Reese, the “fastest man in the world” Noah Lyles and baseball player Triston Casas are just a few examples of male athletes who feel ~bonita~ by painting their nails. Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles said on the matter:
“I’m a person who knows that a lot of people have different opinions and they have them for different reasons. To be honest, I’m so confident in myself that it doesn’t really matter. I think it’s funny at times.”
In an article published in March, Mark Harris laments (whines) about the trend and calls it “unnatural.”
Men painting their fingernails falls well down the list of the absurdities we're seeing these days and has zero impact on the abilities of Williams, McCain, or any other male athletes who take part, obviously.
Men painting their nails does, however, fall into this new mindset being adopted and promoted by liberal thinkers in which we're all supposed to just shrug our shoulders and accept whatever the action or expression is as the ‘new normal.’
Here's an idea: maybe let's not do that.
Not shocking he has this take when in the same article he writes:
Men taking part in something that's been largely exclusive to women and being praised for ‘being themselves’ is par for the course these days. Men are infiltrating women's sports, some believe men can get pregnant, and we've seen massive corporations like Bud Light award a biological male for playing dress up and making a living by mocking women.
The only thing mocking women is this guy’s sense of superiority. My pussy could not be any dryer.
Honestly, I think the backlash to these guys is hilarious. A) why do you hate femininity? B) why are we using “gay” as an insult again? C) seems like the guys with painted nails are focusing more on their games… maybe some other guys should switch their attention that way. Let me recap who is on team “softy” for a second:
Jared McCain, first round NBA draft pick, averaging 15 points a game
Caleb Williams, first round NFL draft pick, Bears starting QB
Noah Lyles, Olympic gold medalist
I guess the thesis of my argument is that sports have always had inherent “female” qualities (you can’t tell me ass slapping is just part of the game, ok) and has always centered around comradery, love, and understanding. Maybe just let people be people and focus more on their accomplishments and values then gender expression?
Point blank period
Painting your man-hand nails hasn't been "soft" since Bowie/Lou Reed/Iggy Pop. Entire subgenres of heavy metal have painted nails. Even that word "nail" is so effing hard. Interesting piece all the same!