Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: GQ writer surprised gays care about LeBron James
It is easy to be disdainful of straights, especially the liberal ones who say they love the gays. Sure they might have the language down right but whenever the topic turns slightly purple they end up being insulting. Take GQ writer Joel Lovell’s feature story on the challenge he and five of his peers presented to Cleveland Cavalier wunderkind LeBron James: a game of 6 on 1 (they eventually agreed to the more standard 3-on-3 with a sub for Team GQ).
James beats their brains (willing to bet he didn’t even sweat), and the writers head for drinks to bask in the glow. Who can blame them? They shared a court with a 24 year old who when he entered the NBA was touted as a savior. The vanquished players end up at a neighborhood watering hole called the Prosperity Social Club, and on that particular night the bar was sponsoring “some sort of LGBT event.” After writing those four letters, Lovell commits a silly foul.
“I imagined there aren’t a whole lot of places in Cleveland that the L’s and G’s and B’s and T’s feel this at-home, and so I also imagined that this was probably one of the few spots in town, and this one of the few crowds, where the fact of LeBron James doesn’t matter a whole lot. I’m stereotyping, I know, but you get what I mean.”
I’m stereotyping, I know, but you get what I mean. Actually I have no idea what Lovell is yammering about. Why he lacks the imagination to even conjure gay basketball fans is sort of irksome; he probably assumes we are too busy getting misty-eyed over the clothes in figure skating. This is LeBron “freaking” James we are talking about, whose reach is beyond the sport. It isn’t like Cleveland gays live a bubble life where the only stuff they see are reruns of “The Golden Girls” and the unreleased scenes from “The Wizard of Oz.” They also see the James photos that plaster their town, or read his every utterance in the local newspapers.
That must come as a shock to the Lovells of the world who just can’t leave the sterotype at home.
I know who he is, but wouldn’t recognize him. More of an ice hockey fan, myself.
I actually have no idea what he means. This website is on my RSS reader. As are my favorite blogs for each of the four Detroit sports teams, and a great UofMichigan athletics blog. My Lions blog literally appears on my RSS reader right above Queerty. Is there any way I can contact this guy?
And in Atlanta there is an awesome sports bar that is called “Woofs.” It consistently gets large crowds and always has sports on the multiple screens. Most medium to larger sized cities have gay sports leagues. Many gay folk even play on “so called” str8 leagues.
Personally, I question whether real men read GQ or not. (But you know what I mean. )
Thank you for pointing this one out, Mr. Withers.
Here’s the point, people. Many heterosexual males find gay sports fans an anomaly because sports are a culturally masculine activity. Thus, gay people (who are culturally considered “unmasculine”) do not “belong” anywhere near the realm of sports. This social injustice is quite entrenched, which is probably why many people also joke around about female athletes being lesbians or butch.
It’s stuff like this that keeps homosexuals as being “different.” And it’s stuff like this that perpetuates the stereotypes. So for those of you who don’t think this article matters to you, then you need to reevaluate the gender roles of society and how they intertwine with perceptions of different sexualities. It DOES matter.
Ummm, am I the only one on here that thinks that LeBron James is totally hot?
In my local bar in Philly (the Bike Stop), there is a sign on the door: Opens 4PM daily, 12 noon during NFL games. There are at least 50 hard core Eagles fans there every game.
This guy is an idiot. That would be like dragging Ru Paul to a straight bar and assuming that no one would recognize him.
I definitely agree that there are a ton of gay sports fans. In fact, there are gay sports bars, (at least in DC NY and Boston).
Debra,
The language thing is not personal and you are right. Sometimes we do let words slip by. But that has nothing to do with trying to censor particualr folk who comment.
Sincerely,
James
“go [screw] yourself.”
A bit off topic, but the other day I referred to Ann Coulter as a [dog] and was edited to refer to her as an actual “person”. That annoyed the hell out of me, had a discussion with the moderator about it.
Who’s running the ship at 365? If anyone hasn’t noticed, you seem to be sinking. Withers is consistently boring and irrelevent since coming back from holiday, and the double standard in editing is one more strike on your record.
Note: I have nothing against the words [screw], [crap], hell, damn….any of them really. Love them all. Just wondering why I got edited in defense of that [DOG] Ann Coulter????
We need to keep in mind that there are so many straight people who’s only concept of what gay men are is Jack from Will & Grace and Richard Simmons. Don’t get me wrong I love both of them, but to many Americans that is there only exposure to American gay culture. They have no idea that we come in all shapes and sizes and everything in between. Our culture is much more diverse than they realize (may ever realize).
Actually, I fit the stereotype pretty well. I’ve never heard of him either.
He’s a black basketball player rapist that the breeeders love.
Right on, Mr Withers! Wholeheartedly agree that many sterotypes will just never go away; I suppose some are self-inflicted wounds, but still they hurt.
To my prissy fellow commenters, there is a world outside of your comfort zone. Yes, my own husband HATES sports, and he could care less about LeBron, or Brett, or Eli…but so what?
I follow the NFL, love the game, find it fun, fascinating, and yeah, even hot!
I like many professional sports teams and belong to the Long Island Pride Sports Association!
So the the str8 genius at GQ magazine – I have three words for your snide, snarky comments: go [screw] yourself.
I am so ‘glad’ that our str8 so-called ‘allies’ still feel so comfortable dissing us when it suits their whim.
I’m sorry, I’m one of those gays who never heard of LeBron James until just now. I’ll check out the article on him, but don’t beat up the straight guys who assume there aren’t a lot of gay sports fans, ’cause honestly, I don’t think there are. Mostly because the sports area is still pretty much a big, huge closet and that keeps a lot of us away. But maybe, because of people like LeBron James and John Amaechi that will change.
What the hell does this article even mean?
Um, who’s LeBron James, again?