Jared McCain is breaking barriers, bringing feminine culture into the NBA?

[Bloodbather]

Dancing is effeminate? Interesting.

Speculating about a person's sexuality in public is indecent. They'll let you know if there's anything they want you to know.

Many people do stuff because they think it’s stylish and they don't care whether it makes them appear less masculine or whatever. Not every man is obsessed with appearing masculine. Keep that in mind.

I remember breaking barriers was Jackie Robinson being the first black MLB player, or Nancy Lieberman being the first woman to compete in mens pro sports. Now breaking barriers is painting your nails and acting feminine. My how times have changed.

I wouldn't call this "breaking barriers" either, but it is bold and would risk getting lots of BS thrown at you because homophobes and transphobes are rampant in overwhelmingly masculine spaces like sports, and such people are very sensitive about men being "emasculated".

I’m pretty sure there will be NBA players that will be wearing makeup and have lipstick on during games in the near future. I’d wager Kuzma would be one to do it.

What else ? Let em run in high heels and miniskirts during games ?

It'd be inconvenient to play like that, so nobody would do that. Stop fighting windmills bud.

[eyeatoma]

Just so you all know McCain isn't gay, he has a girlfriend. He's just a Gen Z guy...

[jasonxxx102]

I'm just re-applying your argument to a different league so you can see how outrageous it is

How's that working out for you?

Clearly it worked out pretty well

[DimesandKnicks]

There is still some casual homophobia that happens in the NBA circle but overall it's 2024 and we're in a much more accepting state as a society. If he is, or isn't, will matter little if he's good at basketball. He can carve out his own narrative, especially given how open he is with tiktok and his YT blog.

I don’t know if he is gay (maybe queer). But it’s not casual homophobia, it’s fully engrained into basketball/nba culture.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Didn't Lamelo just get fined for dropping some dumbass "no homo" crap in a postgame interview?

No home, pause, or the now emerging “no diddy” is essentially a product of a long running game from heterosexual men acknowledging that they’ve said something that without proper context could be taken sexually. Incredibly immature and can get very annoying, but it’s there’s really no mal intent.

Exhibit A:

https://youtube.com/shorts/m8lbRVx_oBU?si=G_faW2QIeghaEhES

To acknowledge how flagrant his comments were , he would diplomatically say “pause”

[Godymas]

i think it's crazy that he's considered a "gem" of the draft when he dominated the NCAA tournament scoring 35 in the elite 8 and 32 in the final 4 as well as tying Zion's record at DUKE btw.

And his biggest skill was 3 point shooting and yet somehow scouts let him fall.

The current Knicks squad is a recreation of a championship Villanova team. There is some merit to guys that are dominant at the collegiate level clearly that is being overlooked as of late.

[HotelVitale]

Good thread - it’s cool that he is openly gay and making an impression on the youth who look up to him

Wait, I thought the premise was that he's actually not gay or that he's not come out as such?

That's kinda why I think it's problematic. Sorta like he's pandering for attention.

Hmm, he’s a pretty quiet and very hardworking guy, wonder why it feels like ‘pandering for attention’ when he does something like that, but not when hundreds of players have tattoos, flashy hairstyles, face jewelry etc?

[Mallie]

What I mean by that is the reasoning (right or wrong, you decide) used now is “Who cares if he paints his nails, why do you care what a grown man does with his fingers” so later the reasoning will be “Who cares if he wears makeup or lipstick, why do you care what a grown man puts on his face”.

You're absolutely right - I really don't. Who cares.

[web123888]

Nobody cares really, but too much emphasis has been placed on policing previously mainstream vocabulary post-2020. The bigger issue than if he is/isn’t gay (which nobody really cares about) is very soft-minded and weak people who think it’s homophobic and bigoted to say something like “no homo” or something along those lines. This has led to silly fines and such for basically harmless comments. When I was growing up it was common to say something like that and it wouldn’t be interpreted incorrectly as a vile slur by the snowflake crowd. Truth hurts!

[HotelVitale]

What I mean by that is the reasoning (right or wrong, you decide) used now is “Who cares if he paints his nails, why do you care what a grown man does with his fingers” so later the reasoning will be “Who cares if he wears makeup or lipstick, why do you care what a grown man puts on his face”.

You're absolutely right - I really don't. Who cares.

interesting that so many people are so used to following rules about how to present themselves that it actually seems insane or completely inconceivable to tolerate people deciding that on their own.

Not knocking people for that, just strange to me that some people only understand ‘we need rules so I know how to look’ and others want to make up their own style based on what feels good/right internally to them.

My guess is that the first category of people can’t stand the idea of there being no rules, or a game they don’t understand how to play. But I don’t totally get it. I mostly fit into regular old masculine roles but it’s genuinely hard for me to understand the idea that it’s horrible or awful or the worlds losing its way if some people wear weird stuff.

[Bornstellar]

Nobody cares really, but too much emphasis has been placed on policing previously mainstream vocabulary post-2020. The bigger issue than if he is/isn’t gay (which nobody really cares about) is very soft-minded and weak people who think it’s homophobic and bigoted to say something like “no homo” or something along those lines. This has led to silly fines and such for basically harmless comments. When I was growing up it was common to say something like that and it wouldn’t be interpreted incorrectly as a vile slur by the snowflake crowd. Truth hurts!

It has nothing to do with "very soft-minded and weak people." It has to do with the fact that we as a society should realize that denigrating an entire sub-set of people and making them the butt of the joke is insensitive. Obviously if a perceived slur doesn't apply to you, you clearly don't care about how those its targeted at might feel about it. I get it, some people completely lack empathy and have zero ability to think outside of their own view. But the only soft-minded and weak people are the crybabies who whine that it's not acceptable to call people f***s anymore and think it's basically a harmless comment.

Also, "when I was growing up it was common to say something like that" is one of the most clownish takes I've ever heard. You know what was common for our grandparents to say growing up? You need to grow up dude

[reddyplayerone]

I'm just re-applying your argument to a different league so you can see how outrageous it is

How's that working out for you?

Clearly it worked out pretty well

Lol did it really though?

[reddyplayerone]

I don’t know if he is gay (maybe queer). But it’s not casual homophobia, it’s fully engrained into basketball/nba culture.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Didn't Lamelo just get fined for dropping some dumbass "no homo" crap in a postgame interview?

No home, pause, or the now emerging “no diddy” is essentially a product of a long running game from heterosexual men acknowledging that they’ve said something that without proper context could be taken sexually. Incredibly immature and can get very annoying, but it’s there’s really no mal intent.

Exhibit A:

https://youtube.com/shorts/m8lbRVx_oBU?si=G_faW2QIeghaEhES

To acknowledge how flagrant his comments were , he would diplomatically say “pause”

Yeah I don't buy the whole "No ill intent" thing at all. If guys didn't think there was something inherently wrong with being gay, that it somehow makes them less as men, they wouldn't feel compelled to say stupid stuff like that. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with being gay or trans or whatever.

It's dumb and lame and anyone who says that stuff is dumb and lame, and yes this includes someone like Jokic who felt the need to do it twice, cause he's a **** lame.

[dhsilv2]

Doesn't Jalen Green still paint his nails?

So did Dennis Rodman and others. With McCain it's a combination of things that make it different.

Aren't a majority of the players taking their purse to the game? Westbrook...exists. I don't see the difference. Let them be whatever weird version of themselves that they want to be off the court.

[dhsilv2]

Gonna go out on a limb and say that demographic you're talking about probably isn't highly represented in NBA viewership.

Gay men very famously do not like looking at very fit and attractive men like pro athletes

If this was the case then why don't tons of straight men watch the WNBA for all the fit and attractive female athletes?

It's almost like people who consume sports actually watch because of the sport itself

umm...do we have to say it to you? They're watching Tennis and maybe soccer for that. WNBA women aren't generally seen as attractive.

[stuporman]

Rodman laughs at your assertion....

[dhsilv2]

I mean, I'm an old man, so I certainly cant speak for the youth, but I got the impression that gen z as a whole doesnt really care as much about these kinds of labels, and seem to be pretty accepting of people breaking with conventional gender norms. Although I guess thats kind of up in the air considering the influence of "edgy" podcast culture on young men. yeah i dunno... I probably dont have as good a feel for it as i thought i did.

Every generation has to find their way of pushing back against societal norms. Tattoos used to be taboo, now you see CEOs sleeved up and wearing suits with sneakers, etc. so the kids find something else. That said, androgynous style is hardly a new thing.

you are correct that androgynous style isnt new. i grew up with Rodman, George Michael, Boy George... lots of other examples... but in those cases it was usually seen as counter culture. I think what Im getting at is that now its just part of regular pop culture. I think male kids painting their nails has become ubiquitous.

That's just gross...though I can't stand it when women do that either. Absolutely hate painted nails, makeup, and fake nails are just beyond nasty!

[reddyplayerone]

Gay men very famously do not like looking at very fit and attractive men like pro athletes

If this was the case then why don't tons of straight men watch the WNBA for all the fit and attractive female athletes?

It's almost like people who consume sports actually watch because of the sport itself

umm...do we have to say it to you? They're watching Tennis and maybe soccer for that. WNBA women aren't generally seen as attractive.

Whatever you do do not tell him about women's beach volleyball

[MrGoat]

Breaking barriers? Dennis Rodman was the original NBA metrosexual decades ago

[dhsilv2]

If this was the case then why don't tons of straight men watch the WNBA for all the fit and attractive female athletes?

It's almost like people who consume sports actually watch because of the sport itself

umm...do we have to say it to you? They're watching Tennis and maybe soccer for that. WNBA women aren't generally seen as attractive.

Whatever you do do not tell him about women's beach volleyball

you know...I'd forgotten there was a "sport" connected to that one...

[NBA4Lyfe]

which means nba viewership is currently soaring right???

learned nothing from 11/6