Sport in Style: Masculinity Refined & Revised
by Antonio Reed
Currently, male athletes are “doing sport in style.” There has been an ever-increasing crossover between fashion and sport with athletes like Hector Bellerin (soccer player for Real Betis), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder), and Stefon Diggs (football player for the Houston Texans) participating in fashion shows. Bellerin modeled for Louis Vuitton during Paris Fashion Week in 2019, Gilgeous-Alexander modeled for Thom Browne during Paris Fashion Week in 2022, and Diggs walked the red carpet in custom H&M at the 2024 Met Gala. Furthermore, in 2024, there has been a blending of beauty and sport, as nail polish has become a frequent product used by male athletes. Caleb Williams (NFL quarterback), Noah Lyles (Olympic sprinter), Dwayne Wade (future NBA Hall of Famer), and Jared McCain (NBA shooting guard) all proudly paint their nails. Williams, Lyles, and McCain compete in their sports while wearing nail polish and have responded to the backlash in style: “I’m just being myself, and I’m going to keep being myself regardless.” This social phenomenon has been a slow training coming, as the soil for this flower was fertilized back in the 2010s with former NFL quarterback Cam Newton making headlines for his ostentatious, yet meticulously stylish pre- and post-game outfits. Naturally, this begs the question: so, what’s the big deal about this anyway?
The answer: these athletes “playing dress up,” painting their nails, and expressing themselves is seen as sacrilegious under a patriarchal society. As a man living under patriarchy, emotional expression of any kind (other than anger) and the association with anything feminine is prohibited. Essentially, men are butterflies who are perpetually trapped in their chrysalides. In The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love, bell hooks writes, “The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead, patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves” (hooks, 2004). And this act of “psychic self-mutilation” is why hooks writes that, “patriarchy is the single most life-threatening social disease assaulting the male body and spirit in our nation” (hooks, 2004a). Hence, the “big deal” about these athletes modeling for fashion brands, painting their nails, and dressing up for games is this: they have broken out patriarchal chrysalides and are in turn, showing boys and men how they can do the same. These athletes are teaching boys and men that self-expression is permissible and that doing so does not make you feminine or gay. And the fact that they are athletes makes this an even bigger revelation.
Sport is a breeding ground for indoctrinating boys about the maladaptive parts of masculinity. There is an “informal curriculum” that is given to boys about “how to be a man” in society, as “sports are often a crash course in machismo” (Strauss, 2020).
It teaches boys to suppress vulnerability, and harness aggression and dominance. Winning is everything. Don’t cry like a girl, don’t throw like a girl, and don’t run like a girl; do any of the above and you will, pejoratively, and maybe even violently, be called ‘gay.’ Also, don’t be gay. (Strauss, 2020)
This is exactly what patriarchy teaches boys and men according to bell hooks. “To indoctrinate boys into the rules of patriarchy, we force them to feel pain and deny their feelings. Patriarchy demands of men that they become and remain emotional cripples” (hooks, 2004a).
Inconsequentially, this is why Noah Lyles, Hector Bellerin, and Caleb Williams and the like are integral to the revision and refinement of masculinity in American society. They are butterflies who have successfully broken free of patriarchy and are showing boys and men that there is a way out. In the proverbial tunnel that is patriarchy, these athletes are beacons of hope to another side of life: one that is brighter, happier, and liberating.
References
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Browley, J. (2024, July 12). Dwyane Wade is considering launching his own nail color line. Essence. https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/dwyane-wade-nail-line/
Caplan, A. L. (2024, March 29). Top NFL draft pick Caleb Williams hits back after he’s mocked for pink nail polish and lip gloss. People. https://people.com/caleb-williams-hits-back-after-mocked-pink-nail-polish-8622280
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Haley, R. (2024, March 29). Jared McCain announces Sally Hansen partnership, explains why he paints his nails. Duke Wire. https://dukewire.usatoday.com/2024/03/29/duke-blue-devils-jared-mccain-sally-hansen-nil-why-paints-nails/
hooks, b. (2004). The Will to Change: Men, masculinity, and love. Washington Square Press.
hooks, b. (2004a). Understanding patriarchy.
Phelps, N. (2024, May 7). Stefon Diggs walks his first red carpet as a Houston Texan in Custom H&M at the 2024 Met Gala. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/stefon-diggs-walks-his-first-red-carpet-as-a-houston-texan-in-custom-handm-to-the-2024-met-gala
Raiken, A. (2024, July 30). Olympian Noah Lyles laughs off criticism of his painted nails: ‘I’m just being myself.’ The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/noah-lyles-painted-nails-olympics-b2588417.html
Reimer, A. (2020, October 26). Jeff Garcia’s criticisms of Cam Newton’s wardrobe are tired and outdated. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexreimer/2020/10/26/jeff-garcias-rant-about-cam-newtons-wardrobe-is-tired-and-outdated/
Strauss, E. (2020, February 11). Why sports can be so toxic to boys and how we unravel that culture. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/11/health/sports-boys-toxic-parenting-wellness-strauss/index.html